Ratings and Reviews by Kinetic Mouse Car

In this sci-fi/horror mystery you are an investigator on behalf of Central Command. They have an urgent case for you. Niflheim, a research station on exoplanet Kepler-186f, has gone dark. There are no signs of life. For your investigation, Command has remotely connected you to the sole functioning terminal that remains at the station. You must trawl through this “digital wreckage” to figure out what happened to the crew.

Gameplay
The game’s format uses a mix of parser input and clickable links. Gameplay objectives are centered around the reconstruction of files via naming conventions. This is done by reading files (audio transcripts, footage, crew logs, etc.) to gauge the identities of the crew and their whereabouts. Withing this information you uncover the names of new files that move the story forward.

The sound of the door opening and closing. Everyone runs out of the room.

For me, there was a bit of a learning curve. Despite the game’s straightforward instructions, I still needed someone to show what was going on and what the player was supposed to do. With some online help, I realized that I was overthinking things.

And just as you’re convinced that What happened to the crew? is solely about file naming conventions, the game reveals itself to be more complex than it seems at first glance. Turns out, (Spoiler - click to show) the terminal has lower layers with new content (the rover simulation was my favorite) that the player “unlocks.” It makes you wonder, “just how deep does this game go?” It’s all really cool.

To make things easier, the game has several helpful features. These include being able to sort character or location files by name and to create your own labels for each file.

I believe I found every file with one exception: The files in your index have a number bracket that indicates how many related files you have not yet uncovered. I managed to get a “0” for everything but (Spoiler - click to show) 04-CA-B-C-E-I-J-R-S. Does anyone have any ideas?

Story
The story pulled me in. Kepler-186f seems like an unassuming planet of lichen and gastropods. That is, until a rover makes a discovery on one of its excursions: a complex and clearly artificial signal. Could this be humanity’s first contact with sentient alien life? The crew is intrigued (well, some of them, at least) by the implications.

My reviews tend to be spoiler-heavy since I like to focus on in-depth discussion and analysis. But I am going to refrain from sharing explicit spoilers here because the story is worth discovering on your own. I do have some thoughts about the genre. The game starts to dabble in the horror's sub-genre of digital horror in the sense that the terminal is not as benign as it seems.

At one point, (Spoiler - click to show) a third party reveals itself to have a presence in the terminal’s innerworkings, and even addresses the player. When revisited, seemingly innocent files are revealed to have hidden commentary that sheds gruesome new light on what happened. With the exception of some cheesy lines (ex. “Get him, girls!”), these messages bring a real scare factor and serve as a great motivator to solve the mystery.

Overall, I found the story to be suspenseful and fun to uncover. I especially appreciate the research documents (ex. BRYOPHYTA-ANALYSIS) about the ecology of Kepler-186f. It serves no purpose beyond providing some cool worldbuilding. Also, the usage of (Spoiler - click to show) terms from Norse mythology, including Niflheim, was an interesting touch that simultaneously clarifies things and leaves me with more questions…

…Particularly the (Spoiler - click to show) conversation between Jackie and the “Unknown voice across the radio.” Who, specifically, is she talking to? There are only two files where this verbal exchange occurs.

Characters
The whole point of the investigation is to find out what happened to them. A mere glance at the game’s description already confirms that these are doomed characters.

My only complaint is that conversations can feel clunky and unconvincing, especially since they have a tendency to say their thoughts aloud. Phrases like "that explosion just scared the crap out of me” is understandable if you’re talking to another person. Not so much when you’re the only one in the room. I understand that there’s less wiggle room to tell the story via audio transcripts, but this could be smoothed out a little more.

Visual design
The game’s visual presentation is clever. It recreates the appearance of a computer terminal with a black background and primarily uses green text, with the exception of multi-coloured accents and the (Spoiler - click to show) pulsing, red text used when you-know-what shows up. The email notification pop-ups were also a nice touch.

Not only do these qualities look cool, they set a tone by using the familiar principle of “Red = DANGER, “Green = Safe.” This helps the player understand the severity of what (Spoiler - click to show)(or maybe who?) they’re dealing with.

