It’s that sense of gratification when we’ve beaten a really difficult level on the newest game, or found all the secrets and easter eggs. It’s that sense of accomplishment when we get a job or that big promotion. It’s that warm fuzzy feeling when we finally settle down with that special someone. The cake for us represents the reward for whatever we’ve striven so hard for. (Well actually it was probably survival, but cake was what she was presented with so let’s assume she was going for that.) For Portal’s main character Chell, her goal from the outset was cake. It can be a feeling or a certain situation. It can be a relationship or a major achievement. This can be something small or something significant. Everybody has goals, things that we strive for, perhaps for our entire lives. But when gamers first heard promises of delicious, moist cake amongst GLaDOS’ other snide remarks, it represented the promise of something great to come, in addition to the funny and engaging puzzle experience. “The cake is a lie” has probably been used to death by this point. Today we’ll discuss the famous (and perhaps overused) line “the cake is a lie” and how it resonates with us in real life. This week and next we’ll look at Portal and Portal 2 and the messages and themes they portray. Valve’s surprise hit brought us challenging puzzles and a memorable character in GLaDOS.