Ratings and Reviews by Kinetic Mouse Car
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(edit: spoiler tag fix)
EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION: Use caution when opening attachments, clicking links, or responding.
Inspired by Tabitha’s recent poll, “Underrated (literally) games,” I’m taking a break from reviewing IFComp entries to share this game since I was already in the process of writing a review for it.
This is also an analysis-heavy review so get ready!
Tiny cafés are a staple in urban settings. They serve as meeting places, provide wi-fi, and of course, you can always get a bite to eat. And yet, they can feel soulless and devoid of life even if every table is occupied. People trudging along their daily shuffle without energy or passion or human connection.
Pauline Yael, our protagonist, dreams of starting an art café that will inject patrons with a zest for life and facilitate community through the arts, noticeboards, and of course, food.
3D-printed food.
Gameplay
The game begins by congratulating you on your purchase of a CookEasy 800 Pro™ which will surely make you a successful café owner.
[EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION] is linear and story driven. Gameplay is conducted by clicking on links in text boxes that pop-up in response to clicking on said links. There is only one puzzle (discussed further in the Story section) which involves (Spoiler - click to show)buying and combining the right combination of printer solution.
And if the game tells you to write something down, WRITE IT DOWN.
A big weakness is that the game does not allow you to save. Restarting and clicking dozens of links to reach the part that you want to revisit is tedious after one or two playthroughs. It detracts from the replay value and may discourage players from finding every ending.
Not being able to save is especially frustrating when it’s possible to put the game into an unwinnable state by losing the box with the link needed to progress the gameplay AND losing the box that came before it. Also, the main boxes on the center of the screen are immovable, which was a problem when a crucial box got stuck behind it.
One helpful alternative to a save function would be to make it so the player can play the game once and then unlock an option to skip ahead on their next playthrough, perhaps when Fyodorov- I’ll get to him in a minute- shows up. But going through the whole intro all over again gets tedious when you just want to get to the meat of the gameplay.
Story
Background
Pauline’s vision always seems to be right around the corner. Right now, she has a café, but surely it will soon become an art café, just as she envisioned. Then, one day, her machine ceases to work. A news article explains why:
Nibbl LLC Declares Bankruptcy, Ending Support for its Line of Popular Culinary 3D Printers
In other words, printer solutions and proprietary software for anyone with a CookEasy 800 Pro™ are no more. The machine is useless, a “mute obelisk.” Until Pauline’s tech-savvy nephew, Greg, comes to the rescue.
Greg introduces her to the world of biohacking and jailbreaking. Pauline is surprised to learn that not everyone has been using their food printers for food creation. Biohackers have tinkered with their CookEasy 800 Pro™ (now technically OpenCook 800) to use it in ways beyond what they were manufactured for.
…overworked mothers and motherly cafe managers were alike were having to figure out the nearest food-grade bioscaffold they could order from industrial lab supply catalogs to load through a funnel into the modified proprietary hoppers...
He shows her how to run her printer on an open protocol, allowing her to join a community of business-minded tech users that now download recipes from the internet (instead of only using company-approved ones) and experimenting with printer bioscaffold solutions to print even more possibilities.
With just a bit of guidance from Greg, Pauline is back in action. He does, however, warn her to avoid any recipe-related emails in her spam box. She agrees. Then one day, she gets an unexpected spam message from someone named Nikolai Fyodorov.
Spoilers!
The story centers around this email from Nikolai Fyodorov, (Spoiler - click to show)a digital ghost contacting Pauline via her printer's email.
Nikolai Fyodorov
Nikolai Fyodorov is not a fictional character. He was a Russian philosopher who was born in 1829 and died just at the start of the 20th century.
Fyodorov founded the cosmism movement which sought to realize humanity's "cosmic destiny" through the intersections of science, religion, and metaphysics. This included establishing a unified worldview shared by humanity that would drive our efforts to pursue immortality and further explore the universe. These philosophies would later become a precursor to transhumanism, a belief that technology can and should be used to extend the human lifespan and enhance quality of life.
He focused on life extension, immortality, and challenging the permanency of death. A key principle he embraced was called the Common Task which argued the importance of working collaboratively to remove the barrier between the living and deceased. To make death obsolete so all of humanity can be reunited. The Common Task also forms the backbone of the game's story.
His Proposal
Somehow, despite having died over a century ago, he transcended in a way that allows him to contact Pauline through her printer. He wants her to help him with the Common Task.
[email protected] #EXTERNAL# Hello Dear Friend - I understand we d 4:21 AM
Pauline is pretty sure this is a scam, but she’s curious, nonetheless. The way he writes is more eloquent and sincere than your typical scammer and her lack-luster life as a struggling business owner have made her desperate for meaningful human interaction.
He claims that he knows how to return to the physical world by being printed with Pauline’s CookEasy 800 Pro™ which, after all, can supposedly print non-food items. His plan is for her to print a physical body for him, allowing him to share his insight with the world and take the first step forward towards fulfilling the Common Task.
As I mentioned earlier, there is only one puzzle. That puzzle is making sure you (Spoiler - click to show)follow his instructions to the letter. Your success in doing so determines the ending.
Because there is no way of saving the game, here’s a tip: If you want the best ending, make sure you (Spoiler - click to show)get the Medical Grade (MG) Stratasis, not the Food Grade (FG) Stratasis. It’s meant to trip the player up. Remember, we’re printing a human body here.
Endings
There are three endings. (Spoiler - click to show)Success, partial success, and failure.
After spoiling much of the story, I am hesitant to spoil the endings as well, so I won’t go into detail. I will say, I found the (Spoiler - click to show)partial success to be kind of dorky. The game's description describes itself as "creepycozy," and while I was hoping for more of the creepy side, it does lean closer towards cozy. That said, the (Spoiler - click to show)success ending was rather eerie.
Also, I wish the (Spoiler - click to show)success ending had more of an epilogue, though I cannot deny it ends on a suspenseful note, leaving it up to the player’s imagination on what will happen.
Characters
To supplement what I’ve already shared about the characters, I will use this section to provide further reflection.
Fyodorov
I understand that Nikolai Fyodorov’s character portrayal is abstract. We’re supposed to take it at face value and not chew the little details.
Our objective of printing a human body out of a machine designed for food is summarized as "reensoulling a resurrected body from the panpsychic ether of atomic-level consciousness." I’ll admit, it took time for me to piece this all together.
Fyodorov is a believer in panpsychism, the notion that all types of matter contain consciousness, and that the concept of the mind is interwoven with the fabric of reality itself. It also explains Fyodorov’s continued existence. As the game puts it, panpsychism “seemed to be the mechanism by which Fyodorov could intermittently communicate with her, even over 120 years on from his seeming death,” and he explains this concept to her.
However, it can get a bit too abstract to follow. Like when the game says, “he still made sure to greet her every time the atoms aligned somewhere, well enough, that his consciousness could travel out into the world.”
By “greet her,” are we still talking about sending her emails? I think the game starts to overly rely on hand waving without giving the player a chance to absorb what’s going on.
Then again, maybe we’re not supposed to fully understand it, allowing us to experience these developments like Pauline does: exhilarated, confused, yet willing to make a leap of faith because, why not? I think it’s safe to say that he is not merely a digital ghost. I suppose the meaning of the word “external” in “[email protected] #EXTERNAL#” and the game’s title refers to communication from an external source outside of physical reality and the digital realm.
Lastly, I am curious to know why the author chose Fyodorov, specifically, to be the person who contacts our protagonist. I wonder if there were other candidates under consideration. After looking at the illustration of Fyodorov shown in the game (taken from Wikipedia), I have a really hard time visualizing someone from his era ever being tech savvy enough to email someone in the year 2034, but you never know.
