History VideoGame / WhosLila

''Who's Lila'' is an indie game created by the solo developer Garage Heathen, who also created T-Gotchi.

* StealthSequel: A secret document unlocked in one of the endings reveals that ''VideoGame/TGotchi'' was created by [[spoiler:Lila as part of the Lawrence Fraternity's experiments]].

* BigBad: [[spoiler:Lila]] of course.

** In William's apartment hangs a painting of John Collier's [[spoiler:Lilith]].

* ExistentialHorror: The game explores the heavy nature of consciousness and identity and what would count as such. Some of the dialogue can be rather... unsettling.

** [[spoiler:William/Lila]] hiding in Martha Jenning's closet is inspired by a similar scene in Film/BlueVelvet, of which the player finds the movie poster there.
** The Stranger is inspired by the Mystery Man from Film/LostHighway.
** An alternate color palette which is unlocked from the start is named "Blue Rose", a term important for ''Series/TwinPeaks'' which would be quite spoileriffic to explain in full.
** One not related to David Lynch: A trash can outside the entrance of the school is described as being empty before doubling back and unlocking the "Manful Soul" palette, a reference to LetsPlay/ManlyBadassHero, who played the game's demo. Manly has a RunningGag in his playthroughs noting that trash cans were "empty, like [his] soul".

* FetishizedAbuser: William seems to have a romantic attachment to Lila, which she takes advantage of and with which she hurts him.

* GoodCopBadCop: Officer Hutchins and Detective Fischer in the interrogation scene.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: Lila does this, with some her dialogue referencing the player directly.

* {{Determinator}}: Detective Yu is determined to push through to find out who Lila is. Lila even feeds on his curiosity.

* FrameUp: Everyone thinks Will's responsible for Tanya's death. In reality, [[spoiler:her death is orchestrated by Lila and the Stranger]] in the Lovers ending. Even Tanya knows he didn't do it.

* IdenticalStranger: Tanya looks exactly like Lila, much to Lila's annoyance.

* MemeticMutation: Invoked, it's how [[spoiler:Lila exists]].

* MindScrew: Lila does on purpose to both Detective Yu and the player. It's how [[spoiler:she exists in-game and, now in the player's mind]].
* MissingMom: Will's mother died three years prior to the events of the game. In reality she's [[spoiler:been trapped in the other world by Lila, much like Father Lawrence]].

* RitualMagic: Used to achieve the Emperor (reversed) ending.

* SoulJar: The reels are implied to hold someone's consciousness and/or identity as they perceive them.

* WomanScorned: How Lila acts.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Played with. Will expresses inappropriate emotions at the wrong times. Officer Hutchins can even ask Will if he had ever been diagnosed as neurodivergent. This is actually [[spoiler: Lila's issue rather than Will's]], as flashbacks show him as much more expressive albeit still very awkward.
* AmbiguousSituation: Did Lila [[spoiler: murder Tanya while possessing Will's body]]? Or did Will [[spoiler: kill Tanya believing that he was getting rid of Lila]]?

* AmnesiacsAreInnocent: The real [[spoiler: William Clarke]].
* AncientConspiracy: There are numerous allusions to the government's controlling what people think. In the Hierophant ending, [[spoiler: Will is approached by FBI agents]].

* ApologeticAttacker: Detective Yu, in learning that [[spoiler: one way to get rid of Lila is to destroy her hosts]], attempts to shoot [[spoiler: Lila inhabiting Will's body]], despite his being innocent. It doesn't work and when the player enters his office again, he apologizes for[[spoiler: killing the innocent William]].
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Implied to have happened with [[spoiler: Will's mother, Father Lawrence, and eventually Will]].
* AudienceSurrogate: [[spoiler:Detective Yu]]. Lila makes multiple puns about it and will even insult the player for it.
** [[spoiler: Wheeliam]] reveals that the incredibly enigmatic [[spoiler: Stranger]] is also the player.

* BigBad: [[spoiler: Lila]] of course.

* BodySurf: How [[spoiler: Lila]] gets around and interacts with the human world.
* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: As William, [[spoiler: Lila sets up a meeting with Tanya in order to murder her]]. When William finds out, he warns Tanya not to see him.

