Ratings and Reviews by Deboriole

This was a very enjoyable game which is why it must be full of bugs. I like how the player needs to choose different paths to collect all of the items necessary for the win. A good 10 minutes of fun.

Go Pats!

Although this short game had one great puzzle at the start (for which I am giving the game an extra star), the second and third puzzles were not very intuitive. Playing as a dog I assumed my actions were somewhat limited and that I would need to get creative on the second puzzle. However, upon looking at the walkthrough, it turns out I simply needed to use a common action typically reserved for beings with arms. Hmm... but I'm a dog. How would that work, exactly? Anyway, the worst is yet to come. I inadvertently ruined the game for myself with the third puzzle. How was I to know that I would determine my fate based on (Spoiler - click to show)where I left the pipe? Leaving it in the garden (which is where I left it upon my first play through, just by chance) causes me to be beaten by my master and left shaking in my doghouse. A turn of events which made me really sad and a little angry. I wouldn't really recommend this game unless you can overlook the verb issue I mentioned, and you don't do what I mentioned in the spoiler tag.

This game is on my all-time favorites list now. It is the epitome of the type of game I like: escaping from a single room. The puzzles are great and there is enough humor to make it entertaining throughout. The only advice I would give someone who hasn't played before: Don't assume you have thoroughly examined something if you feel there is more to the object than you already know — because you are probably right. A minor spoiler showing what I mean: (Spoiler - click to show)I got stuck in one place because I typed "listen" assuming it would include all of the sounds in the room, but what I really had to do was listen to something in particular. I recommend this game to puzzlers everywhere!

I initially chose this game because it featured a dog. Unfortunately I found the lack of progress too frustrating and I did not complete this game. I don't really care for games that loop... especially if the loop is full of mundane tasks that I didn't enjoy the first time around. I love puzzles, but I felt this game's "puzzles" were more like virtual chores. There were also a ton of bugs which may or may not have been on purpose. For example, (Spoiler - click to show)when I filled the water dish and put it down for Rover, he seemed so thirsty that I picked it up and filled it again. But when I went to put it down, the game said I wasn't carrying it, and when I did "i" it wasn't in my inventory. In the next iteration the water bowl was already full, so maybe it is supposed to be "glitchy" based on the premise that you are building the simulation. I guess this game just wasn't for me. Two stars because I liked the humor.

I really enjoy one room escape puzzles so I gave this one a go. Unlike many of the other so-called "one room puzzles", this one really is restricted to a single room (yay!). The puzzles were really tricky at some points — but with some creativity I was able to get through the whole game without using my cat. The only place that tripped me up was getting the last ingredient. (Spoiler - click to show)I knew I had to put the golem in the trunk because he is the only object the game allowed me to place there. I also knew I had to have him fetch something for me, so I tried "fetch (object)" and he would bring me random stuff since he didn't know the names of anything. After an hour or so I broke down and looked at the walkthrough and saw all I needed to do was say "fetch." I am not sure why this didn't even occur to me, but it didn't. Other than that I had no problems completing the game, and I really enjoyed the entire thing! It was very satisfying to solve, and it was funny, too. :)

p.s. In case the author is reading these comments, I found a few bugs.
(Spoiler - click to show)1) If you POTPOURRI the stuffed puffin and then YOUDEAD the puffin, he will fly around the stuffed version of himself, looking for fish.
2) If you POTPOURRI the sky and then try it again, it will say something like "You have already cast that spell on the ."
3) There is a typo early in the game... instead of the word "stink" it said "stick".

Upon starting the game you are told to gather evidence to prove the existence of a ghost within the church. You are armed with a camera to capture ...well, anything you want, really. You also have a handy notebook in which you can look up any topic having to do with the church, which is a neat touch.

I admit, I had high hopes for this game based on other reviews. But even if I had gone in with no expectations, I believe I would still feel a little cheated. Don't get me wrong, I had a blast solving puzzles along the way, and I truly appreciate all of the work that went into building this game. There is just one major disappointment!