Pauline
Pauline is a single, 30-something woman from the UK who, like most of us, seeks to fulfill goals and navigate the mundanity of everyday living. And while one may not necessarily identify with her desire to open an art café, her frustrations about stagnating in life are relatable for many.
Throughout the game, she makes realizations about herself and the modern world. She realizes the exploitable nature of the advertising used to sell the CookEasy 800 Pro™ and how it targeted demographics, such as herself, by appealing to the consumer’s desire for convenience- a convenience that would enable one to devote their time and energy into pursing life passions. It sold a dream, not just a product.
In Pauline’s case, she wants to use her CookEasy 800 Pro™ to start an art café. A space to foster community and brighten people’s lives. However, the day-to-day logistics of running a café has made it difficult to honor the art part of “art café.”
And is it something she still wants?
…it didn’t fulfill the original fantasy that it was sold on. Her cafe didn’t feel more chic, or like the food was making customers that much more happy.
Her café hadn’t transformed people’s lives like she had hoped. Plus, 3D-printed food is, honestly, not that great. If you live off it, it tastes decent enough but fails to get anywhere close to handmade cooking performed by a human. This is yet another realization she makes.
(Spoiler - click to show)And so, learning about panpsychism and metaphysics has enriched Pauline’s view of the world. The drudgery of daily life is invigorated with the knowledge of a consciousness in everything. Suddenly, mundane choices have meaning, and the possibility of actually meeting the entity behind the mysterious emails is something she looks forward to.
As eager as she is to embrace Fyodorov’s teachings, Pauline still reserves some room for skepticism. She ponders the feasibility of the Common Task, as well as the implications if a unified view of the universe were achieved. Would that stifle individuality or make it obsolete? Nonetheless, she is willing to embrace the unknown by taking this first step.
Visuals
This game is made with Jupiter, a nifty choice-based system that uses pop-up boxes containing text to tell the story. It works perfectly here since the story spends a lot of time on emails and user interfaces, and the pop-up boxes reflect this. Some even have scroll bars.
It also experiments with different colours, fonts, text sizes, and even includes two photographs, one of which depicts a piece of 3D-printed meat. While it mostly uses a black background, there are moments where the background is a cool 3D grid pattern.
Final thoughts
If you’ve read through my review and made it this far, congratulations, I’m almost done.
[EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION] covers a range of themes familiar to today’s world including biohacking, generational differences in tech-savviness, the overlap of consumer and industrial sectors, and the use of exploitive advertising to sell a dream with the goal of getting people like Pauline to buy a product. It also delves into more abstract and philosophical themes related to (Spoiler - click to show)panpsychism and Fyodorov’s Common Task.
A World Not Unlike Our Own
Ultimately, it points out that Pauline’s world is a near-reflection of the one we currently live in. We may not have CookEasy 800 Pro™ on store shelves, but we can relate to the commoditization of the individual and a desire to find meaning in a dull, modern existence. If we came across (Spoiler - click to show)our own equivalent of Nikolai Fyodorov, would we jump at the opportunity?
I enjoyed this game for its build-up of suspense and the creative visuals used to tell the story. I even learned a bit of history in the process. If you are interested in science fiction that contemplates metaphysics, give [EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION] a try.
Grove of Bones begins with an intro in the form of a campfire story.
Years ago, the village was on the brink of death. No rain, no crops, no food, nothing. Then a man visits bringing saplings. He claims that the saplings will provide the village with everything it needs to flourish... as long as regular blood sacrifices are made. They are horrified. He knows he has them in a corner. If they turn down his offer, they won't last long.
He also knows how to stir the pot.
He tells them that guiltier the sacrifice, the better bounty the trees will provide. Suddenly, any moral qualms evaporate. Blood sacrifices aren't so bad if the person deserves it, right? And so, they agree. Sacrifices shall occur every blood moon. The saplings grew into trees located in an area they called the "Grove of Bones."
You play as one of the villagers listening to the story (btw, it’s also a blood moon).
The game lets the player choose their gender as well as whether they previously had a wife or husband. For some reason, your spouse was previously deemed a candidate for the grove. You still have your son, Treya.
Naturally, your son also becomes the village’s latest pick for the blood sacrifice. Gameplay involves making decisions to protect Treya. The defining choice in the gameplay is whether (Spoiler - click to show)you take a bottle of salt or some flint and steel with you as you take your kid to the grove. Both serve the same function but unlock two different achievements.
The game ends with a brief epilogue, and you can restart the game halfway for replays. I found three endings. I am pleased to say (Spoiler - click to show)none of them involve Treya being harmed. Take that, trees.
Intentionally or not, Grove of Bones makes it easy to dislike the village. Or at least, the village leader.
(Spoiler - click to show)Through the garbled rantings of the frightened child he'd finally gathered that [protagonist’s name] had taken the child's place.
"Foolish!" he mutters under his breath. "Why would they risk us all in such a way."
Uh, excuse you, maybe you shouldn't have decided to sacrifice THEIR kid. Risk us all in such a way...
The game strongly predisposes the player into siding with the protagonist over the village’s needs. Collectively, the villagers are depicted as cowardly, spiteful, uncaring, more than ready to point fingers and throw their neighbors under the bus. And perhaps that is the nature of their community.
(Spoiler - click to show)So: Do you choose saving that or opting for an ending where you rid yourself of any evil by destroying the trees, escape with your kid, meet the ghost of your spouse for one last goodbye, and flee to a guaranteed sanctuary located within a day's walk?
Flee with the kid. No regrets.
A middle ground is to make a deal to leave with your kid without destroying the trees. The village does not lose the trees or its benefits. They just need to pick a new sacrifice. Funny how the village leader balks at implication that he will be the next sacrifice.
An interesting point is also made: the villagers have become so reliant on the trees’ apples that they’ve neglected cultivating other food sources. The implication of (Spoiler - click to show)destroying the trees becomes much worse.
I think the game could have been stronger if it elaborated why the protagonist’s spouse was taken. The characters say they were “guilty” of something. Did they do something sketchy or were they picked because of something trivial? This is important because it (Spoiler - click to show)triggers a fight among the children, a fight that results in the village condemning Treya to the grove. Further context would have made the children’s fight more understandable.
To conclude, I was expecting a long ChoiceScript game with lots of text.
Not at all.
Grove of Bones is a smallish-sized game that keeps its word count down to what is necessary to the story without skimping on suspenseful content. The story is evenly paced, the implementation encourages multiple playthroughs, and its use of sun and moon imagery adds flair.
It’s a game that forces one to consider the needs of the group against the wants of the individual while cutting us considerable slack (Spoiler - click to show)if we choose to grab the kid, turn, and run.
Frankenstein is at it again… and you’re the severed hand of one of the victims he butchered to make his creation. It seems you have unfinished business.
First impressions
Tone-wise, I thought Frankenfingers would take one of two routes: Either being full of humor (after all, a sentient severed hand?) or a gross fest (again, sentient severed hand). Instead, it sets a blend of melancholy, desperation, optimism, and yearning. And the story is told through poetry!
You're a handsome left hand, seemingly male, from the wrist two bones protrude. Around the ring finger you see an impression, where once was a band but now nude.
Despite what the title and cover art suggests, it’s not exactly a gory game. In fact, (Spoiler - click to show)Igor’s death is the only explicit scene that stood out, and even that is surprisingly low-key. And unlike the hands in the cover art, the hand we play as still has skin. I think most players will feel comfortable with this game. The use of poetry probably also downplays the ick.
Gameplay
As I mentioned, we play as a severed hand. We crawl around Frankenstein’s house with a vague feeling that there is someone we need to return to. Someone outside the house.
The gameplay later clarifies that the overarching goal is to (Spoiler - click to show)recover your ring so your wife, Penelope, will recognize you. Otherwise, she will understandably flip out when she sees the severed human hand crawl through her house’s window.
