Ratings and Reviews by OtisTDog

Hangman's Gulch, despite the ominous title, is a player-friendly old school parser light puzzler.

Although given a coat of Western genre theme paint, it is basically a short treasure hunt built out of classic text adventure tropes. The nature of the treasure at first seemed reasonably related to the fictional time and place but soon drifted into the exceedingly unlikely. This does not matter in the least -- again, it's an old school parser treasure hunt game.

None of its Tab A/Slot B puzzles are particularly difficult since strong hinting is provided in the game's main text. Although a >HINT feature is implemented, the player is unlikely to need to use it, and if used is likely to be disappointed. (The only hint I got from it was a restatement of the obvious.) Most of the things needed by the protagonist are left conveniently abandoned somewhere in the newly-created ghost town in which the action takes place. Others arrive through unexpected chains of cause-and-effect, such as answering riddles or feeding animals. Aside from their unexpected outcomes, puzzles are rooted in real world concerns and amenable to straightforward reasoning; there's not a hint of moon logic to be found. A few items can be used for more than one purpose, which is a nice touch.

There are several animal interactions in this game, giving it an occasionally cutesy feel that may appeal to kids. (Note, however, that violence toward one of them -- a type considered dangerous -- is required to win.) Caffeinated beverages also figure more prominently than might be expected for a Western, with the largest point award in the game being given, surprisingly, for brewing some tea.

Mechanical quality is high, as is typical for a game published by author Garry Francis. I encountered one trifling error (attempting to (Spoiler - click to show)>READ SIGN IN MIRROR) and might quibble about some of the responses to unsuccessful actions (e.g. (Spoiler - click to show)>TIE ROPE TO JUG and >TIE ROPE TO KETTLE) as missed opportunities to provide additional hinting or allow alternate solutions, but these are minor and do not detract significantly from the overall experience, which leans minimalist and focuses on the gameplay essentials.

Overall, this game is a solid introduction to the old school style and a suitable introduction to puzzlers for someone new to the idea. It's also a good choice for someone in a nostalgic mood who wants some amusement during a lunch break or commute.

Mike Russo's entry in to 2024's Really Bad IF jam is truly impressive. It is a very short, very stereotypical fantasy game in the sense that it provides the player an objective reachable with a few minutes of exploration, and it pays off appropriately in amusement delivered.

At first, the major complaint is that it's too short. Though overcoming the minor obstacles presented is too perfunctory an exercise to constitute a real challenge, it is a perfectly serviceable micro-entertainment -- so much so that it was summarily disqualified as not being bad enough to qualify for the jam. It's not enough that the player feels a bit cheated by the game's failure to continue the scenario past the point where it stops.

"Cheated" is a loaded word. Russo only makes an implicit promise here, and one could argue that the apparent promise is just an unintended side effect of the author's naturally engaging style. However, I believe that dangling that promise is intentional -- leaving the player wanting more certainly provides the impetus to take the game up on its offer when it ends with an invitation to examine the source code.

At this point, the work transforms entirely, moving from the style of classic fantasy RPG to pure horror.

The underpinnings of this work are just... horrendous from a coding perspective. Russo assiduously avoids using any of the tools in Inform 7's toolbox for its correct purpose. With a certain malevolent genius, he implements a consistent (if consistently awful) collection of misuses, assembled into a structure that, like Frankenstein's monster, invokes a deep repulsion (if also a dread fascination) simply by functioning at all.

I've often seen it said that one doesn't have to be a good coder to create a good game; this work is a very extreme form of proof for that argument. I don't know how much the code's uncanny framework could be extended before collapsing under its own weight, and there is no reason at all to emulate the coding style in one's own work, but many a new author can probably benefit from experiencing this work both as scenario and source. The effect might be similar to watching that infamous driver's ed film of yesteryear: "Red Asphalt".

To keep the meaning of my ratings consistent, I'm sticking to 3 stars for this one in consideration of it solely as a miniature game. However, in terms of higher levels of craft, I salute this work as a standout example of a well-executed genre twist.

[Lest the above be construed as an insult to the programming abilities of this author, who holds two XYZZY Awards, I remind the reader that the whole intent of the jam was to produce bad games, and that 'Steading delivers beautifully. I am reasonably certain that the reaction of amused horror that I experenced was exactly Russo's goal, and that only someone with a keen understanding of design principles could so lovingly craft this monster. So... Bullseye! And bravo!]