Spoilers (and whining) ahead:

(Spoiler - click to show)In my inventory I had a crook (a pole with a hook on the end) and a box (to stand on since my character is short). I came across an intriguing trapdoor in the ceiling and was able to open it using the box and crook. Once in the attic, I discovered the truth about the resident ghost.

Now, this would all be fine if there were multiple endings. For example, if you were to go into the attic without certain proofs, you would lose due to insufficient evidence. I would have much preferred that because then I would have replayed the game and made sure I was able to prove my case the next time around. Unfortunately there is only one ending, and once the attic is accessed the truth is made clear regardless of any proof (or lack thereof) I may have possessed. All of the evidence I spent time collecting and photographing was meaningless. I never needed to do anything at all other than get into that attic (although I will note that the crook is only found after solving another puzzle so it isn't like you can solve the game quickly). Still, so disappointing!

I would love for the authors of this game to make an extended version. I think that would be amazing! It would definitely get five stars from me. :)

I beat the second game! I am giving it five stars because I really liked it. I did not get frustrated like in the original Hard Puzzle, and I felt this one was very cleverly done. Patience is a virtue; I spent a ton of time playing this game before I was able to figure it out. It was very satisfying when I did! Now onto the third installment. :)

If you are looking for a quick, silly game, this is it! There is great humor throughout, and the game doesn't take itself seriously. The one downfall is that it's a "hand-holder" game and thus very easy to complete. If things were a little less conspicuous it might have led to a greater challenge. For example: (Spoiler - click to show)the jungle scene with the blatant dangling vine could have been more puzzly if you had to examine the jungle in order to spot the vine. Still, I enjoyed the narrative so much that the game was still very fulfilling despite its lack of puzzliness. I am still chuckling over some of the dialogue. I am going to check out some other Ryan V games now!

I have been obsessed with this series since the first Hard Puzzle came out. I have to say that the atmosphere of this installment is a little dark for my taste, but the solution makes sense (or as much sense as is possible in a surreal game like this!) just like the two games before it. Aside from the monstrous atmosphere (which I did not care for), this game was very satisfying to puzzle over and solve. Thanks Ade McT!

I have been obsessed with beating this game since it came out. I opened the game this morning (not expecting to get anywhere with it), and after a bit of tinkering I tried something I hadn't tried before and was stunned when a paragraph of text appeared followed by *** The End ***.

I can't decide if I think the solution is clever so I will leave the review centered at 3 stars to be as impartial as possible. Good luck to all of you who still have yet to solve it.

This is a clever game. Not only because of its puzzles, but because some of the puzzles are not needed.

There are a lot of items in this game and you need to examine every single one. I did a very good job of this and was able to figure out 95% of the game, but when I came to the end I found I was missing two key clues. Upon looking at a walkthrough (I started to re-examine things to try to figure out what I missed, but the sheer volume of objects was too daunting) I found that I could have easily found the two clues if I hadn't glossed over certain examinations.

What I liked: Even if I was in one corner of the room and I wanted to examine something but wasn't sure of its location, I could still "x object" and my character would go to its location and look at it. That was a huge time-saver. I also enjoyed the humor in the game. There wasn't a ton of it, but I did laugh out loud a few times.

What I didn't like: I found that I routinely figured things out before I stumbled upon its clue — which got annoying after awhile because I felt like I wasn't making progress, I was uncovering clues for puzzles I had already solved. There were also a few bugs... the most jarring being that one puzzle can be solved without knowing the object you need exists. I found this out by accident when I was carrying something that had a similar name to the object I needed. When I tried to use the object in my inventory, my character went over to where the correct object was and used it to complete the puzzle (instead of telling me the object I was carrying didn't work). Ha! I guess I should count that as a win, but I felt robbed of that puzzle's solution.

Overall, I really enjoyed this game a lot! The puzzles made sense and it was rewarding.