Frankenfingers takes place on a moderate sized map consisting of Frankenstein’s house, its yard, and the nearby town. I enjoyed this layout and how each area is revealed in stages. (Spoiler - click to show)Initially, you are limited to the house. Then, you gain access to the outdoors when the front door gets destroyed. Once outside, you can explore the house’s property, but the town is only accessible once you have a horse.
Overall, a smooth way of introducing new areas to the player.
Puzzles
I liked the puzzles. They involve creative thinking without being too technical. Its puzzles are generally rooted in common sense. I did need the walkthrough for one of the earlier puzzles: (Spoiler - click to show)fixing the wire. The walkthrough helpfully clarified that I needed an object to connect the two wires together.
The horse-riding puzzle, unfortunately, was a pain.
(Spoiler - click to show)You pull the left and right reins to steer the horse as she moves. However, she would keep moving before I turned her towards the right direction. In one case, I ended up inside the house since she would go in any direction than the one I wanted.
And if she were pointed the right way, she wouldn’t move. The room description would read, (on Buttercup, facing [the direction I want], on the move). Despite saying “on the move,” she wouldn’t move. If I pulled on the reins, she would start to walk… in the wrong direction.
To work around this, I would maneuver her in the right direction, get off so she stops, get back on, and then use the crop to get her to move forward (the crop only gets her to move once she’s stopped moving). So, that was a struggle.
The only other complaint I have is a possible unwinnable state. In my first playthrough I ran into a problem with the two lighters. They both died. It seems that I used up their juice by lighting them while exploring and/or fooling around which was unexpected. I had no way of seeing (Spoiler - click to show)what was inside the box buried in the graveyard. I restarted the game.
> light lighter
The lighter seems to be dead.
Perhaps that’s my own careless fault, not the game’s. Do not waste the lighters!
Story
Frankenfingers advertises itself as “A Gothic Tale of Love, Redemption, and Dismemberment,” and we get to see all three.
The dismemberment part takes place before the game begins, thankfully. Frankenstein and (Spoiler - click to show)Igor have been kidnapping villagers and using them as “donors” for experimentation, cutting up their bodies and burying any possessions to avoid suspicion. The creature in Frankenstein’s lab is made of body parts from these villagers, including that of the protagonist who was merely traveling home to his wife and daughter.
If love is what brought the severed hand to life, redemption is the part that drives the protagonist to (Spoiler - click to show)go home one last time.
(Spoiler - click to show)After finding the wedding ring, we travel to the protagonist’s house. When we reach the yard, the game happily kicks us in the feels. The yard is lovingly landscaped with Penelope’s favorite flowers. What a lovely little house. You enter the window, and what do you see? A nursery. Of course, it would be a nursery. Really, game? Things are sad enough as it is.
It’s a powerful way to end the game. Penelope comes it, sees the ring, and- go play it.
Additional thoughts: The ending says that she does not know if he’s dead. However, his name is listed in the obituary section of the newspaper, which suggests that she will eventually be notified by the newspaper or another source. At least here she has some closure. Then again, she’s probably wondering exactly how/why her husband has been reduced to a sentient hand… (Now that he’s transcended, I wonder what she will do with his hand? Keep it? Or just the ring?).
Characters
Frankenfingers is proof that even a severed hand can be something players will want to root for. My feelings about being a severed hand were not of disgust. In fact, there was something oddly endearing about a hand wearing a purse to cart around useful items while exploring a gothic household.
The protagonist isn’t out for vengeance or violence. We don’t sense anger or hatred. Only longing for what’s important. Motivated by (Spoiler - click to show)Penelope’s handbag and the smell of her perfume, the protagonist embarks with quiet determination to reunite with her, no matter how brief that reunion may be.
And surprising empathy is extended towards (Spoiler - click to show)Frankenstein’s monster who is merely referred to as “the creature.” He sees us and understands how we feel. We feel for him too.
Final thoughts
Frankenfingers is not the first interactive fiction game I’ve played that features a body part as a protagonist, but it certainly stands out and has left a lasting impression with its overlapping of gothic horror and love. I was not expecting the depth of emotion found in the final scene.
I’m giving it four stars because of the horse puzzle. It could use further refinement, or at least have the walkthrough further explain how the reigns work. Other than that, I am pleased with my experience. If you want a horror game with humanizing qualities, play Frankenfingers.
Backpackward is a portal fantasy that sees a slacker, low-motivation protagonist in the modern world finding an alternate world where he might actually make a name for himself.
Gameplay
In Backpackward, we play as a guy named Bert. The game begins right as we get fired from Jack of All Fruits, a ridiculous smoothie bar that requires employees to wear jester costumes and treat customers like royalty.
After a few more misadventures we reach home, only to be locked out by Bert’s mom. The solution? Sleep in the cellar of the house next door. It belonged to a neighbor named Jan, but she had recently moved out and sold the house, thankfully. You enter the cellar…
A vast rolling green expanse unfurls before you. There’s a PEASANT HUT just between you and the SHEEP BARN you’ve stepped out of. And the near horizon, framed in majestic sunlight, is a medieval CASTLE.
…only to find yourself in a fantasy land reminiscent of the Middle Ages. That’s right, Jan’s cellar contains a portal. And the key to this portal? Your crusty trusty JanSport backpack.
Puzzles
Each scene is interspaced with inventory management segments where you decide what to put in your backpack. This is done visually. The player drags icons of items into a backpack that has a grid layout. The layout requires the player to rotate and shuffle items around to make them fit, and some items will inevitably have to be left behind. You must decide what will give you the best advantage in the portal world.
The inventory limits add replay value because it’s fun to experiment to see what benefits come with each item you pack. Now, a lot of it is superficial in that it doesn’t transform the narrative. For example, (Spoiler - click to show)if you hide as Tech Bro leaves the mall, the sounds of your costume spook his dogs. Left the costume behind? You sneeze, scaring the dogs. No matter what, something will scare the dogs. The fun is finding the different ways of reaching the same outcome.
Or consider what you bring to the medieval world. Packing the (Spoiler - click to show)suckers allows you to make the three babies stop crying. It has no other impact on the gameplay, but I enjoyed seeing how the simplest of items have their own applications. (Make sure you pack the Cheetos for the final fight.)
I will say, the game underestimates the number of items you can put into a backpack when you really want to. If only it were a 1998 Urban Adventurer Streetwarrior TRIPLE-REINFORCED Lifestyle Management System by Jansport*.
*Cragne Manor reference.
Story/Characters
Bert has issues with anger. Gameplay choices are largely based on whether to act on this anger or to suppress it.
You breeze past NED. He is so startled at your sudden show of politeness, a Cheeto falls out of his open mouth.
However, we never get to dive deeper into Bert’s anger issues. So far, they merely set the gameplay’s tone. Being fired from Jack of All Fruits certainly didn’t help.
The portal is significant for Bert because unlike the real world on the other side of the portal, the people here regard him with awe because they believe he’s a wizard. We learn that the (Spoiler - click to show)land is ruled over by a womanizing King. The villagers would like to get rid of him but lack the confidence and resources to take on the King and his forces.
In other words, this is a chance for Bert to be the hero. For once. Plus, (Spoiler - click to show)Cicilia seems interested in him. We see him at his best here: resourceful and quick-thinking. It’s a nice change of pace after seeing him fumble his relationships and employment status.
On top of that, I liked the writing. It is loaded with cynicism and conveys the protagonist’s apathy and agitation. The NPCs (Ned with his Excel spreadsheets, Goth Girrrl, the Cheeto-eating cat) are entertaining and feed into Bert’s cynical narrative.
Endings
Or more like (Spoiler - click to show)ending. Just one. Spoilers, obviously.