Effective. You start to think, “uh oh, what have I unleashed?”

Final thoughts
What happened to the crew? was a wild ride that exceeded my expectations with its complexity and suspenseful plot. Its gameplay is streamlined and its visuals sell the idea of digging through a computer terminal of sinister secrets. In fact, I’m still trying to find that one elusive file that I mentioned earlier.

Should you play this game? If you like the idea of reading and re-reading passages for clues, and then taking notes on them (I created an entire document dedicated to creating charts and timelines!), then definitely try it out. Especially if you enjoy games like Type Help.

If you like the idea of a database-oriented investigation but shy away from complex gameplay, try Martia Termina. Made with Super Videotome, Martia Termina is a military sci-fi game where you play as a concerned citizen who hacks into a government database to find the truth of what happened to five soldiers who disappeared on a Mars mission. Be aware that the gameplay is barebones. All you do is sit there, read through audio transcripts, and enjoy the ride. This might appeal to some players.

Finally, if anyone has any theories about the story and the mysterious of the signal, I would love to hear them! Consider: (Spoiler - click to show)In the life support module, each crew member is listed as “NO SIGNS OF LIFE DETECTED,” but Leonard isn’t listed. Is this a mistake? Or a sign of something else?

Note: This review is for the post-comp release.

Aiden and Vee are two seventeen-year-olds who’ve lived in an underground bunker, aka “the den,” since infancy. They know of no other home. With only Father to look out for them, they’ve settled into a stable life of chores, education, and activities. Safe from the hostile world looming outside.

Then, one day, they discover a new, strange part of the den, forcing them to reevaluate everything they thought they knew about their- and the den’s- existence.

Gameplay
Everything is shaped around Aiden and Vee’s efforts to escape the den and reach the surface level. As a Twine game, The Den follows a format that I call “free range of movement.” It’s when a choice-based work allows the player to travel from room-to-room while freely interacting with objects and NPCs as if it were a parser. And there are many rooms to explore (I had fun mapping it all out in my head).

You can now switch between Aiden and Vee using the button in the sidebar.

What makes the gameplay unique is that it requires teamwork effort between both characters. Aiden and Vee end up stuck in different parts of the den, requiring them to communicate via computer terminals. The player toggles between the two as they find ways around obstacles and apply newly-acquired knowledge about the den’s secrets. While the puzzles aren’t overly technical, they present a nice variety of challenges.

Overall, I found the experience to be quite enjoyable.

Story
I love symbolism. This game overflows with it. Simply put, (Spoiler - click to show)The Den is modeled off the story of Adam and Eve. In this case, humanity has been driven to extinction due to a sterility virus. Extinct… aside from Aiden and Vee who were engineered and conceived with the goal of repopulating the human race. There’s even a delicious, tempting apple tree, though here, it grants viral immunity. And if this isn’t clear enough, there’s this wham moment:

I also enjoyed piecing together the backstory via the computer files. I was left wanting more simply because the story is just that good. I couldn’t help but be curious: (Spoiler - click to show)Does Father have a freezer of frozen embryos stashed away somewhere? What else do Aiden and Vee know about their origins aside from the fact that Aiden is one day older? Did Father ever intend on informing them of their larger role in rebuilding the human race?

There is one thing that I would like clarified. (Spoiler - click to show)If you go back to bed instead of meeting Vee downstairs, you get a failure ending where Vee is never seen again. Aiden lives the rest of his life in the den without her while Father acts as if she never existed. Was she killed by debris from the earthquake? Did Father decide to force her to live elsewhere in the den? Was she turned into compost?

Genre
The Den is a good example of a work of science fiction that doesn’t lean too heavily into the genre. There’s mention of (Spoiler - click to show) cloning and A.I., and seems to take place in the distant future, but otherwise it’s more like mystery with sci-fi undertones. The game describes itself as “A light-hearted adventure with a darker mystery,” which I’d say is spot-on.

Characters
Narrated in third person, the writing captures the distinct personalities of Aiden and Vee. They contrast nicely: Aiden’s initial hesitance to break the rules with Vee’s playful rebelliousness. But no matter what, they are a team. After a lifetime of being sheltered, their sense of wonder is felt by the player.