Initially I got frustrated by this game because I just wanted to explore the room and not worry about what Violet would think, or have the game end because she left me. But once I figured out all I had to do was 'write' once in awhile, I was able to explore to my heart's content. What really excited me about this game was the amazing expanse of commands. Anything that crossed my mind seemed to be achievable. To my further delight, many of the crazy solutions I came up with actually worked and helped me toward my goal. This is one of the best IF games I have played in awhile. The puzzles are great and I got totally immersed in the world.

Admittedly, at the beginning of this game, I wandered around in circles. I read my notes over and over and by the end of the game I knew my way around quite well. My only real gripe came in the second half. (Spoiler - click to show)two of the intentions - coral and crimson - were to be merely dropped, when all the others went into or onto something in particular. I found this to be annoying as I had the right place and recipient, yet could not figure out how to stage the crime. I had to look at the walkthrough.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the navigation puzzles and the 'poetry.'

I must admit, I played this game because of the cover art. What a cutie! Ironically, I gave this game the same rating as Fate (which was undoubtedly much more complicated to code and to play) because of the cute factor (although I did get to feed a carrot to a goat in that one).

I read Matt's dissertation after finishing (which took me longer than playing the game). Very impressive. I, on the other hand, did not look for any undertones. I just looked for cute, cuddly bunnies. In fact, I don't care if there even were any undertones. I got to hug bunnies.

Note: This review has been edited after receiving comments. :)

I am always searching for games with purely logical puzzles, and came upon this one. I enjoyed this game for its "logical progression" style of play. I found it very fulfilling to put the pieces together within a finite time limit. However, I did not finish the game because I was expecting the rest of the game to rely on "real-life" solutions and it took a turn. A lot of other reviewers really enjoyed this twist in the game, but I did not.

I LOVED this game when I was a kid. I was shocked to find it averaged 1 measly star, so I was determined to get my hands on it to play again. I admit, the parser is extremely poor and as I play it now, I am struggling to find the acceptable syntax to progress in the game.

It is pretty unplayable, but I have so many fond memories that I am generously giving it two stars. What a shame because I remembered it as a fantastic adventure. If anyone else cares to play, I am including a mini-walkthrough for the first portion of the game below.

You can play online here: http://c64s.com/game/58/african_adventure/ although there is no way to save (so don't try, you will get stuck)!

(Spoiler - click to show)
-YOUR ROOM-
open closet
get boots
get knapsack
open knapsack
look
get matches
(if a native has thrown a spear at you)
get spear
enter bed
open book
read passage
drift


Some other tips:
(Spoiler - click to show)
1) If you let the mouse go, go back to where you originally found him; he will be there.
2) If you are carrying the spear, the natives will be hostile.
3) If you want to go back to your room, go back to the boat and it will let you go home.

I thought the description of this game looked pretty interesting - I mistook the title to mean a pagan treasure hunt through the forest. Upon playing I quickly realized that Easter Egg Hunt is a literal, Christian-themed hunt for eggs -- complete with a crucifix and a crown of thorns. There are a few characters in the game, but you do not have to persuade them to trade items with you. A simple "get object" will suffice and you can take (or give) all game items to any character. I admit I did not play the entire game because I managed to find more than half of the eggs simply sitting on the ground. It was not as much of a "hunt" as it was a collection process.

I read the walkthrough after I quit playing, and there is more depth to the game than I found, but I am still not tempted to go back and finish.

I didn't read reviews on this game before playing it so I expected an experience more like Bronze and less like Galatea - when in fact the reverse is true. As others have written, the majority of the game is asking questions and piecing together the back story. I didn't feel like trying to find all 18 endings because the plot is rather dark, and I managed to find a very nice ending on my third play, so I stopped there.

The story was not that appealing to me (It is somewhat of a gruesome tale and I prefer games with tangible puzzles rather than question-asking, anyway). I would give this story 3 stars but for the sheer impressiveness of number of authors, complex plot, and intricate dialog system.

