Ratings and Reviews by Tito Valenz

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.

I enjoyed this descriptive horror exploration game. It's the kind of writing that keeps things just vague enough at the beginning, but adds to the story as you progress. There are numerous optional pieces to the game, as well as several endings, making it worth replaying. Rather than racing to the most direct path to a solution, I wanted to take my time with this story, exploring everything. I thought the puzzles were very manageable and intuitive; I never felt stuck. The reveals rewarded my probing as the bigger picture came into view. Recommended.

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.

Reading the tagline about becoming a cat breeder, I'm not sure I could have been any less interested in a premise. Turns out, I was thoroughly engrossed by this story. The author eases you in to the situation with just the right amount of detail to get you to care. Even if I wasn't entirely won over by the cats, I had fun trying to get things to turn out as well as possible for the main character. You have some challenges to overcome, but things remained fairly upbeat and hopeful. I was a little disappointed, however, (Spoiler - click to show)with my second playthrough, being that I tried to choose as differently as possible from my first try. It didn't seem to make much difference, even when I intentionally selected what seemed to be the poorer choices. I was worried that I wouldn't have a reason to keep replaying, until I looked at the "cheat sheet." There is actually a lot of variety in what can happen. I would totally recommend giving "Fine Felines" a chance. I'll bet you end up playing again and again!

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 thought the writing in this entry was very engrossing. It leans towards the legal thriller/true crime genre, which I don't usually gravitate to. However, I found this story to be very tense, keeping me in a state of anxiety for an extended period as I gathered more and more details. You play as a lawyer, in which your character looks over the records of a case. You get to discuss it somewhat with an NPC, but you don't seem to really have many choices. (Spoiler - click to show)Also, the game alludes to a meeting with a supervisor who will be eager to hear your impression of the case. It was presented in such a way that it really built up my expectations for a moment in which to utilize what I had learned and make a choice that will affect my character significantly. This made the ending feel abrupt and jarring at a moment when a different reveal seemed to be the focus instead. I played through twice more to see if any of the choices affected the story, but it only alters some of your character’s dialogue slightly. However, I still give it a high recommendation because of the emotional impact the game had on me. I am very curious to know if the details had any real-world connections, and if the way the procedures are depicted were accurate to the area and time period the story is set in.

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.