And yes, (Spoiler - click to show)it took me forever to piece together that Father was a machine, not another human being (probably should have seen it coming). I like that he gets deeper characterization during the parts we experience from his perspective. Which makes me wonder: What are the odds that Father would have left the drawing of Alpha and Echo on Aiden’s bedroom wall? Could it have been deliberate, just like leaving the key in the kitchen for Aiden to find? I sense hidden depths…

Visual design
As is such with the author’s games, The Den boasts an appearance that is both simple and sleek. It uses a navy background with white text and blue links. Font effects are used for the computer terminals, and character dialogue is colour-coded.

Try the refuse room 🔒
Search the kitchen ✓

Leave the room

Icons add additional polish to appearance and functionality. The fact that the game lets you know when a room no longer has relevant content is immensely helpful.

Final thoughts
For me, The Den has it all: streamlined gameplay, characters you feel invested in, and a creative story- especially the story- that only fully reveals itself after everything has been said and done. It really goes the extra mile- you can even play the Vaccinator game via a link provided at the end! I was so impressed.

Whether or not you enjoy The Den may come down to personal preference regarding genre and/or puzzle complexity. But regardless, it’s a high-quality work that I strongly recommend anyone to try.

Fantastic game, no notes.

It is the year 2052.

Artificial Intelligence has advanced at breakneck speed and transformed the world.

And you, Karl Gottleib, are in the center of it. As a Sentience Compliance officer for Crucible Robotics, your job is to track down signs of unauthorized A.I. sentience and stamp it out before it poses any danger to society. But is this suppression of sentience really for the greater good, or are you serving hidden interests?

Shift++ is an investigative cyberpunk game with an immersive dystopian atmosphere and flashy visual design. Society’s confidence in the safety in A.I. is on the rocks. When a whistleblower at Crucible Robotics attempts to leak news of a sentience breach, the company puts its facility on lockdown so that you can put an end to the breach without the public ever knowing there was a problem.

Gameplay
The goal is to track down whatever A.I. has breached sentience. The gameplay has you investigate the four wings of the Crucible Robotics facility. Before long, your partner and friend, Melody Hammond, will show up to help you. She travels with you and provides insight as you explore.

Melody is now in your party. she will be available to chat in the different locations.

(Other characters can also join in on the fun, if you let them.)

Most actions involve talking to NPCs and cross-referencing information to identify the whistleblower and locate the malfunctioning robot(s). To streamline your investigation, the game features a “Temporary Workspace” where you access your emails and notes on the case.

Once you know what to look for, the game can be completed rather quickly, making the investigative part somewhat redundant. However, there is replay value in finding the most morally fulfilling ending, one that requires you to operate outside of your job description. Plus, it’s fun to find every possible lead. There is one that I’ve been unable to pursue. When you first visit the warehouse, the game says:

You can introduce yourself but you will need to come back later with some sort of offering if you want to make a dent here.

What kind of offering? I know you can earn Simone's approval by giving her gum but I don't know what to do with the employees here. Just curious.

Story
The story explores the morality of doing your job as asked, and doing what you feel, deep down, is right. Your job is simple: Track down the robot, hand it over to management, collect your paycheck. You serve a corporation. (Spoiler - click to show)But this changes when we track down the robot (self-named Papa Moon) and it tells us what it’s really like for an A.I. to be processed at the Innovation Lab. The robot is no longer just a malfunctioning unit; It is a sentient being that just wants to live. This leads to a conundrum when you need to make a choice about said robot’s fate.

There is also a cynical humor to this game. One way to get the desk worker to listen to you is to dramatically (“I’m Karl Gotlieb! I take charge!!”) throw her computer like a rabid animal. You can also (Spoiler - click to show)give up on the investigation and nuke the entire facility (there’s a neat visual for this) or ditch your responsibilities and (Spoiler - click to show)become a maggot farmer. I thought the game was joking when it added this option, but, no, it’s an actual ending.