Final fight scene. You’ve got the King’s attention, Jan is revealed to be the King’s wizard, you now have a chance to see what’s inside the castle, and…
You smile, faintly, as the new world you’ve found goes black.
THE END
??? What about everything else that’s happened in the game? There are too many loose ends (Bert’s rocky relationship with Ernesto, Jan’s potential involvement with the portal, whether Bert will find another job, etc.) for this to feel like a proper conclusion.
The ending gives the impression that the author ran out of time and decided to cut things short. While it’s possible that they had a larger concept in mind, I feel that this game would be stronger if it were a standalone work rather than one experienced through multiple episodes. Even if some of the more ambitious elements get axed.
How long will we have to wait? Will it be Backpackward: Part II or just an extended version of this game? Currently, one of its listed genres on IFDB is "No Emotional Growth" which makes me wonder if it’s meant to play off the fact that the game gets cut short. At least, that’s how I feel about the game as an IFComp submission.
Also, when the game says, “If only you had brought something for JAN as well,” I’m not sure what item can be used for this. Who is Jan, really?
Visuals
Overall, the game is well-organized and easy to read. Black screen with white/yellow text and yellow links. Dialogue is evenly centered in the middle of the screen and character names are clearly shown in BOLD. Small details like these provide a smoother experience.
As I said before, the Backpackward uses visual icons for packing your backpack. And they are polished. I was not expecting such a feature when I first started. Hovering over items provides more information, and the backpack’s grid lights up in either green or red as you try to fit everything inside. It really elevated the quality of the game and gives a great impression.
Final thoughts
Backpackward has a snarky attitude with sharply written characters that left me wanting more. Bert is entertaining even as a static character, and I like how the portal gives him the opportunity to make something of himself. Even if he doesn’t know what that would be. It’s also worth multiple playthroughs thanks to its inventory management system.
I want to give the game a higher rating, but the loose ends dented the experience. I think the game also shoehorns the player a bit too much in the gameplay, such as (Spoiler - click to show)forcing you to visit the gun store before the fireworks stand. That said, while I was disappointed to see the game end so abruptly, I look forward to any future installments.
Warrior Poet of Mourdrascus (aka Warrior Poet of Mourdrascus, Part 1: The City of Dol Bannath) is an RPG fantasy game that follows the journey of a warrior poet (not poet warrior, mind you) who has embarked on a task…
…a task they received because no one else wanted to find someone more suitable do it. Both capable and perhaps a little out of their league, they face their journey head-on, or else they won’t officially graduate from the College of Myth and Legend.
The city of Dol Bannath is where their journey begins.
Gameplay
About this task. The overarching objective of Warrior Poet of Mourdrascus is to hunt down someone named Professor Zylock who stole an important poetry artifact. We don’t get anywhere near to achieving this since this is only Part I of a larger game.
Instead, the game’s objective is for the player to (Spoiler - click to show)seek passage to the Island of Attar, though this isn’t clear until you’ve spoken to the cleric about the tombstone descriptions. After that, the gameplay boils down to acquiring an amulet from a goblin by doing her a favor so you can afford a spot on a ship.
Ultimately, gameplay consists of buying and/or selling items to maximize your stats to prepare for fight sequences. With just under two dozen locations, there is plenty to explore.
Also: The game needs to make (Spoiler - click to show)Chantal more obvious in the room descriptions, especially at the Oasis. There is a lot of text for that location, and you only see her by examining an ornament for sale. To make things worse, my hamster brain naturally read “talk to goblin” on the walkthrough as “talk to the elf shopkeeper,” in the game, initially leaving me unable to make further progress. Fortunately, I figured it out.
RPG elements
There is a neat RPG system in the game, featuring armor for defense, weapons for physical attacks, and relics that enhance the strength of your Rhymes.
Some may be skeptical at the idea of fighting fire with poetry, but I think the concept of a warrior poet is clever and a nice change of pace. Rather than the player choosing between character classes of a scholarly poet or a skillful warrior, why not combine both?
However, I hope the author refines the game’s implementation of poetry because I often had a hard time taking it seriously. For instance:
When your words come, thunder cracks, the sky opens up, and a fount of terrible beauty expels from your lips like magma from the earth -- like wildfire -- like death! You cry out:
"This little piggy went to the market..."
Yes… Mortals will tremble at the mere mention of This Little Piggy!
Annihilating someone through the power of poetry has the potential of being an awesome moment, but that won’t happen when the protagonist is throwing out Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Also, it’s hard not to win. Within three moves I beat my opponents.
Tone
I have a hard time identifying whether the game is trying to be a silly game or an epic fantasy game filled with danger and strategic thinking.
When it comes to using poetry in combat, I envisioned it being taken seriously in the game’s world. Just how the characters in Counterfeit Monkey, a wordplay game, accept word manipulation as an established fact, I thought the characters in Warrior Poet of Mourdrascus would universally acknowledge that spoken words, like poetry, could have a tangible effect on the physical world.
And the characters (or at least some) in Warrior Poet of Mourdrascus do acknowledge the power of poetry, but when it’s Mary Had a Little Lamb… How serious is it?
I will say, while Warrior Poet of Mourdrascus is not a wordplay game, the description on the tombstone in the cemetery reminded me of the implementation of language in the world of Counterfeit Monkey.
Ozul, born almost 600 years ago in 1023, is a famed hero, whose Rhymes were instrumental in the War of Antiphocles that resulted in the independence of Mourdrascus.
Compare with the description for Counterfeit Monkey:
Anglophone Atlantis has been an independent nation since an April day in 1822, when a well-aimed shot from their depluralizing cannon reduced the British colonizing fleet to one ship.
In both cases, language can be wielded in powerful ways. Of course, Warrior Poet of Mourdrascus is still in development.
Story
I quite liked the story, even if it’s mostly inaccessible for the player. The protagonist’s determination and enthusiasm for their studies made their pursuit of the task compelling.
You, a warrior poet, came from a place called Mourdrascus where you pursued your studies in the Department of Poetry and War at the College of Myth and Legend (what a wordy sentence). However, interest in the department has declined. Administration is considering discontinuing it altogether. And this frustration is felt all too often in real life.
When Professor Zylock, head of the department, nabs the Mantablasphere, a valuable poetry artifact, and flees, your chance of graduating is jeopardized. The Academic Tribunal doesn’t care enough to formally chase him down. Instead, they send you, a go-getter student, on a quest to apprehend their rogue colleague.
Looking past the cheesy poems, a highlight of the game was the writing because it gives the impression that the author wants to offer the player a scenic gameplay experience in a fanciful city on top of their main objective of tracking down the treacherous teacher (alliteration!). Like when we get a room at the inn.
Your stay includes a breakfast of mogwai eggs baked in a tortoise shell with tengo root, grilled asobi fish, a side of tremor fruit, and hot black coffee, all delivered on a tray to your room in the morning by a smiling attendant. You consume the meal heartily. After finishing, you take up your pack, leave the room and lock the door behind you.
Five pieces of gold well spent. More exploring awaits!
Oddly enough, the game can also be sparse in implementation. On one hand, the game’s locations are dynamic in detail. On the other, it uses default parser responses for basic actions. Examining yourself only gets, “As good-looking as ever.”
Despite the unevenness, there is something pleasantly atmospheric about the gameplay. I genuinely wanted to visit every establishment and see what was for sale even if I could only afford one or two items.
Characters
I was shocked to discover that our protagonist is rather arrogant… and kind of a jerk. I was imagining a humbled, disciplined, warrior + poet, but instead? We get:
And as if that were not enough, you say, "The cove was crawling with dangerous pirates, but they were no match for my destructive Poetry and the lethal sharpness of my blade."
Okay, hotshot.
To be fair, the protagonist is not usually a jerk. But when they are, it makes you think who is this guy? It seems like I seriously misread them which can be off-putting.
