Reviews by Tito Valenz

If I didn't feel happiness, then why was I smiling? This is a short, irreverent game whose humor I mostly appreciated. For some reason, I did not write a review the first time I played it, and couldn't remember how it ended. Playing again on Chrome, I got stuck on some pages with no choices available. Sometimes backing up worked, a couple times refreshing did, but eventually I couldn't progress any more. Then, while playing on the phone, I got stuck in a loop trying to pick up a gem of happiness. Even more upsetting, on both devices I was unable to access the "USER ANGER LACERATION" song. I am forced to rate this as incomplete. I'm going to be traveling out of country for a couple weeks, but when I return, we can discuss our options for completion. You have until the end of next semester.

Although not a fan of sci-fi, and usually adverse to dystopian fiction, I was quickly drawn in to "The TURNING Test," and enjoyed it all the way through. The description gives a two-hour playing time; if it took me that long, it didn't feel like it. The story builds interest well, and tension mounts as the stakes increase. As I worked through what felt like unsurmountable odds, every small success was its own reward. I have a couple of nitpicks, all of which have to do with the consequences of available choices: 1) (Spoiler - click to show) It felt like the numerous choices meant to establish the story in the beginning didn't make any difference, as it seemed like the result was the same on subsequent playthroughs. 2)(Spoiler - click to show)When I reached what I think was a successful ending, it felt much too tidy. Especially being able to reunite with a loved one, who probably should have long since been street grease. 3)(Spoiler - click to show)You are able to recover from a major mistake at a climactic moment; it felt too forgiving. Also, 4)(Spoiler - click to show)When I played online in Chrome, I got stuck. After I boarded the station and chose a lab, I came to a page with no choices available. I would give this game a much higher recommendation if some of the points I've hidden behind spoilers could be adjusted. However, even though I don't usually prefer to read about the themes this work tackles, I was glad I gave it a chance, and enjoyed it much more than I expected to.

This might be my favorite writing in any IF game. It gives exactly the right amount of details, delivered for maximum effect. It is extremely well-paced, with impactful reveals at just the right moments. On one hand, I think one of its most effective traits is its economy; at the same time, I was really wanting more. I played a through a second time immediately after finishing. Regarding the ending, (Spoiler - click to show)I really, really wish there could have been one or two more branches. The fact that this game goes places most wouldn't adds to my appreciation. For those who can handle content of this nature, I give it my highest recommendation.

Weird Grief took me a little less than an hour to read. It is a pretty straightforward story that doesn't have any puzzles and very few choices. It is told from the perspective of a person who has lost a friend and must provide comfort for the deceased's partner, as well as find comfort of their own. Much of the story is conversation between a close circle of friends as they deal with grief and try to find ways to help each other through several days of mourning. It did a good job of giving me some sense of how difficult getting through a time like this could be. I found it to be sad yet hopeful, because even though the characters had gone through a tremendous loss, they still had each other and seemed willing to do anything for one another. I especially like the character narrating the story, Juniper; they were the one I was most concerned for. I had some moments of discomfort where I wondered if (Spoiler - click to show)Juniper's self-worth was too closely tied to Roger's needs. On one hand, Juniper seemed to only do what they were comfortable with, but I still got a strange sense that there was an unequal power balance (I understand that this was a difficult time for them both, but especially for Roger, and he may not have been entirely himself; yet, some of the things he said and Juniper's reactions triggered my suspicions. I do believe that the three central characters of Mike, Roger, and Juniper had a relationship whose dynamics I did not entirely understand, and that they only wanted the best for one another. I think I what I am trying to say is that the writing was strong enough that it got me to reflect a lot about this character and kept me apprehensive about their well-being). This game shares characters with another story by the author titled "The Dead Account." I played "Dead Account" first, but afterwards wished I had gotten to "Weird Grief" before reading the companion piece.