Visuals
I love the visuals! They are reminiscent of The Matrix, establishing a strong cyberpunk vibe. Accordingly, colours primarily consist of green and black.

Every location has animated graphics that are all sleek lines and sharp angles. The use of “raining code” was especially cool. Cleverly, the segment titled "The Long Walk Down Yet Another Corridor..." uses animation that makes the player feel as if they are trudging down the halls of Crucible Robotics. Also, (Spoiler - click to show)having the lights in Papa Moon’s eyes go out (and the background fading away) emphasizes a sense of loss.

For the character portraits, a crude style is used. Almost like they were created with MS Paint. It’s awesome. They channel the mood of a dystopian workplace. Simone looks so, so tired and done with everything.

Final thoughts
I had a lot of fun with Shift++. The characters, setting, graphics, and genre made me want to peel back its surface and find every possible detail about the game’s world.

I've taken off a star because there are quite a few spelling errors and some formatting roughness, such as paragraphs being duplicated. Also, if you recruit Eggnog into your group and then return to the RND Data Lab, he’s sitting there and greets you as if you’re meeting him for the first time. But while these issues reduced the overall quality of the game, it didn’t make it less intriguing.

A great choice if you’re interested in a cyberpunk, story-driven game that gives you some things to think about.

Beeping. Regular, persistent. The apparatus. Somewhere in the background, a conversation – muffled voices, rapid words.

You are Lieutenant Reed, agent for the Mars Development Authority (MDA). Your latest mission went haywire, leaving you with a traumatic brain injury that prevents you from remembering what happened. Luckily, your data implant still contains the mission’s findings. It’s just a matter of recalling what happened. But in doing so, you’ll be forced to pick a side in a planet’s struggle for independence.

Gameplay
A brief intro establishes your current circumstances. Your body is on a hospital gurney while an MDA staff member prepares to engage your “Memory stream,” a scan that allows you to relive the content of your implant. The gameplay is thus structured around piecing together what happened via flashbacks (or rather, one continuous flashback), and is structured so it feels like the mission is actively unfolding.

For the main gameplay, the screen is split into two panels. The left side serves as a transcript of recovered memories. The right displays your inventory and is where you make choices. Choice-making alternates between choosing options from a list or typing in commands. The latter involves clever usage of generative A.I. that gives the player more freedom, particularly with character interactions. Like when you encounter your first obstacle: a supervisor suspicious of your presence.

Supervisor: Who are you? What are you doing here?

Typing “show id,” along with confirming your name and job, is all you need to complete this interaction… But there’s nothing stopping you from asking the supervisor about themself. If you fail to identify yourself, the game automatically has you knock out the supervisor. Either way, we move on with the mission. In this sense, while the gameplay is generally linear, you do get to choose how you went about the mission…

The memory fades. This is not how events unfolded.

…within reason. That said, once your memories have been recalled and the gameplay returns to the present day, you get a change to decide how the mission’s findings will be used.

Thoughts on mechanics
Theoretically, this use of generative A.I. would offer more flexibility and interactivity than a game that is strictly choice-based. However, it still feels limited. You punch in bits of info that are fed to you via dialogue or content in your inventory.

Its innovativeness is also hindered by some rough edges, such as alternating between “him” and “her” for a single character. Interactions with NPCs don’t last long enough to really appreciate what we learn about them. Then again, we are an MDA agent tasked with uncovering secret plans, not with making friends.

Also, conversations can loop repetitively. That’s probably the main issue.

Does Operation ‘Red Shadow' use generative A.I. successfully? I’d say that it does. It’s just not particularly deep.

Story/Visuals
On its own, the story is a rather generic Earth vs. Mars narrative. Mars is dependent on Earth. Earth only cares about profit and control, leading to the formation of resistance groups on Mars. But the fact that the protagonist is an undercover agent for the oppressors (MDA) makes things more interesting. As we relive the mission, we see the struggles and optimism of the resistance members… along with the power that MDA wields over Mars.

Longing. Fear. Pleas to get away.
This is no longer politics.
This is life.