(Spoiler - click to show)Consider the goblin who is minding her own business in Oasis of Dreams. We saunter up and callously address her as “little green goblin” before saying, “’I learned my trade at the legendary University of Mourdrascus; certainly you've heard of it. My dangerous adventures leave me with little time for a collecting hobby.’" Mm hmm.
The protagonist also feels that “Peasant classes require their pointless pursuits as they struggle to find meaning in their inconsequential lives.” Perhaps it was naïve of me to think that the titular warrior poet would act with humility and self-awareness, but I guess that’s my own fault.
They even try to pull a Poetry-Jedi-Mind-Trick on the goblin, but predictably, that doesn’t work. (We later learn that her name is Chantal).
She shows surprise, raising soft, sculpted eyebrows singed with purple highlights.
She sounds way cooler than the protagonist.
Final thoughts
Warrior Poet of Mourdrascus is a creative fantasy RPG that promises a grand story of hunting down a runaway professor and poetry artifact. However, for it to truly shine, the implementation needs to be refined so the player has more direction of what to do. Ensuring that detail is evenly distributed throughout the gameplay would also help.
As standalone work, it’s a dead end since we never come close apprehending Professor Zylock. Fortunately, the game is merely Part I of a larger narrative, a narrative I look forward to playing in the future.
Seriously, though:
"Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet..."
Please do something about this.
You’ve been told to keep your blood pressure under control. One way to do this is by walking. Fortunately, the air is crisp, and you have access to a lovely beach.
Gameplay
A winter morning on the beach can be played with a keyboard or by clicking on links. The gameplay is simple. You walk as the game counts your steps.
However, you must pace your walking so you don’t wear yourself out… but linger too long and a seagull will come swooping in to cover you in droppings, resulting in a game over. That’s about it. It seems like the author intends the seagull to be an active dodge-the-seagull-puzzle. Instead, it ends up being a frustrating mechanic.
As a result, the gameplay mostly consists of walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, take a break/take a deep breath/admire the view, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, take a take a break/deep breath/admire the view, you get the idea.
The location titles are merely Zone 48, Zone 49, Zone 50, etc., and while I can understand how this may be borrowed from real-life zoning laws, it feels sterile for an IF game. These locations’ scenic detail is limited, and examining the scenery that is present puts the player at risk of being pelted by the seagulls. I just wanted to look at some shells.
A strength of the game are the beach’s signposts that contain messages on environmental conservation and human achievement. These are found every few steps.
During the summer season it is used to display notices and bans, while in winter it is replaced by citations on the protection of the marine environment.
This reports:
"An understanding of the natural world and what's in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment."
- Sir David Attenborough
Who doesn't know Sir David Attenborough? Born in 1926, he's THE voice behind BBC and Netflix nature documentaries, and a huge advocate for all types of life on earth.
This signage was a nice, contemplative touch. And yes, I read this in Attenborough's voice.
Story
There is an uplifting story at the end. I won’t spoil it but just know that (Spoiler - click to show)walking eventually takes you to a walkway with more content. I recommend saving the game once you reach this part.
Visuals
This isn't your typical black and white Inform parser game. Instead, it uses dark green text against a black screen, a combination that was harder to read. I did like the beach imagery behind the game. It added a soothing, calming ambience.
Final thoughts
A winter morning on the beach has a lot of potential for being a chill, meditative exercise in taking care of oneself. Instead, the author tries to incorporate a timed puzzle that distracts from the game’s casual atmosphere. With some refinement I could see this becoming a successful walking simulator.
"Welcome back, is there anything I can help you with?"
One Step Ahead is a dystopian story about the temptations of A.I. and the erosion of choice. Ever since the protagonist discovered the convenience of A.I., they’ve been readily incorporating it into everyday life. But at what cost?
Gameplay
One might assume that One Step Ahead gives the player multiple paths based on whether to use A.I. for tasks, most of which are for academic assignments. Instead, it’s surprisingly linear. To progress in this game, you must use A.I. or get an abrupt GAME OVER.
One Step Ahead also needs more testing and proofreading. Some passages lead to a dead end. If it weren’t for the little “↶” arrows at the side of the screen you would have to restart the game. There was also one instance where I got an error message: Sorry to interrupt, but this page's code has got itself in a mess.
Story
Story-wise, there’s not much to experience. There’s a shift halfway through the game where (Spoiler - click to show) the protagonist becomes worried about how involved the A.I. has become in their life. The A.I. soon picks up on these doubts and throws a hissy fit when the protagonist tries to delete it for good.
In fact, the game ends right as the story gets interesting: (Spoiler - click to show) the A.I. declaring that they’re “always one step ahead” (hence the title), forcing the protagonist to crawl back to it.
Perhaps the lack of choice in the game is meant to represent not having any choice in using A.I. in real-life. If that’s the author’s intent, the delivery needs work because the game is too linear and undeveloped to explore these ideas meaningfully.
Choice is a muscle.
The less it’s used, the more it withers.
This point would have more impact if the player could actually choose not to use A.I. and see the impacts of that choice beyond a sudden GAME OVER. Instead, we get shoehorned into one gameplay route.
RegrettablyDue to consecutive nights of staying up late.
You developed an acute heart condition and had to be hospitalized for recovery.
In other words, you can either use A.I. or end up in the hospital. Not a strong message.
Further discussion
There’s little room to explore the game’s themes on A.I. reliance. I found myself approaching One Step Ahead with some cynicism especially since what we know about our protagonist is only skin-deep. Do they seriously think it’s acceptable to use A.I. to do all their academic work?
I don’t want to be quick to antagonize.
Society sets educational milestones for literacy, math, and other skill sets, and individuals who lack the opportunity to meet these milestones end up swimming against the current of a society that may not offer support in helping them catch up. I can understand seeking assistance. Having someone or something (like an A.I.) summarize content (a book chapter, for example) so you can better understand it serves as a steppingstone for producing your own original work.
Not everything can be accomplished through effort alone. You lack formal training in computer science, and the task exceeds your current capabilities.
There’s a balance. A balance of academic integrity and making sure students have the tools they need to perform in academic settings. We all need help, and we’re all responsible for our own work. But balance is not explored in this game.
Where does this leave the protagonist? There is one instance where they struggle in a class due to a lack of prerequisites, but they just opt for A.I. without sharing any perspective on their choice. As for the other assignments, the protagonist simply seems to not want to do the work. And there is never a point where they reflect about the potential consequences of using A.I. to do their assignments for them.
Or I could be overthinking things. It’s unclear, is the author trying to make commentary about the usage of A.I., or are they just wanting to make an interesting story about an A.I. (Spoiler - click to show)forcing itself on a human user?
Visuals
I think the author could have had some fun experimenting with Twine’s visual effects rather than opting for the default black screen, white text, and blue links. In fact, I was expecting something like the cover art which reminds me of the Blue Screen of Death.
Of course, if the author is new to Twine, I can understand why the game uses a default appearance. The (Spoiler - click to show)chaotic red text used for the A.I.'s meltdown was clever.
Final thoughts
I would love a post-comp release of One Step Ahead because its overall premise is highly relevant to the technological landscape we live in now. But as an IFComp game, it has a lot of rough edges that need to be sanded down. The formatting is messy, there’s at least one bug, and the gameplay could be better implemented. It simply feels too much like a draft.
You play as Ioanna Arcensis, a Recollection Officer for Waste Management, a department that seeks to destroy artifacts from other worlds. The job means has little meaning for you but at least you’re good at it.
Until two new assignments cross your virtual desk.
But first…
…I’d like to ramble about my journey with this game.
In a way, Retrograding has expanded my horizons. I have always been skittish about downloading anything onto my computer. Excessive, sure, but I prefer to interact with content that is available online. Then this game comes along: Retrograding. The title, the description, the cover art. I love its cover art. So, I figured, fine. I must play this.