This was a well-paced horror mystery that was easy to progress through thanks to its choice-based format. There are some creepy moments to keep things tense, and a few descriptions of some nasty stuff. I enjoyed playing through it several times, trying out different character alignments. I think the player's enjoyment may depend on how much of a challenge one wants. This game does not spend any time requiring you to do any trial and error, but leads you on a fairly direct path through the story. As someone who was trying to play a lot of games in limited time, I appreciated the economy. It doesn't feel right to say this game was light, breezy fun, but it is pretty compact and easily digestible, particularly for fans who enjoy horror elements.

What I liked about this game is that it builds very well to its climax. It is well-paced enough that you feel you have earned it when you make it to your destination. I played through twice with two different accomplices. On my first go-around, I thought my choices were what led to my success. However, the second try was so similar that it felt like nothing I did mattered. Even when I made reckless choices during a critical stretch, things turned out the same. The walkthrough seems to confirm this. Given that the mission is supposed to be incredibly difficult and dangerous, I was hoping there would be mistakes that could lead to failure. As it is, the first playthrough is nicely written and enjoyable to play, but once you realize your choices don't affect anything, it takes something away from what seemed like a nice challenge.

This game gives you the chance to play through the same situation while interacting with four different NPCs. I thought it was an interesting setup, but what really stood out for me was how quickly I was drawn in by some of the characters. In a very limited number of interactions, I really liked or supported some of these people, and I really wanted their interpretation of the events to be correct. I appreciated how your choices changed the story, but I would have liked it if the endings were expanded to offer a little more payoff. Very fun and easy to play.

I really appreciate the fact that the blurb for this game doesn't give anything away in terms of how it evolves. It starts out as two friends playing some 80s computer games, which initially seem to be silly and short. There are a number of surprises waiting as you progress, drawing the player in ever further, while upping the stakes in terms of challenge as well as emotional involvement. I personally found the game to be pretty moving, making me generally concerned for one character in particular. I believe the ending I found reflected my choices fairly, but I am anxious to play again to see where else it could go. It had a clever mechanic that seemed pretty unique, and it only got a little too melodramatic once or twice. In terms of the IfComp 2021 competition, I consider this game to be (Spoiler - click to show)the frontrunner.

You begin the game as Jenni, leader of a punk rock garage band, who is desperate to get to the practice space and breathlessly explain to her bandmates about some imminent disaster they must face together. I thought I knew where this game was going within the first couple of minutes, but then it immediately subverted my expectations. You then get to solve puzzles as different members of the band, all of which I found enjoyable and fair in terms of the level of challenge. I believe I only needed the walkthrough once, only because I didn't pay attention to a detail that was readily available. The mechanic that allows you to change which character you play as was cleverly implemented, and may be a unique feature. (Spoiler - click to show) I would have liked the ending to have been expanded a bit, perhaps putting more emphasis on the "power of music" conceit. Overall, I enjoyed getting to play as these characters, and I thought it was a pretty fun story.

In the beginning of this game, you read emails and decide if they are spam or not. It is mildly amusing at first, as the emails are well written parodies of the usual junk we all see everyday. This section goes on quite a while longer than I felt it needed to, as the player is required to continually choose "zap" or "approve" long after the novelty has worn off and the point has been made. The game eventually evolves. However, even once things open up to include new characters and shifting dilemmas, every section of the game repeats the same transgression: it just keeps going and going. There must have been six or seven false endings, each more tedious than the last. All the characters are overly melodramatic, wringing their hands over every detail of every decision. A large percentage of the game is just scrolling and clicking to get to the next section of the text, with no real choices. The puzzles that do arrive in the later half of the game require you to either reread numerous lengthy passages in search of deeply buried keywords, or go through a giant list of email contacts, hoping one of them has the hint you are looking for. I would estimate it took me upwards of three and a half hours. I think if it were between 30 and 45 minutes, it could have been a lot of fun and still have been full of surprises.