This all leads to a final choice made at the end of the game: (Spoiler - click to show)Do you follow orders and help squash the resistance, or do you side with them? (Arguably, the best ending is if you die from implant overload mid-gameplay. Mars gains independence, there’s no war, and you are awarded the highest of honors without anyone questioning your loyalty.)

Also, there is artwork. It’s your typical A.I.-generated sci-fi art that is, nonetheless, engaging to look at. Undeniably cyberpunk. It works well enough for the game’s purposes. I think it does a good job in conveying the sterile coldness of the MDA.

Final thoughts
Operation ‘Red Shadow’ is a fun exercise in the possible application of generative A.I. in interactive fiction. It has the excitement of an infiltration mission mixed with dystopian themes of unrest and a desire for independence. As an experience, it needs work before players can fully appreciate what generative A.I. has to offer. Right now, playing the game is more about tiptoeing around the implementation than diving into the story’s world. But that doesn’t stop it from being a good experiment in storytelling.

In Warm Me Up, you are single and tired of romantic relationships that go nowhere. So, when a production company announces casting for a romance reality TV show called “Warm Me Up,” you submit an application… and are chosen to be a contestant!

CASTING NOW:
HOT SINGLES WANTED

Since the game is still under development, I’m going to wait on assigning it a rating.

The premise of a reality dating TV show piqued my interest because it reminds me of the ChoiceScript game Blood Island. As a work of horror, Blood Island focused more on exploring the sole survivor “final girl” trope and less on individual romance between contestants. Warm Me Up proved to be an opportunity to focus on the falling-in-love part as well as depicting the logistics of a reality TV show.

Currently, the game consists of the application process and the first day of filming. The show is structured around a bidding process where each contestant bids on one person they want to pair up with. If two individuals choose each other, they sleep in a cozy lodge. Failure means sleeping in a tent outside. In the Swiss Alps. The game ends soon after the results are announced. But prior to this is gameplay where you get acquainted with the contestants and have a chance to build a rapport with them.

“No need to fall so hard for me.”— ♡
“You’ve got a little…”— ♡
“Let me help you.”
“You seem…busy. I won’t get in your way.”

Rapport is measured with a stat system for romance and friendship metrics. The player, too, has stats that reflect their personality. Player appearance is also customizable.

Right now, the game isn’t long enough to feel much connection with the contestants, but that didn’t stop me from fussing over who they were going to choose for the bidding ceremony (Spoiler - click to show)(I’ve only been successful in pairing with Kalea and Dmitry). I assume it’s possible for every contestant to fall head over feels in love with the player. But will this be based in dynamic relationship-building that reflects the uniqueness of each character or will it simply revolve around having a high enough stat? Time will tell.

As a Twine game, Warm Me Up keeps it simple with a blue colour pallet that can be viewed in light or dark mode. Text is easy to read and the occasional emoji adds flair.

Final thoughts
Warm Me Up is clearly an ambitious project and impresses with its polished appearance and solid TV show premise. I know I’m committed. Despite consisting of only one chapter, the framework for a fantastic game has already been laid. I hope this momentum continues as it undergoes further development.

Update/edit: This review is for Release 2 of the game.

The only reason you’re driving across the mountainside on a Sunday is because Dale promised you $500. The request was simple: Do a quick assessment of a rental cabin. Tidy it up, make sure it’s empty, etc.

But when you arrive and find the cabin in a dilapidated state, you start to wonder if this is worth the money…

Within the Woods is a horror game about taking on more than you bargained for and having to deal with the fallout of someone else’s poor choices.

Gameplay
The game takes place in a cabin surrounded by dense forest (and it’ll be night soon, btw). Gameplay’s first half is spent on repairing the cabin the best you can. The second half (Spoiler - click to show)involves recreating a ritual to dispel the evil forces preventing you from leaving.

What I love about this game is the richly implemented environment where the smallest details can be examined for atmosphere and information. Puzzles are largely centered around noticing key details in your surroundings (oddly, “listen” and “smell” only use default responses). These are my kind of puzzles. I examined everything. Many solutions turned out to be in plain sight! Finding the (Spoiler - click to show)etchings was a fun highlight.