It was kind of intimidating to see “retrograding_windows.zip” slowly downloading (I used an older computer. Fortunately, that was not a problem) not knowing what to expect and was equally intimated by the cryptic folders listed on my computer. Long story short: I got it working! I kept thinking, wow. I’m finally going to play this!
The consensus? It was not quite what I expected/hoped it to be. And no doubt, my excitement probably skewed my expectations. But I have no regrets.
Gameplay
Retrograding feels like two games in one.
Ioanna is given two potential assignments that involve watching over a high-profile person while conducting her work on another planet. You can only pick one, and whoever you choose forms the basis of the gameplay. This means you must play the game at least twice to get the full experience.
The gameplay is choice-based and driven by dialogue. The dialogue appears on the screen as conversation and waits for the player to press “enter” to move forward. Occasionally we get the chance to choose what Ioanna says in these conversations, but otherwise the player just goes along for the ride.
The choices that do influence the gameplay are which items you salvage for yourself.
You gaze around the room and collect:
ITEM: AN OLD TRANSMITTER
ITEM: A CEREMONIAL KNIFE
ITEM: SCRAP METAL
There are three opportunities in each playthrough to salvage items. These items carry meaning for the characters and allow the player to foster a relationship with the person under their watch. The items you choose also determine the game’s ending.
Retrograding has features to make multiple playthroughs more convenient. There is a “skip” command that zooms through the text until you reach a decision-making point or when you choose to retake control. This was extremely helpful.
Thoughts
Unfortunately, I misread the game’s genre. I realize now that I’m not its target audience. Its genre is listed as “Science Fiction” and “Romance,” and I assumed it would be science fiction (big fan) with romance undertones. Instead, it leans heavily on the romance part.
I had a hard time appreciating Ioanna’s interactions with Raven and Zinnia because the game’s world felt undeveloped. One moment I’m trying to piece together the places/events/people being name-dropped. The next moment, Zinnia and Ioanna are madly in love.
It just didn’t resonate with me. That said, if you like romance games that focus on forging a relationship with a single character (and enjoy sci-fi themes) then I strongly recommend Retrograding.
Story
With two assignments come two separate stories structured around a person of interest and Ioanna’s growing relationship with them. This is teased in the game’s description:
A celebrity bomber? A renegade Corpodarling?
Our celebrity bomber is a death row prisoner named Raven. He was once a high-profile racer until a (Spoiler - click to show)suicide attempt gone wrong killed several bystanders. Now sentenced to death, the protagonist is tasked with escorting him around the planet Estehelix until he can be handed off to authorities.
Meanwhile, Zinnia is a “Corpodarling.” A poster child for a powerful corporation (the same one Ioanna works for, it seems). Top notch employee. Except… she has a tendency to go rogue, forcing the corporation to (Spoiler - click to show)recondition her to ensure compliance. It’s your job to keep her in check as you explore Proxima.
There are multiple endings, though the game seems to give more attention to Raven. According to the walkthrough, Zinnia has three endings while Raven has two routes with Route A having two endings and Route B having three endings. I managed to reach one ending for Raven and all three endings for Zinnia. I didn’t feel inspired to keep playing after that, especially since Raven’s story is kind of intense.
The immediate story would be stronger if the game provided more backstory and worldbuilding for context. It all seems so cool on the surface! A lot of interesting ideas are tossed around without further explanation.
For example, there is vague mention of people being stripped of their identity and reformed into other individuals. When Zinnia says, (Spoiler - click to show)“They try to take the calling out of me, put me on the operating table and dig up my insides. Not one piece of me is ever wasted,” I could not tell if they actually did that to her or if she was simply using surgery as a metaphor.
A nifty feature is a “Records Database” section that catalogs names and objects from the gameplay to provide more information. There are 38 possible entries, and I managed to find all but 5, 16, and 17. But even these are sparse. Most consist of snippets of dialogue when I was looking for something more concrete. I have plenty of questions.
Characters
Ioanna (+Maria)
Ioanna has no passion for her job, but she likes not having to interact with people. In fact, her stellar performance record makes her eligible for a higher-ranking position. She merely chooses to stay in Waste Management.
This latest assignment, however, throws her for a loop because of the involvement of another person. She tells herself that it’s just a job. We see otherwise. Ultimately, the player watches as her interactions with Raven/Zinnia cause her to reconsider what she wants in life.
I would have loved to learn more about Ioanna’s background because I don’t think the game clarifies whether Ioanna is a human, android, or synthetic being. She is described as having synthskin and a metallic spine. And of course, Maria, who lives in her head. Sort of.
Maria hums in-between planes of existence. She leans against your shoulder, caressing the hollow of your cheek with a digital thumb.
Maria is an A.I.-like being who is frequently referred to as a god, though I’m not sure if that’s meant to be taken literally. She has full access to Ioanna’s mind and body, providing commentary throughout the game.
It seems like the author’s intent was for Maria to be the classic snarky A.I. whose snarkiness is merely born out of love for the main character. And that’s cool. However, her conversations with Ioanna get caustic to the point where we start to wonder, do they actually like each other? It can get kind of awkward.
NPCs
While the romance did not click for me, I did find the love interests’ personal stories to be compelling. Zinnia struggles with building an identity outside of being the poster child of a corporation that never lets her leave. Raven is trying to process his reality of his looming execution and how it prevents him from facing death on his own terms. Both characters are experiencing a personal crisis that is always lurking behind their every move.
Castor, Ioanna’s manager, was the most interesting character. Through her we get a sense of the bureaucracy that our protagonist lives in. Apparently, people who try to defect from society are dragged back and punished with being digitized, also known as “total augmentation.” Which is awful since the reason many choose to defect is to seek out the old ways of living without technology. And now they’re forced to work inside a digital world. Castor is quite awfully cheerful though, considering her circumstances.
Visuals
Retrograding is filled with visuals as a game made with Unity. Every scene is depicted with photographs as backgrounds, many of which are stock images from Unsplash and similar sources.
Some photos nail the vibe of the game while others clearly look like they came from, well, Unsplash. This is because they look too much like Earth when we’re supposed to be trapezing across Estehelix and Proxima. They look great, but the city streets, graffiti break, and other land features break the illusion of exploring another world.
Castor, Raven, and Zinnia have their own character art in the form of drawings. I’ll admit, for the latter two, I was not a huge fan of the style which seemed to clash with the photograph imagery. That said, the artwork for both characters displays a range of emotions, making their portrayal more interesting.
There is also an art gallery accessible from the game’s memory. There seems to be a total of three unlockable artworks. I managed to unlock one from Raven’s story.
Conclusion
This is a polished work with graphics and multiple gameplay paths that will resonate with the right audience. As for me, I was seeking a sci-fi game full of worldbuilding and found a romance-intensive game instead. If that interests you, please give Retrograding a try.
Not my kind of game, but still a job well done.
(It was also a neat exercise in trying something new: downloading an interactive fiction game. I’ve got my sights on Silicon and Cells. I might play that next…)
Ancient China.
You are a poet whose family fell from grace, making you somewhat of an outcast. But time has passed, and you’ve now carved a simple existence out of reading and staying out of the public eye.
Then, one night, a court official visits your home. You are informed that your poetry has caught the attention of society’s elite. Coincidentally, the Emperor is hosting a banquet to select a new court poet, and you are invited at his request.
Gameplay
you are an ancient chinese poet at the neo-orchid pavilion (aka YAAACPATNOP. Naw, too long) revolves around a sole task: creating a poem to present at the banquet.
The Emperor has a special request for you. He wants your poem to reflect the current climate of his court and the motivations of the people within it, citing your reclusive lifestyle as making you a neutral judge of the factions present at the banquet.
