START AGAIN: a prologue

START AGAIN: a prologue is built around repetition in the most literal way, so it looks aimed at players who do not mind replaying a short setup while the game teaches its own structure. By our assessment, that is also its main strength: the title makes the loop explicit, and a prologue format can be useful when a project wants to test an idea before the full thing exists. The downside is that a prologue is often all premise and very little payoff, so the ceiling is naturally limited unless the mechanics are unusually strong. In play, that usually means a compact experience with a lot of early re-entry and a sense of being shown the rules before the real game starts. It sits between a demo and a first chapter, which is a practical place if the design is tight and a frustrating one if the sample never feels substantial. People who enjoy seeing an idea introduced cleanly may get something out of it; people who want a complete arc probably should not start here. The name already tells you that the important bit is what comes after this piece.