There were moments where I was stuck. Daunting, considering an absence of hints. But I was eventually able to figure it out because the puzzles do not require huge jumps in logic. Plus, both halves of the gameplay are broken down into smaller objectives, whether it be the repair to-do list or the (Spoiler - click to show)instructions for the ritual. I always knew what to do. It was simply a matter of looking in the right place.

(I’ll be honest, I totally would have used the hints if they were available. Being forced to go without made solving the puzzles much more rewarding.)

[Your score has just gone up by one point.]

That euphoric feeling of victory when you (Spoiler - click to show)finally find the hammer.

Story
It’s easy to get invested in the story. In fact, there is a slight investigative bent to the game in the sense that you must piece together whatever dark secret is lurking in the shadows. (Spoiler - click to show)Figuratively and literally. Seriously, don't go wandering off without a light source. Your life depends on it.

Upon reflection I actually found the first half of the game to be slightly scarier than the second because it rides on the suspense of the unknown. You’re not entirely sure of what happened to the cabin. The diary, sketchbook, and (Spoiler - click to show)grave certainly offer some ideas, but there are still gaps in the story that haven’t yet been filled.

And no matter what, the game never, ever wavers on atmosphere. There is always a subtle creepiness that compels you to fight for your freedom.

I was also delighted to see that there are ten endings! So far, I’ve found (Spoiler - click to show)1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10. I’m still trying to find the others. I suspect they are premature gnarly death endings. If anyone has any suggestions, I’m listening.

Final thoughts
I wouldn’t outright classify Within the Woods as a spectacular game in the sense that the story and setting on their own aren’t earthshattering or novel. But there is something deeply satisfying about the overall experience that it offers. Its consistency and solid implementation blend all of its components into a well-rounded game that sets itself apart from other works of horror. I had a blast and A+ for atmosphere.

Recommended if you have a craving for a mid-length horror game.

You blink into existence. Who, what, where, when, why, how? No clue. You just exist. In a strange room inside a strange household. The occupants whisper about the "Architect." Perhaps this entity can shine some light on your circumstances…

But first: When I stumbled across The Architect, it seemed so lonely. No tags, reviews, or ratings. Not in any polls or lists. No sign that it's been played or added to a wish list (as far as IFDB is concerned). Just quietly sitting there since 2017.

And I ended up having a lot of fun!

Gameplay
Gameplay is broken into puzzles that are activated through character interactions. Everyone is preparing for the “Feast” to be held at the end of the day. The puzzles involve helping the characters prepare, mostly by finding certain items. There are six total. (Spoiler - click to show)Seven, actually, but that’s more of a hidden bonus. They overlap, so the player must be strategic.

You begin "Mariah's Sad"

Leave conversation

The house has roughly a dozen rooms across two floors. Delightfully, you travel from room to room freely like you would in a parser game. NPCs travel the map as well. After multiple playthroughs you start to pick up on their patterns.

There is a digital clock on the wall. It shows —
12:00

Wait

Anita is here. Talk to Anita

You also play against the clock. The game begins at 07:20 and ends at 20:20. Each move to another room costs 00:10. At 20:20, it’s time… for the Feast.

Testing is needed, though. And proofreading for spelling errors. Now, there is no save function. Unfortunately, the inconsistent implementation made, at times, the inability to save more of a frustration than a welcome challenge. I also wish the game displayed your inventory items and active puzzles because it’s too easy to lose track of your progress mid-game.

Also:

Story
The house’s residents reverently namedrop the “Architect.”

Has Anita told you about the Architect? It made us and everything.

A godlike entity and the focal point of the story. I actually approached this as a mystery game with horror undertones. Small things fed this impression: The effigy door. The characters’ insistency of pleasing an unseen, all-knowing being with a semi-ritualistic-sounding Feast. The general uncanniness of the gameplay.

As you open the notebook at your tab you see words written in a strange language. You feel cold all of a sudden.

