Ratings and Reviews by Flack

Fallacy of Dawn is set in a dystopian alternate universe, where arcades from the 1980s full of smoke and neon lights still exist. In the game you play Delarion Yar, a man with a neurological disorder and a criminal record who is struggling to survive in this hazy world. Imagine Blade Runner, if Deckard worked in an arcade instead of chasing replicants. The setting is a character in and of itself, but that's just the beginning. In this world, Yar must interact with a unique series of NPCs, all of whom are interesting and not all of which can be trusted.

The ultimate goal of the game is to make enough money to escape the oppressive town of New Haz, but the real fun comes in swimming in the cesspool author Robb Sherwin has created. It's easy to get distracted as you interact with NPCs, explore the environment, and try to unravel what has happened to you -- both the hell you're in, and finding a way out. If you enjoy interactive fiction and love the 80s aesthetic, you'll love this game. I did.

I grew up reading books and watching specials about Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and other cryptids, so Cryptozookeeper was right up my alley. In this game, interactive diction veteran author Robb Sherwin has written an interactive fiction game with RPG elements embedded. Like traditional interactive fiction games you'll need to navigate through the game and solve puzzles, but eventually you'll begin collecting the elements needed to create your own army of cryptids which you'll need to win battles. Throughout every step of the way you'll be treated to equal parts of humor and gore, two of Sherwin's style trademarks. I'm not sure I've ever played a game quite like this one before and while I'm tempted to say it's worth playing just for that, the truth is it's worth playing because it's one of the most fun, funny, and creative games I've ever seen built using an interactive fiction engine. Come for the cryptids, stay for the fun!

Enceladus is everything I want in an interactive fiction game. I don't want to draw extensive maps, play "guess the verb" all night, or wander around aimlessly wondering what I'm supposed to do next. No, what I want is to be entertained, to be pointed toward my next goal, and to laugh while doing it. Is there a place for sprawling adventures that take weeks to work through? Of course. But as a husband and a father with a full-time job, I can appreciate a game I can finish in a couple of hours more than ever these days.

In the game players find themselves on a spaceship with a werewolf on the loose. It doesn't take long before the ship crash lands on the moon of Enceladus, where players must tend to their wounded comrades while avoiding and eventually dealing with said werewolf. The broth holding this kooky stew together is Robb Sherwin's infamous humor. Sherwin is a master of words and will have you reeling in horror one moment and reeling with laughter the next.

As I continue to work my way through Sherwin's catalog, I find that I enjoy his games' straightforward style. Puzzles are one thing, but I don't like being stuck for days. Sherwin does a good job of predicting what players will attempt, whether it's adding funny descriptions to traditionally nondescript items, or simply setting up ridiculous scenarios that one can't help but laugh at.

With limited time available for gaming these days, this is the type of game I enjoy most. The puzzles aren't super difficult and yet I felt a sense of accomplishment each time I bested one and moved to the next area. Recommended for beginner to intermediate players with a strong stomach and a sense of humor!