The most jarring aspect of Untrace, stands in its vulnerability, in the lack of control and of choice. Within the first two minutes of playing, a list of names and dates appear on the screen. It is not explicit what prompt pops up for the reader to insert their name on an unfamiliar screen when they don’t know anything about the narrator.

• You are asked if you would like to leave a trace, but you have no control over the answer

  • I tried clicking “Refuse” but it automatically moves your mouse over to the accept button and clicks it for you (0:57)

• The reader is suspicious of entering their name because that means they will and are being traced

  • ALSO you see everyone else experienced the same powerlessness and lack of choice that I did, so although I played it alone, I feel connected to the past player that also didn’t have a choice in whether or not to leave a trace or not.

    • In reality, you have the choice whether or not to leave something behind, or to “disappear and leave nothing behind. In the game, however, you truly don’t have a choice because if you refuse to enter your name or message, you cannot move onto the rest of the work

• The character is also helpless at points

  • The character speaking through the screen struggles between their desire to leave a trace and the wish to disappear without a single one.

  • “I would like to find traces of my past.” “Though traces left by others’ past lives”

  • “Share your memories with me.” (2:34)

• The player/reader doesn’t simply exist experience the electronic literature; they are also there to aid the narrator in recollecting their memories, and underneath, to do the same for the reader.