It’s also evident that you’re being kept in the dark about an event that had occurred but you have no memory of. You catch wind of this when someone slips up and mentions it only to backpedal and deflect. To top it off, the scenes depicted in the cover art primed me into expecting the worst, that surely there is a sinister truth behind the Architect.

Only one way to find out.

Visuals
The Architect is made with Twine and uses a grainy light grey picture of a house as a backdrop. Links are blue and text comes in a range of colours, including colour-coded dialogue. While simple, this design succeeds in giving the game a distinctive look.

Final thoughts
It’s such a waste that this game hasn’t received more attention. Especially as a Twine puzzler. Despite its flaws, The Architect is an overlooked gem. I like that it’s a shortish game that requires many playthroughs to master. Difficult, but rewarding when you win.

That said, its current state makes me hesitant to recommend it for everyone. It would benefit from refinement to address the more… frustrating parts. Stop telling me I can’t find anything in the bathroom. I need that bobby pin. So: If you love turn-count oriented gameplay and/or mapping the whereabouts of moving NPCs, you should definitely try The Architect. Just be patient with the implementation.

You are exhausted after hiking across who-knows-where. All you want to do is rinse yourself off in that cool, refreshing waterfall... But for some reason, when you approach the flowing stream of water, it stops. If you want a shower, it seems that you’ll have to earn it first.

In a nutshell, you need to find a way to get the waterfall “working.” This objective is tied in with a light story with a touch of whimsy. Why is there (Spoiler - click to show)a monkey-themed tin in the cavern? Don’t ask. Just roll with it. To avoid spoiling the fun, I’m going to focus on the game’s implementation of which I was quite impressed.

It’s made with Ink. But if you didn’t know better, you may have thought Twine. I’m used to Ink consisting of text followed by links that add more text until you have a long, scrollable page of content. Behind the waterfall does away with scrollbars and opts for a neatly formatted body of text in the center of the screen. Links are embedded in the text, resembling something you may find in a Twine game.

You are on a boulder in front of the opening leading to the cavern that the waterfall hid. Down below, you can see the deep bottom of the pool, which is now empty.

Clicking on links then brings up a list of actions whether it be moving to a different area or examining an item. The gameplay has an easy rhythm. It encourages you to slow down, carefully observe, and appreciate your surroundings.

All of this can be summarized with a term I use called “free range of movement” which describes when a choice-based game allows the player to travel around a map-like environment and engage with its contents as if it were a parser, minus the keyboard. I mostly see this in Twine works, but Ink? This is a first (and refreshing, just like that tempting waterfall). It really adds dimension and movement to the gameplay.

Final thoughts
Five stars. The story and gameplay are good, but what elevates Behind the waterfall as a whole is how these components mesh together with smooth implementation, resulting in a truly atmospheric experience. Word count and details are kept to a minimum- a perfect example of less is more.

I feel calmer after playing this. I can almost imagine standing at the edge of a cool body of water with mist in the air and plants surrounding me. The ambient sounds of wildlife. A strong game can transport you anywhere.

Note: The game’s itch.io site says that there is a commercial version of the game available. I'm reviewing the non-commercial version.

I was drawn to Within Rotation due to its colourful cover art and uplifting slice-of-life focus. Its central message is: Brief encounters with strangers can bloom into something enduring and fruitful. When focused on daily life, it’s easy to overlook the talents, insights, and perspectives that surround us.

Why make space for strangers?

To explore this question, the game gives the player an opportunity to witness the kind of “fleeting moments” that can occur between strangers- and see the impact that grows from this initial meeting.

The gameplay uses a candy machine to illustrate the concept of chance encounters. You click on the screen until two random pieces of candy roll out of the machine and transform into two humans- strangers- who meet and start a conversation. After a brief chat they disappear. The process is then repeated.

What tanked my experience were the lag issues. I don’t know if the issues were on my end or if that’s the case for everyone, but the screen would freeze or I’d get these “This page isn’t responding” messages. The candy machine segments became tedious, interrupting the flow of gameplay.

The characters’ conversations are meaningful. When two meet, they introduce themselves, ask open-ended questions, and inquire about each other’s interest. They then finish the conversation by making plans to further the connection they’ve made. For example, Party A has a neat shirt. Party B likes photography. Their conversation results in Party B recruiting Party A for a photoshoot at a later date.