One hint: You can shorten your inputs. For example, if the dialog prompts you with "You could ask about ..." just type "ASK" and it will assume you are talking about the prompted question. Similarly, "You could ask about X or Y" allows you to type "ASK X" and it will answer you as expected. Be careful of the words... for example, "I had a lot of schooling" would have to be "ask schooling" and not "ask school". Once you get the hang of it, you don't have to type as much as you might think!

My favorite pun: (Spoiler - click to show)"Lilith fair"est of them all. Ha!

I really, really enjoyed Bronze so I was looking forward to playing this one. I enjoyed the whimsy of this game, although the manner of using objects was definitely unique and I needed hints to figure out what I was supposed to do. Once it was clear what commands to use, I was able to finish the game in a matter of minutes.

There was one glitch that got me completely stuck, I had to restart to be able to finish the game.
(Spoiler - click to show)I attached the hour to the window (which is on the top floor). 50 turns later, I was meticulously searching the middle level when my candle went out. Ok, I thought, I will just get another hour and restore the candle. I tried "get hour" but could not, because the hour was still stuck to the window upstairs. I went to the top floor and was able to take the hour. The text said that the candle was whole again -- but when I went down to the kitchen to light it, there was just a stub left. I was caught in a situation where my hour was on one floor and my fire source was on another floor!
I am sure I am the only person who would ever get in such a situation, but I guess that makes me a good beta tester? :)

I enjoyed this game to a point. That point came when I became completely stuck and had to look at a walkthrough. Turns out I missed one opportunity and therefore could never solve the game. There was no indication that I was hopelessly stuck, so I rambled about for an hour until finally throwing in the towel. That did not make me very happy! There could be a simple solution to this...

(Spoiler - click to show)I really wish the helicopter would have come around again... I failed to look out the window in the two turns I had, and was not able to finish the game as a result.

This game is funny and there are a lot of endings so the replay value is high. I recommend saving early so you can choose different paths without having to start completely over. You can die fairly easily and take off your clothes most anywhere. Enough said.

I just played Fate several times over, and then read much of the source (after I had gotten as many endings as I could on my own). I really enjoyed solving the puzzles, and was thoroughly excited about my prospects (and what I could achieve) later in the game. The story was very interesting, and I was glued to the game for most of the day. Why only 3 stars then? Let me tell you...

I enjoyed the game up until "decision time." (Spoiler - click to show)Admittedly, I was hoping for a "fairytale" ending for all my trouble. I took great care in planning out the game (not hurting my pixie, not snake-biting my servant, etc.) but sadly fate was not affected by these decisions. I felt that I should have been able to tip the scales in my favor by doing good... that perhaps my smaller actions would snowball into a better ending. Nope.

Also, I wish there was a little more guidance toward the end of the game. As a rule, I don't like to ask for hints until absolutely necessary. I was near the end of the game (let's just say my inventory was plentiful, but I had not made my final decisions) but by that time, apparently there were no hints available! I wish the hint system would have remained intact throughout the game so I could have gotten some clarity when I decided to break down and ask for it. (I ended up reading the source which answered all of my questions.)

The most frustrating three parts of the game (for me):
1. (Spoiler - click to show)The "Greater" spell calls for a silver crown. I had not noticed that Harold wore a crown. Even if I had, I had not made my final decision. My next thought was that there must be some other way to procure a crown. I scoured the kingdom for anything made of silver, and I finally found it. The goblet. I really thought there was some secret here, since when you see the goblet it does not announce it as silver until you examine it. I wanted to melt it down to make a crown! I realize this is a little bit of a stretch, but I was trying to innovate, not having seen a crown elsewhere.
2. (Spoiler - click to show)Pixie dust for the "Sleep" spell. Okay, I admit, I played this game about ten times before I thought of a clever idea (that did not pan out). I figured if I could avoid finding the viper altogether, I could smash the blue vial, ask for pixie dust, talk to Charles, slip the ingredients into his wine, and put him to sleep. I would then go get the red vial from Amy and ask for the "Snake" spell. That way the snake wouldn't have to die and I wouldn't have to cut my pixie's wings off either! Nope, no dice. The game still cautioned me to not put Charles to sleep until the viper was handled. Rats!
3. (Spoiler - click to show)The "Haunt" spell. Ugh, this drove me mad! I was carrying all of the ingredients for this spell but no matter how I tried, I could not make a paste out of the ingredients! I tried smashing them with the mortar and pestle. I tried putting the ingredients on each other. I tried "make paste". Nothing worked! I finally gave up and went to see the witch who vengefully made the paste. Really? Why was I able to perform all of the other spells but not this one?

