Reviews by streever

There isn't a lot going on here, but the basic premise is amusing and humorous.

The writing is consistently funny and clear, and responses to bad input are done well.

I'd like to see this fleshed out and made into a larger piece. As it was, it was a fun, short diversion.

With the recent outpouring of CYOA style games focused on depression, apathy, and other behavioral issues, I have to say, I was a bit hesitant about this one.

I shouldn't have been; this game nails it.

It reminds me of Emily Short's Bee in the way it presents indicators of how your character is doing. The writing isn't as good as Bee, but works; there is no 'bad' writing in this game.

This game presents a nuanced and accurate picture of depression, while using really solid plotting to move the story along through inter-connected vignettes. This game would be good for anyone to play--depression probably affects you or someone you know--and especially a good game for anyone seeking to make a game about depression.

The authors don't force the emotional qualities. They present them to you as matters of fact, which feels natural and lends to the progression.

I have on bit of constructive advice, however, to these developers and all others who build a twine/hypertext game. Text formatting matters.

I did gloss over some sentences/paragraphs here, because they spread across my screen, forming 20 word lines. I really think that if you're going to make a hypertext game, you should review classics like Bee and see the attention paid to the text. Make the type 14 pt or so, and restrict the width of the container so you aren't ever looking at a long row of soldiers.

I really enjoyed this game. I think text formatting would make it infinitely easier to read & enjoy.

This would be a good mystery IF for a new player.

It was easy to solve without hints, and I felt a sense of satisfaction at having completed the game.

The writing was at times over-done--more pastiche than parody--and the game suffers from a few pointless stereotypes. Despite those flaws, this was a fun mystery, and one that won't take you more than 20 minutes or so if you have any experience with the conventions.

The game has some truly humorous moments, and some funny writing, mixed in with the sense of dread and horror. I did feel genuinely immersed in the experience when threatening and creepy events were taking place, and cracked a wry smile when reading my horoscope later in the game.

I enjoyed this and am looking forward to more from the writer.

This is a fun, short CYOA story that offers a humorous pastiche of RPG tropes.

Hennessy is a good writer, employing colloquialisms in a way that sells the parody/satire of this piece.

This isn't a challenging or difficult piece, but rather a fun, light-hearted narrative which is easy to enjoy.

The writing is solid, but there isn't a lot here to do or experience.

The game is simple. You can ask Rocky Stampede a few questions, and then he gets on his bus, and the game ends.

It was an interesting quick little game. I liked his responses and the depth of them, but I do wish there was more to do here or experience.

This is a minimalist, rough maze game. It may not be completely finished.

I did manage to win, but I'm not sure what other options were available; this game could use a better sense of pacing.

Despite the minimalism, it does have a sense of atmosphere, which left me wanting a little more.

This is an interesting take on mystery games and NPC interaction.

The randomization makes for occasionally frustrating playthroughs, but creates an interesting experience when it works. Having played it many times, though, I'm not quite sure what my real objective is, and I'm not sure if I'll figure it out without a eureka moment.

It leaves the impression of a rogue-like game, where player knowledge of game elements is important and useful, even though the game is completely randomized on each play-through.

I think the game could use some exposition as to the players purpose. I'm just not sure that it is possible to really explore and come to understand the game without some added continuity--while there are some small puzzles to solve, I'm not sure that they bring me any closer to a less violent solution, and I have a hard time ascertaining what would be an "ideal" solution. That sense of frustration is part of the randomization mechanic, so I'm not sure if it could be removed without removing part of the charm and fun of the game.

This was a quick and short CYOA around familiar zombie tropes and ideas.

The writing was sound, funny, and engaging, so it worked well, but wasn't a particularly deep experience--no new ground is broken here. If you aren't a fan of zombie fiction, I'd take a pass, but otherwise it is a worthwhile play.

This is a short and successful game with an interesting twist and narrative.

I don't think the presentation of Voodoo is particularly faithful, but it works as a spooky Halloween ghost story.

I enjoyed the (relatively easy) puzzles and the story. I am surprised at the low score for the game in the Comp; I think it was a strong effort.

It is hard to review these short games; they tend to take 10-15 minutes to play through, and are usually worth trying.

This game in particular is definitely worth playing. It is a fun and well-written game which focuses on a standard egyptian pyramid trope. Unlike most of Veeder's work this game doesn't have any really subversive elements--it is a straight-forward and simple game which works well.

I don't think it stands up to the narrative quality of some of Veeder's other works, but is still a fun and engaging game.