** Tanya has an argument with [[spoiler: Garage Heathen, the game's developer]], on Twitter. She also retweets a portrait of Lila prior to the game's release.

* ChekhovsGun: You ''have'' to pick up the garbage bag at the start of the game and put it in the trash before you allowed to travel anywhere else. [[spoiler: This is all but stated to contain Tanya's dismembered torso, which the police later find.]]
* ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve: How the Lawrence Fraternity believes they are summoning [[spoiler: Lila]].

** By extension, so is [[spoiler: the player]].
* DemonicPossession: What [[spoiler: Lila does to Will]] and others.

** In William's apartment hangs a painting of John Collier's [[spoiler: Lilith]].
** When Will and Tanya dance, an image of an owl is shown, which are associated with [[spoiler: Lilith]].
** In Detective Yu's office, one possible conversation has Lila state that [[spoiler: if Yu were to shoot William, she would be completely unharmed. This exact scenario ends up playing out in a different conversation.]]

* FieryCoverUp: [[spoiler: Detective Yu and his men]] are responsible for the fire that seemingly killed Father Lawrence and his cult. It's because [[spoiler: the [=FBI=] have been using "Ultra-Influencing Works of Any Media" for last decade or so]] and Father Lawrence caught on.
* FrameUp: Everyone thinks Will's responsible for Tanya's death. In reality, [[spoiler: her death is orchestrated by Lila and the Stranger]] in the Lovers ending. Even Tanya knows he didn't do it.

* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Detective Yu breaks down after [[spoiler: learning the final piece of the puzzle from Lila.]]

* GrandTheftMe: For most of the game the player is [[spoiler: actually controlling Lila, who has taken control of Will's body.]]

** There is also the "Stranger", who strongly resembles Will and [[spoiler: is connected with Lila, shown to have really murdered Tanya]].
* InterfaceSpoiler: Signs that we haven't been playing as [[spoiler: Will]] are when he's referred in the third person and the dialogue box identifies him as the speaker.

* LightIsNotGood: One of [[spoiler: Lila's]] true forms show her as an ethereal, floating woman with angelic music playing and light emanating from her. The other depicts her as spinning wheel with rays that shine from her.
* {{Lilith}}: The true identity of [[spoiler: Lila]].

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Lila teases Detective Yu so as to what her real nature is: a [[spoiler: Tulpa or Will's coping mechanism in response to trauma, among other things]]. Evidence points to the former.
* MemeticMutation: Invoked, it's how [[spoiler: Lila exists]].

* MindScrew: Lila does on purpose to both Detective Yu and the player. It's how [[spoiler: how she exists in-game and in now in the player's mind]].
* MissingMom: Will's mother died three years prior to the events of the game. In reality she's [[spoiler: been trapped in the other world by Lila, much like Father Lawrence.]]
** [[spoiler: Lila]] is implied to have this sort of relationship with her mother.

* MurderTheHypotenuse: Strongly implied to be the reason why [[spoiler: Lila]] murders Tanya.
* MushroomSamba: The Teth mushrooms the player finds early on are implied for in the ritual of summoning [[spoiler: Lila]].

** Father Lawrence's reaction for having [[spoiler: summoned Lila]] into the world when you find him.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Detective Yu and his men [[spoiler: burn down Father Lawrence's base of operations, seemingly killing all of the cult in the process]]. However, what he didn't count on was [[spoiler: Lila's warning Will not to be there ahead of time]], thus giving her a remaining host to inhabit.
* NotQuiteHuman: [[spoiler: Detective Yu]]. He references the game itself and there are conflicting statements by other characters as whether or not he actually exists.

* PunnyName: Detective Yu and [[spoiler: Wheeliam]].
* PurposeDrivenImmortality: [[spoiler: Lila's]] only purpose is to survive, occupying hosts to do so.

* RiddleForTheAges: [[spoiler: The question of "Who's Lila" itself.]] The game presents many, many conflicting and vague solutions, and lampshades that fact in the dialogues with Detective Yu. It's outright explained in one of the endings that the entire purpose of the game's world is to [[spoiler:make the player feel like they are figuring things out, but remain unclear if any of them is the truth.]]