On a side note, I found a bug. (Spoiler - click to show)Upon restarting the game I could not ask my servant to lift the covers for me to take a nap. I had to quit out entirely and start fresh to receive this option (Yes, I examined the bed first and saw there "might be something at the foot...").

I really liked this game when I first started. Finding a map in the attic sounds like a wonderful puzzle! Unfortunately, my curiosity got me stuck very early on and I had no idea how to progress. (Spoiler - click to show)I read a book from the bookshelf and was transported to a garden. I had no Idea how I had gotten there or how to get back. It was completely frustrating and disorienting. I am not sure I want to even try this game again, if this sort of thing is bound to happen. I like games that make logical sense and so far as I can tell, this one doesn't.

I almost didn't play this game because of its title (I am not that interested in religion and/or history), but I decided to give it a go. I was hooked from the very first puzzle! The story is intriguing and the puzzles are varied and plentiful. The hint system is perfect - there are clues available, but they are very loose so you need to actually use your brain. I felt more accomplished upon solving these puzzles than most any other game I have played.

Finding the solutions takes some effort, but everything is completely logical (and solvable) if you pay attention. There is a lot of "looking up" facts or people in books, but I just started jotting down every surname I came across and managed to progress just fine.** I definitely recommend playing the game and sticking to only the in-game hints (plus my spoilers, since I could have used them!). It is a very satisfying experience when you get past each obstacle. The one puzzle in the game that completely eluded me was the wire puzzle. Spoiler alert...
(Spoiler - click to show)I thought only one wire could be connected to any one socket. I thought the two wires in each receptacle were an "in" and an "out". It never occurred to me to plug multiple wires into any one socket! Electrician, I'm not.

** Ironically after I posted this review I became very, very stuck. I broke down and found an online walkthrough. Unfortunately I had made two crucial mistakes that prevented me from finishing the game this time. :( Even so, I still give the game 5 stars for its sheer genius!
My mistakes are listed below in a spoiler.
(Spoiler - click to show)Mistake #1: I mixed several liquids together since I only had a few containers. You need to keep everything separate until the end of the game because they are "ingredients." My advice is to pick up every container and every liquid you can find. Mistake #2: I gave away the Egyptian book before using it to look things up. Its new owner left partway through the game, so I was never able to recover it.

This was a cute game and was over really quickly! I must think like a dog because everything I tried pushed me toward my goal. I would give it more stars but there really wasn't much substance. I didn't get a perfect score, so perhaps more exploring would have made the experience richer. Fun little game.

This game is absolutely fantastic. All of the evidence-gathering puzzles are solvable without needing any hints (another poster said the date puzzle was not solvable, but it most definitely was) but hints are available if you do need them. My only gripe was the ending... It wasn't clear to me when/how I was "done." Plus, I was carrying something I should not have taken, but the game would not let me drop it and then leave the room. Unfortunately I had not saved early enough and was stuck with the one ending. However, even with this disappointment, I still give the game 5 stars! I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed my initial playtime with this game. I had a lot of fun deciphering what magic words meant what, and how I could escape from my trap. Unfortunately, the solution (which I read after an hour of floundering) was a bit more scientific/technical than I had expected. That may not be a bad thing for some, but I have no interest iin that kind of solution -- it was more tedium than fun. Give me a locked door puzzle instead! I also didn't really read anything from the book in the game, which definitely put me at a disadvantage. My eyes glazed over while reading the book (ironic because the entire game is based on reading, I know), so sue me. I guess I am just not a science person.