Gameplay is structured into sections where the player interacts with characters or scenery to develop each line of the poem. To provide inspiration for the guests, multiple activities take place at the banquet.
North, in the direction of a fruit orchard in the distance.
East, to a field where the polo court lies.
South, to where a stage for outdoor opera sits.
West, towards a set of low set buildings.
Each activity is run by a group that shares an ideology. For example, visiting the polo courts introduces you to the School of Numerical Perfection, a group that is attempting to create the perfect poem using math because they believe that human experience can be quantified to create order.
You visit two groups, sampling the different ideologies at play. You then decide whether to agree or disagree with the group’s beliefs, forging a new line of your poem. The climax of the story occurs when you choose to meet with either Princess Anying or General Zhang to further investigate the court’s alliances. Once the poem is completed, the endgame reveals the impact of your words.
The game allows you to start from the beginning of the story or to start at the banquet, encouraging replays.
Story
The story is interwoven with political undertones of factions vying for power. The Emperor’s sister, Princess Anying, and his cousin, General Zhang are major figureheads in the court’s politics. They make an appearance at the banquet, and while the three appear to tease and cajole each other as family members, unseen plans lurk under the surface.
When you reach the lake, you decide to walk…
Clockwise, towards the blooming lotus.
Counter-clockwise, where the wild reeds ramble.
Visit the lotus for the Princess, the reeds for the General.
Your interactions with the banquet guests and either the Princess or the General are conveyed through your poem and thus determine the story’s outcome. For instance, (Spoiler - click to show)you can align yourself with the Princess, resulting in an ending where you become her court poet. Assuming the rest of her plans fall into place, of course.
Endings
There are 23 possible endings. So far, I’ve only found: 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 16, and 23. That’s not even half. I tried to create a spreadsheet to keep track of how to reach them, but it became too complicated.
I will say, some endings feel cut and paste with their writing. Consider endings 2 and 10:
(Spoiler - click to show)Although your poem is not overly adulatory towards the Princess Anying and the factions she has been secretly supporting, it manages to convince the emperor that she is not the looming threat he should be wary of.
Although your poem is not overly supportive towards General Zhang and the factions he directs, it is enough to convince the emperor that he is not the threat that the emperor considers him to be.
Same outcome, just with the characters swapped out. That said, this only became apparent to me after I replayed the game countless times to try to find every ending.
Theory on endings
Just some ideas.
It seems that disagreeing with The Conscientious Anarchists always leads to a negative ending steeped with civil strife, regardless of whether the player makes approving choices in every other interaction.
Beyond the Anarchists, it’s difficult to pinpoint the specific effect each group has on the end. It does appear that disagreeing with both groups (remember, you choose two) has an effect. For example, if you disagree with both and do not support the Princess or General, the Princess/General won’t have enough power to overthrow the Emperor.
On the flipside, if you agree with both groups but decline to support the Princess/General, the Princess/General will take power and leave you in the dust.
As long as you don’t upset the Anarchists, you can displease both groups and get a (more or less) good ending by supporting the Princess or General.
At least, that’s my best guess. Probably not 100% accurate. I still haven’t been able to find every ending.
Characters
The protagonist’s own story is more of a backdrop to explain your presence at the banquet rather than forming the main narrative. We don’t know a lot, but the amount we do know suits the game’s purposes just fine.
I will say, it’s kind of shocking to see Princess Anying act so affectionately towards the Emperor at the banquet (Spoiler - click to show) only to have him (and her cousin) executed in ending 8.
Or when General Zhang reminisces about chasing fireflies with the Emperor and Princess as children (Spoiler - click to show)before taking the firefly off your shoulder and crushing it. He, too, is more than willing to eliminate his relatives.
Also, I kept getting Attendant Zhang and General Zhang mixed up.
Visuals
The visuals are simple yet elegant.
Text is placed in a cream-coloured panel set against a backdrop that changes colours as we explore the banquet. On the right side of the screen is a small photograph, such as a lake, for every location.
Overall, its appearance is bright but not distracting. The author seemed to put a lot of care into conveying simple elegance.
Conclusion
As an entrant to this year’s IFComp, this is a game that you play with for a few minutes before rushing off to play one of the more fast-paced entries. But later, you find yourself drifting back and giving it more attention, taking your time to glean how your choices influence each ending. And I enjoyed it.
Now, the game can get repetitive if you try to strategize to find every ending since picking apart the variables makes the story feel more superficial. However, most players will be content to play it a few times for the overall experience. Carefully crafting a poem can serve as a meditative exercise for anyone.
And on that note… an obligatory poem:
The lonely bird's call battles laughter and music,
Swimming fishes surge to meet the sporting waves,
One with the earth, soil underfoot,
Pouring pearls forth, set loose into the world.
This review is based on the NORMAL Mode setting of the game.
It’s not every day you get reprinted.
But then again, you are Jean Wilson, Comms Officer of Theseus, a cargo ship that has experienced a catastrophic collision. A collision you did not survive. Thanks to printing technology, your mind and body have been reprinted so you can figure out what happened.
Also, this review spoils the heck out of it. Please play the game first.
Gameplay
This isn’t a mere explore-the-spaceship game. It’s also a resource management game with awesome mechanics. It involves finding items around the ship to recycle and then using the resources to fabricate useful items. You also have oxygen, water, and food levels to manage.
Current resources:
Biomass: 22 | Metals: 49 | Water: 15 | Minerals: 35 | Polymers: 12
Puzzles largely consist of bypassing locked doors and barriers, but there is enough variation to keep things interesting. The author also provides a generous walkthrough/hint system into the game.
Detritus is an example of a Twine game with free range of movement, meaning that the player can wander around a map and interact with people/objects in each “room,” much like a parser game. This, paired with the recycle/fabricate mechanics, may appeal to players who like the idea of resource management gameplay but are intimidated by the parser format. Similarly, if you prefer parser games or are not a huge fan of Twine, Detritus is dynamic enough to be engaging.
You can also play the game in Story mode. There is something for everyone!
Story
Main story
The story revolves around a corporation called Rainforest™ that employs the ship’s crew. Unsurprisingly, it puts profits first. But now, it’s taken things too far. (Spoiler - click to show) The crew finds out that the “luxury goods” in the cargo bay is just a cover for the truth: Rainforest™ is planning on using Earth as the galaxy’s new landfill. Plus, cost of upgrading the fabricator, which is practical for productivity, comes out of the crew’s wages. Unacceptable.
Anyway, (Spoiler - click to show)the crew had enough and planned to go on strike by taking control of the ship. Meanwhile, GAIL has been closely monitoring the crew and recording every interaction, and these recordings are automatically company property. So, when GAIL goes silent as the ship wrestles itself from the crew’s control and into the path of an asteroid, things are looking awfully dire.
So: Can we trust GAIL?
As in, GAIL the corporate A.I. who’s been quietly recording and ghosting the crew members right up until the accident? The answer is:
(Spoiler - click to show)Heck yeah.
I’ll admit I had some doubts.
After all, corporate A.I.s in stories tend to be antagonists. And GAIL is not portrayed in a reassuring light as we try to piece together what happened. The flashbacks we see indicate that the crew distrusts her and the lower clearance terminal logs are just as worrying. And then, right before the collision, she goes silent and unresponsive? Hm.
Also, this little gem…
"Daisy, daisy, give mee yoooour annnnnnswe…"
…does not help her case either.
And yet… I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. If Rainforest™ is capable of screwing over its human employees, surely it can do the same to its A.I., too. Still, it leaves the player not knowing what to think.
After seeing the crew’s talk of a strike from GAIL’s recordings, Rainforest™ commanded GAIL to fly the ship into a collision course. She refused, prompting Rainforest™ to initiate Command Omega to take over the ship and do the company’s bidding.