** [[spoiler: William/Lila]] hiding in Martha Jenning's closet is inspired by a similar scene in Film/BlueVelvet, of which the player finds the movie poster there.

** [[spoiler: Will's is discovered to be trapped in a machine]] in the Wheel of Fortune ending.
** It's implied to have happened to [[spoiler: Will's mother]] in the Empress ending.

** William, [[spoiler: under Lila's control]], is incredibly spiteful toward the students around him.
* {{Tulpa}}: [[spoiler:Lila is one]] of sorts, and she has taken control of [[spoiler: Will's body]].
* TraumaCongaLine: Will. It's why [[spoiler: Lila selects him as her host]].
* TheTrickster: Lila is a cruel example, having trapped [[spoiler: Will's mother, Father Lawrence, and Will]] in another dimension without time.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Flashback scenes show [[spoiler: Will]] as someone who is sweet and empathetic, albeit somewhat awkward.
* VillainProtagonist: It turns out that you are actually controlling [[spoiler: Lila, who in turn is controlling Will's body. Lila did in fact murder Tanya and will go on]] to commit at least one more murder.

* YouCannotKillAnIdea: This how [[spoiler: Lila]] exists, has existed, and will continue to exist.

** [[spoiler: William/Lila]] hiding in Martha Jenning's closet is inspired by a similar scene in ''[[Blue Velvet]]'', of which the player finds the movie poster there.
** The Stranger is inspired by the Mystery Man from ''[[Lost Highway]]''.

''Who's Lila'' is an indie game created by the solo developer Garage Heathen, who also created T-Gochti.

* MultipleEndings: There are fifteen endings, plus a few secret ones.

* OhCrap: During the interrogation, it's possible for Detective Fisher to inform Will that [[spoiler:a female torso was found outside his appartment]]. Will's reaction is a BigWhat and an immediate wide-eyed look of terror (by comparison, other times Will's face moved on its own during gameplay had it assume an expression over several seconds. Here, it's almost instant).
* OneSteveLimit: Averted. The game has Ms. Hutchins, who is Will's elderly female building manager, and Officer Hutchins, a male police officer, with no apparent familial relation between the two. They do know each other however.

* ApologeticAttacker: Detective Yu, in learning that [[spoiler: one way to get rid of Lila is to destroy her hosts]], attempts to shoot [[spoiler: Lila inhabiting Will's body]], despite his being innocent. It doesn't work and when the player enters his office again, he apologies for[[spoiler: killing the innocent William]].

* BastardGirlfriend: William seems to have a romantic attachment to Lila, which she takes advantage of and with which she hurts him.

* TheAce: Tanya is an academically gifted student who also envied for her good looks.

* YourCheatingHeart: Despite Tanya's already dating Mike, she and Will develop a mutual romantic connection after meeting at a party, leading to them acting on it.

* AbusiveParents: Will's mother was a smothering women who felt the need to be in control of Will's life and know every intricate detail of his life. She was also emotionally abusive, once berating him and a girl he brought over due him showing interest in girls before the age of 16.

** Finding some game's secrets requires corrupting a save file.

* AnachronicOrder: There is a timeline of events in the game and date it happens to be depends on the player's actions.

* AncientConspiracy: There are numerous allusions to the government controlling what people think. In the Hierophant ending, [[spoiler: Will is approached by FBI agents]].

* ApologeticAttacker: Detective Yu, in learning that [[spoiler: one way to get rid of Lila is to destroy her hosts]], attempts to shoot [[spoiler: Lila inhabiting Will's body]] despite him being innocent. It doesn't work and when the player enters his office again, he apologies for[[spoiler: killing the innocent William]].

* AudienceSurrogate: [[spoiler:Detective Yu]]. Lila makes multiple puns about it and even even insult the player for it.

* BastardGirlfriend: William seems to have a romantic attachment to Lila, which she takes advantage of and hurts William with.

* FieryCoverUp: [[spoiler: Detective Yu and his men]] are responsible for the fire that seemingly killed Father Lawrence and his cult. It's because [[spoiler: [=FBI=] have been using "Ultra-Influencing Works of Any Media" for last decade or so]] and Father Lawrence caught on.