The game starts out rather abruptly with several loud characters and not much direction. Try to leave and you will be 'reminded' of what you need to do in order to get out of there. The characters are a little abrasive and I found that I was feeling sorry for my character counterpart! The puzzles are fun and so is toying with the others at the party. The game became a little tedious after awhile because the other characters got annoying, but if you ask the right people the right questions, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

The whole premise of this game is that you are stuck in a restaurant and have to come up with a way to pay. It's an interesting little puzzle but not as outlandish as I had hoped for. I had big dreams of hiding the bill under the bread or sneaking out the bathroom window -- but alas, these are not the solutions. The real solution is kind of a let-down but definitely makes the most sense in retrospect.

I loved this game. The navigation system is brilliant. I wish all games had exit options in the upper right corner! The story was great; literally out of a storybook. The hint system was also very helpful because it gave just the right amount of nudging. I thought this game was beautifully crafted and entertaining throughout.

I literally had no idea what to do when I started this game. After having finished it, I still don't fully understand it. I just kept asking questions and hoping Galatea would reply. I found it interesting that the game would end whenever I would start divulging personal information, so I tried to just keep asking questions rather than telling stories. It's an interesting concept for a game, for sure. I found it challenging but there really is no right or wrong way to play.

I played this game first since it was in so many 'beginner' lists and enjoyed it but felt it was a little lacking in the fun department. Getting ready for work is not ideal gameplay, but the ending (or variety thereof) makes the effort worthwhile. I wasn't sure what to think upon looking in the trunk of my car, and got even more confused when I tried to put all of the stuff back in the house to no avail. But it all made sense in the end. Good beginner game. Make sure you save so you can appreciate the alternate choices.

This game took a little while to warm up to. The first time I played it, I didn't thoroughly search the rooms which made a solution completely impossible. Totally my fault! After reading a few positive reviews online, I gave it another shot and ended up really liking it. The humor is great and the puzzles make sense. There are not many rooms in the game which is also a plus in my book because it is easy to get around and go back to previous locations. Grunk give this game 4 stars.

I used to play this on my Commodore 64 when I was a kid. I have many fond memories, and remembered most of the solutions even 30 years later! Most of the game is rewarding, although I find the mazes and the ending to be a little "out there." This is definitely one of my all-time favorite games because there are a lot of rewarding puzzles and even some humor mixed in. Remember to save often because treasures can be easily lost or broken.

Plugh!

I have to honest. I did not make it through this game. I was full of excitement when I started to play, but as soon as I typed 'i' and was carrying nothing of importance -- and later discovered this wasn't entirely true -- I became a little annoyed. I understand the reasoning behind this (because the player knows nothing at the start) but I found the handicap of this sort of play to be more bothersome than cool. The last straw for me was... (Spoiler - click to show)hiding from the guards. I knew I had to distract them with a noise and spent more than an hour trying to put together different pieces of spy equipment (voice transmitter, etc.) to throw them off. When I finally looked up the answer and saw all I had to do was throw a metal object, I decided to stop playing. In other words, there seemed to be endless combinations of how I could distract the guards, yet none of them worked -- which disappointed me.

I would recommend this game to anyone who loves tinkering with gadgets and doesn't mind a somewhat forced-control sort of environment. This just wasn't the right game for me.

I have recently gotten back into IF and everywhere I looked were rave reviews for Photopia, so I had to play. The story is beautiful but I must admit I got stuck in several places, most notably the garage, and had to read the walkthrough. I also found an alternate ending that I have not read about anywhere. (Spoiler - click to show)Type 'wake up'. One of my favorite parts was opening the glovebox in the first sequence. Ha.

Overall I liked the storyline but found the interactive pieces a little unclear. I would recommend this game for the experience.