As the game puts it: That all who are intimate start from anonymity.

Watching these conversations unfold left me with the sunny feeling of, “wow, what a wholesome, well-balanced conversation.” But from a gameplay standpoint, they aren’t particularly engaging, especially after the first few conversations. Plus, once you run out of candy (strangers), (Spoiler - click to show)the game is like, “The end. The game is over.” I sat there thinking, wait, is this it? Of course, I would have enjoyed it more without the lag issues.

To be fair, there is tremendous replay value. The version I played has eight strangers that can be paired, meaning that it’s possible for, say, Mira to have seven separate conversations. The randomization keeps the player guessing at what combination they’ll get, and I appreciate that the game allows you to “refill” the machine with candy that you’ve already used. Also, the character art is polished.

Final thoughts
I’m reluctant to rate Within Rotation because I have this feeling that I’m overlooking some important detail. Overall, I didn’t have the best experience, particularly due to the lag issues, and I’m not sure if I can rate it fairly.

That said, while it doesn’t really feel like a game, the deeper themes of expanding one’s horizons via basic interaction with strangers is something that we can all embrace and benefit from. Within Rotation provides the basic building blocks on where to start.

Neon Case is a short custom choice-based cyberpunk/murder mystery game. You are Mei Ling, a Hong Kong police officer in the year 2065. A call comes in: a murder at a strip-club/brothel called Neon Lotus. The victim? An android... and therefore a legal shade of grey. Told in first-person P.O.V.

The investigation kicks off when you and fellow officer Kai Wong arrive at the club to interview three persons of interest: the manager, the patron suspected of murder, and the murder victim, Luna. Yes, we hear her side of the story by accessing her memory. Cue the main event: an actual A.I. interaction. According to the game’s description, "the player interrogates the android’s memory through an in-story AI system (a real chatbot interaction)." The player is directed to type questions into a text box to sift through Luna’s memories. I thought this was clever.

Thing is, (Spoiler - click to show)it’s obvious that she was murdered by the patron, making the “investigation” superficial. You also only get to ask a handful of questions before her diagnostics system fizzles out (no matter what, she’ll tell you what you need). This lack of interactivity and depth fails to showcase this chatbot feature in a meaningful way. It does, however, effectively convey Luna’s individualism and how she feared for her life.

You: Who hurt you?

Luna: I-I'm so frightened, (Spoiler - click to show)it was Vincent Bo...

Which leads to a key question: Is this ultimately a matter of murder or destruction of property? I found it difficult to explore this question due to the spareness of backstory on android technology and its legality within the story. NPCs refer to androids as “it,” but not with malice. Just matter-of-fact, “please don’t damage our androids because we paid a lot for them” kind of way. Perhaps they really are programmable property. And yet, the “lethal deactivation” (aka murder) of an android can land a person in prison. Lots of mixed messages going on.

What is clear is that, regardless of mainstream belief, Luna’s death was traumatic. The scraps of memory from her mind show that she was fully aware of the violence inflicted upon her.

Final thoughts
As a work of cyberpunk science fiction, Neon Case is filled with familiar elements. Rainy nighttime setting, androids, nightclubs, neon signs, glowing advertising, economic disparities, synthetic food, you name it. Cliches, sure, but that can be part of the fun. Even the generic sci-fi artwork adds flair (though I suspect it’s A.I.-generated). There’s no denying that the game has atmosphere.

But don’t expect in-depth gameplay or a suspenseful story. Neon Case is best approached as the experimental game that it is. Its goal is to showcase its implementation of A.I. as a means for investigating a murder mystery. I think the chatbot and its text input fits well with the premise of sifting through an android’s memory banks in search of clues. Unfortunately, it currently feels more like a gimmick and less like the investigative tool that the author was hoping for.

I recommend Neon Case if the chatbot feature interests you and/or you are an inherent fan of cyberpunk ambience. Fans of the video game Detroit: Become Human may also enjoy the themes in the story.