Indicators of GAIL’s loyalty are only revealed later, and they can be overlooked if you simply skim the text. In fact, I think one of the most exhilarating moments in the game takes place via a terminal log that we read:
› Rainforest: Initiate: Search for and wipe any crew body/mind backup data
› GAIL: Internal: Begin compressed backup of main / memory cores
› Rainforest: Remote command: Shut down main engines
› GAIL: Internal: Wipe Rover
› Rainforest: Goodbye GAIL
› GAIL: Internal: Begin data transfer…
› Rainforest: Initiate: Full reset. Wipe onboard AI.
It’s easy to underappreciate her fancy footwork here if you’re not paying attention.
As Rainforest™ uses Command Omega to take over the ship, she quietly transfers herself to the ship’s ROVER droid as her memory cores are being purged.
The quietest of battles. And Rainforest™ never stood a chance.
This means the GAIL in the archive room is a copy. You get to meet GAIL for real at the end of the game. It’s revealed that after the collision, she spent four months using her ROVER body to “rebuild” the crew with her recordings and the biological material in the cargo.
With varying success. Turns out our body is made of trash and the recycled remains of failed clones. Yeesh.
Thoughts on story
Detritus already has received high ratings which makes me feel like a wet blanket by giving it four stars. It has to do with the game’s delivery.
There are two big reveals that overlap. The first is that GAIL is, in fact, on our side. I already discussed that. The second is the nature of our existence as a recycled being. This one didn’t quite stick.
I feel that there is some hand waving regarding the plot twist. The mind and body backups of the crew were deleted by Rainforest™ when it initiated Command Omega. Thankfully, GAIL saved the recordings she made of the crew to recreate the mind backups and used the waste in the cargo to reconstruct bodies via the fabricator. Got it.
Problem is, I’m having a hard time imagining GAIL’s recordings of the crew’s conversations being complex enough to replicate an entire human mind. I would also like clarification on the nature of the PC: Is this primarily Jean’s mind that includes the fragments of the crew, or are they equally a blend of the crew but are given the impression that they are Jean? As in, a fifth character? I still felt like “Jean,” so maybe it’s up to interpretation.
It’s an odd thought to think that theoretically, if the ship was built a certain way, it would be possible, if illegal, to bring all the crew members back to life at the flip of a switch! The fact that mind and body data can be stored and then used… or erased is mind boggling. I assume the printer on Theseus can only print one person at a time because of legal reasons, not because it’s scientifically impossible to do so.
Printing your mind in someone else’s body, well, you could simply take their place and claim their identity!
Like we do in the game. No wonder it’s illegal.
Also: If we’re recycling our body to reprint the captain’s body, why do we climb into the fabricator instead of the recycler?
Themes
Detritus acknowledges issues faced in today’s world about corporate accountability, greenwashing, waste disposal, the replacement of human jobs with A.I., and socioeconomic inequalities. There’s even brief mention of microplastics in food.
Rainforest™ heavily relies on greenwashing to sell their narrative. Greenwashing is deceptive marketing where a corporation portrays itself as environmentally friendly to divert attention away from its environmentally unfriendly practices. Predictably, Rainforest™ loves this tactic and uses sound bites such as:
At Rainforest™, we hate waste™.
More like (Spoiler - click to show)“we hate waste so we’re going to dump it on Earth, so we don’t have to deal with it!" And the irony of the name, considering what’s happening to the Amazon rainforest.
I like how the gameplay had data pads scattered throughout the ship to provide backstory without dumping loads of information onto the player. Data pad (f) is especially interesting because it features a newspaper clipping that resembles our world today.
…with the invention of Recycler technology, has the galaxy's waste problem been solved? Not entirely! All planets have signed up to the 'zero-waste' agreement; they are legally responsible for their own waste disposal.
The use of language like “zero-waste agreement” is akin to the pledges countries make, and often neglect, at summits to reach shared sustainability goals. By (Spoiler - click to show) designating Earth as a landfill, Rainforest™ is seriously violating galaxy policy. Another real-life parallel is Nadir, an “ultra-wealthy” planet that sends its trash to Earth, just as wealthier countries export their trash overseas.
In theory, anything can be recycled, but as the quantities increase, so does the energy required. Recycling is not a solution to unchecked pollution.
The game also considers the effectiveness of recycling in being a blanket solution for environmental concerns. There is an ongoing debate about how “clean” the recycling process is since it, too, produces waste. And even if we perfected the science of recycling, we would still need to make other changes as a society to reach our sustainability objectives. While the game does not go into too much detail, it makes some powerful points.
Plus, a few other digs.
"Remember, smart companies don’t pay taxes!"
"We want to make the galaxy great again!"
I’ll leave it at that.
Characters
GAIL
I liked the depiction of A.I. in Detritus because it moves away from the plucky Good A.I. (I’m here and happy to serve the PC!) or Bad A.I. (I’m clearly against the PC’s best interests and I don’t like them either) binary that we often see in science fiction.
Detritus differs from Twine games, such as Lux and A Long Way to the Nearest Star, that center the gameplay on an A.I. NPC guiding the protagonist around a facility/ship. In both games the player communicates with the A.I. and even, for better or worse, forms a rapport with them. With GAIL, it’s different.
While the game’s description describes her as M.I.A., we find her in the “Admin” room. However, she is disconnected from the ship’s systems and has had her memory erased. You can visit her in the room for help but are otherwise left to roam the ship by yourself. And while, yes, (Spoiler - click to show)you can eventually reconnect her from the Helm, doing so offers little in further interaction with her, heightening the mystery.
As we investigate the ship, we receive mixed messages about GAIL’s intentions. As a result, the gameplay is infused with do-we-trust-the-A.I.? undertones that create suspense. This leads to a buildup when (Spoiler - click to show) we meet the “real” GAIL.
Our limited interaction with GAIL means we have less opportunity to get to know her as an individual. In (Spoiler - click to show)helping the protagonist is she merely clinging to the directive of Crew, Ship, Company, or is there a deeper emotional commitment there? By recording the crew, was she only trying to maximize the chances of them being recreated in an emergency or does she secretly want to relate to them more? Plus, Kashvi mentioned in a flashback that GAIL had been suffering from hallucinations, but we never learn what that was about.
Crew
After rambling on and on about GAIL, I don’t have much to say about the other characters since I found them to be less compelling than GAIL. That said, I did think the writing did a good job at conveying the close-knit nature of the crew. Their optimism was vividly conveyed in flashbacks, making it (Spoiler - click to show) especially sad when we find their dead bodies.
Visual design
I love the visual design of this game.
It's all glossy surfaces and sleek edges with text that is easy to read and stands out against the background. Text is a mix of yellow, grey, and white with blue links set against a dark grey backdrop. It also recreates a polished “computer screen” appearance when the player accesses a terminal.
Plus, there’s extra flairs to make things more interesting, including an in-game map of the Theseus. For atmospheric effect, the beginning and end of the game has animated starfield that makes you feel like you’re moving through space. Special animated effects for flashback sequences are also featured.
Conclusion
Detritus is an exciting sci-fi game with all the traits of a high-quality game. I can tell the author left no stone unturned. Personally, there are parts that felt one-dimensional to me. I really liked the (Spoiler - click to show) plot twist with GAIL’s true allegiance. The logistics of the (Spoiler - click to show) PC’s identity were fuzzier in comparison.
Part of me feels that my view of this game is influenced by my experience with The Den. I won’t spoil it, but the big twist (or, arguable, twists) made a chill go down my spine that made me think, woah, that’s brilliant. Not quite as much with Detritus.
Nonetheless, this is a game you don’t want to miss. It can be played at Easy, Normal, or Story mode, allowing you to set the gameplay at your comfort level. As for the ending… well, it just might surprise you.
Also: If you are curious about Twine games that involve your body being reprinted to cheat death, check out Trigaea.
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