Franz through the eyes of a psychoanalyst

What psychological techniques does Franz employ to influence the player?

The character of Franz is a classic infantile victim with borderline personality disorder. The player of the “savior” type will treat her with utmost care, only to later bang their head against the wall trying to figure out what they’re doing wrong. The “aggressor” type, on the other hand, is going to play their own mind games and tailor Franz's erratic behavior to suit their own goals, changing the rules even more frequently than she does. I played this game as both types consecutively: I was never able to succeed as the "savior", but as the "aggressor" I had no problem breaking the game and lashing out at Franz without really listening to what she was saying.

Franz creates the illusion of normality and gradually pulls you into her illness.

Like any manipulator who believes in what they’re doing, Franz is not afraid to lie, including the lie of omission, to flatter, to play the role of a miffed damsel, to accuse, to give the silent treatment, and so on.

And how can one resist such influence if they encounter it in real life?

In real life there is only one way out – don’t get into those relationships, run away from them as quickly as possible. The urge to help, fix the other person, and so on will only lead to burnout and depression. You can't build a healthy relationship with that kind of person, so there are only two options: either immerse yourself in their illness or run away.

Some say that "turning the other cheek" is sometimes the right strategy. Is it appropriate in the case of Franz to comply with her demands rather than confront her?

The relationship the user forms with Franz is a game within a game. As a player I want to beat the game. As a participant of a relationship, even with a virtual character, I enter into this relationship with a purpose and a desire to gain something from it. The entire game revolves around this dilemma.

I want to beat the game, but the only way to do so is to interact with Franz. She does everything she can to make the relationship more important than beating the game. But once that happens, the player automatically loses. And then his anger is transferred to Franz. So whether you turn the other cheek or not is irrelevant. If you start playing with Franz, you automatically lose. And if you don't, you just don't progress. It all depends on your goals and whose rules you want to play by.

What would you call the type of relationships portrayed in the game? And how can you recognize them before entering into them?

The game shows a codependent relationship. Each person in the couple defines their own goals and rules. And mutual deception and unwillingness to end these relationships lead deeper and deeper into the maelstrom of unhealthy patterns, damaging each of the partners.

Recognizing them is very simple: when entering this kind of relationship, you feel like you are swimming in murky waters. In a healthy relationship, there are common goals and rules of interaction that the partners adhere to out of mutual respect.

In destructive relationships, there are always hidden agendas, and the goals that are openly declared are usually vague and can be interpreted in different ways. The rules also lack clear boundaries and can change depending on the situation or mood. Therefore, if you are in a relationship and do not understand where it is headed in three months, six months, or a year, and the rules by which you are building this relationship are constantly changing, then there is a high probability that you are in a codependent relationship. In the end, they won't provide you with what people seek in healthy relationships.

What are some of your personal takeaways from your experience with the game?

My first thought was: “I'm a normal person” :)

Throughout the entire game, I had a constant sense that something was wrong, and I felt disgusted by some of the actions I had to perform on Franz while trying all aspects of the game.

The game does a good job of demonstrating what you should not do in a relationship. However, you can only notice this if you have a history of building healthy relationships. If you are used to building codependent relationships, the game can confirm your perception that such relationships are normal, and that can potentially be harmful to you.

Overall, as a fan of the studio's works, I took aesthetic pleasure in how it was all done, and I was pleased to experience something new.