* FrozenFace: Of sorts. Will seems has a condition where he has trouble expressing emotions. He has to make a conscious effort to move every facial muscle, hence needing to be controlled by the player. [[spoiler:And he was this way before being possessed by Lila.]]

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Lila teases Detective Yu as to what her real nature is: a [[spoiler: Tulpa or Will's coping mechanism in response to trauma, among other things]]. Evidence points to the former.

* MissingMom: Will's mother died 3 years prior to the events of the game. In reality she's [[spoiler: been trapped in the other world by Lila, much like Father Lawrence.]]

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Detective Yu and his men [[spoiler: burn down Father Lawrence's base of operations, seemingly killing all of the cult in the process]]. However, what he didn't count on was [[spoiler: Lila warning Will not to be there ahead of time]], thus giving her a remaining host to inhabit.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: Chet Murrie and Dada Dog are parallels to the real world Matt Furie his character, Pepe the Frog, and how its usage later became associated with white supremacists.

** [[spoiler: William/Lila]] hiding in Martha Jenning's closet is inspired by a similar scene in Blue Velvet, which the player finds movie poster there.
** The Stranger is inspired by the Mystery Man from Lost Highway.

** It's implied what happened to [[spoiler: Will's mother]] in the Empress ending.

* {{Surrealism}}: Let's see, you've got tulpas, states of consciousness, multiple areas of the game that don't take place in the real world, flashbacks. It's all part and parcel to the David Lynch theme Garage Heathen was going for.

** Danny, Martha's crush, takes advantage her feelings for him.

** William, [[spoiler: under Lila's control]], is incredibly spiteful of the students around him.

* {{Yandere}}: Lila towards Will, [[spoiler:murdering Tanya whom he was developing a genuine relationship with]] and going on to be hostile towards [[spoiler:and even murder one of]] his friends.
* YourCheatingHeart: Despite Tanya already dating Mike, she and Will develop a mutual romantic connection after meeting at a party, leading to them acting on it.

* FrozenFace: Of sorts. Will seems has a condition where he has trouble expressing emotions. He has to make a conscious effort to move every facial muscle, hence needing to be controlled by the player. In reality, [[spoiler: this is because Lila has take control of his body and is unsure how to properly express human emotions]].

* AngryEyebrows: The easiest way to have Will express anger is furrowing his eyebrows.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Lila teases Detective Yu as to what her real nature is: a [[spoiler: Tulpa or Will's coping mechanism in response to trauma]]. Evidence points to the former.

* ParentalAbandonment: William's father/

** One not related to David Lynch: A trashcan outside the entrance of the school is described as being empty before doubling back and unlocking the "Manful Soul" palette, a reference to LetsPlay/ManlyBadassHero, who played the game's demo, and a RunningGag where he would often note that trashcans were "empty, like [his] soul".

* {{Foreshadowing}}: In William's apartment hangs a painting of John Collier's [[spoiler: Lilith]].

* BigNo: Detective Yu shouts this when he finally gets the answer he seeks, combined it with a PrecisionFStrike.

* {{Cult}}: Father Lawrence and his Fraternity.

* AlternateRealityGame: In pointed MindScrew fashion, the player meets a character who provides them with a web-link to a DLC download. Clicking the download puts a new program on the player's real-life desktop, which needs to be open while they play the game to learn more secrets.

* AngryEyebrows: The easiest way to have Will express anger is to pull his eyebrows down.

* BigNo: Detective Yu shouts this when he finally gets the answer he seeks. He even combines it with a PrecisionFStrike.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Father Lawrence's reaction for having [[spoiler: summoned Lila]] into the world when you find him.

* AlternateRealityGame: Has elements of this.

* AngryEyebrows: The easiest way to have Will express anger.

* OneSteveLimit: Adverted. The game has Ms. Hutchins, who is Will's elderly female building manager, and Officer Hutchins, a male police officer, with no apparent familial relation between the two. They do know each other however.

* {{Sadist}}: Lila enjoys hurting others.

* SurrealHorror

* {{Yandere}}: Lila has shades of this towards Will.

* BigNo: Detective Yu shouts this when he finally gets the answer he seeks.