Reviews by Kinetic Mouse Car
Custom choice-based
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Earth is a war-torn world. A surviving faction decides to build a ship to travel into space in search of a new home. Our protagonist is a woman only known as “Traveller.” She is heavily involved in these efforts, and during this time, her daughter, Penelope, is born.
Soon after Penelope begins to speak and walk, it’s time to board the ship, aka the “Ark,” and leave Earth behind. A new, yet unknown future awaits Traveller and her daughter. Whether they arrive there together is another issue...
Gameplay
The Traveller is custom choice-based game that resembles a visual novel. Its story is narrated in first-person from Traveller’s perspective.
And it’s long. Or maybe it feels longer. While the Ark’s departure marks the end of the intro, the “main” gameplay is initiated when Traveller crashes into an alien planet while on a scouting mission. It’s assumed that she’s dead… and the Ark leaves her behind, kicking off the overarching premise: Will she ever reunite with Penelope?
Even then, it takes a bit for the gameplay to get moving. The planet you’re on (Spoiler - click to show)has a friendly alien, “Calypso,” who helps repair your shuttle. You can either stay and end the game here or leave to track down the Ark. You then spend the rest of the game going from planet to planet in search of answers. Unfortunately, it’s not that interactive. I can count the number of choice-making opportunities in the entire game on both hands, and it’s either casual dialogue or a major decision. (Spoiler - click to show)Like whether to stay on the first planet.
Despite the limited interactivity, there is decent replay value. I almost overlooked this. I played it a few years back, and upon revisiting, it felt different. I knew something was off when I got to the (Spoiler - click to show)grassy planet. Due to the length, I didn’t want to keep replaying it. But I also wanted answers. Here’s what I learned:
(Spoiler - click to show)(For context, there are five alien planets. Calypso’s is the first. After that, we investigate the coordinates of three planets that the Ark had planned on visiting.)
You choose the order in which you visit these three planets, and the order affects what you find there because each one is facing its own crisis. For example, if you visit the grassy planet first, you find a reptilian species in the earlier stages of a civil war. If second, the main conflict is already underway, and if third, you are greeted by the winning faction.
What occurs on these planets has no broader effect on the game. Once the player has visited all three, they are sent automatically to the fifth planet for the end. Nonetheless, this was a fantastic way to add variety and worldbuilding!
Having played this years ago, I will say that the minimal interactivity gave the false impression that the gameplay was completely linear. It makes me wonder whether players put the game aside after playing it once without realizing what they missed. However, if it’s meant to be played more than once, it would be nice if the player could skip the opening scenes after their first playthrough. With that said:
SAVE THE GAME AFTER YOU LEAVE THE FIRST ALIEN PLANET.
Only going to play it once? Here’s the path I recommend: (Spoiler - click to show)Grassy (green) planet, Volcanic (orange) planet, Jungle (blue) planet. There is no perfect path, but for one playthrough, this gives you the most content and is generally more optimistic.
Story
After everything the protagonist goes through, the story starts to feel like a saga. (Spoiler - click to show)No, she does not reunite with Penelope.
Too blunt? That’s how it is in the game.
Let’s put it this way.
(Spoiler - click to show)Penelope is dead by the time we catch up to the Ark and the planet it landed on. There is a digital memorial of her being interviewed throughout various stages of her life. As a small child, as a teenager, as a grown woman… as an old woman. She died of old age.
In the video, Penelope reveals that she had no memory of her mother because she was too young when Traveller died. (I don’t think she was that young, but fair enough). The kicker is when she’s asked if she ever thought of her mother. Penelope essentially says, “Nope. Didn’t think of her.”
I must hand it to her; Traveller takes this news remarkably well.
Meanwhile, I was more annoyed than anything else. I am glad that Traveller’s absence was not a burden on Penelope. From what we’re told, she became Governor of the new colony. The memorial alone says a lot about what people thought of her.
But for the player, who’s been waiting it out, the dual reveal of A, Penelope being dead, and B, her shrugging off the protagonist, was a gut punch. It felt like the author decided to sacrifice a carefully woven narrative in favor of a shocking reveal. From the start, the game cultivates this relationship between the protagonist and her daughter, and throughout the game, she appears to communicate with Penelope via her dreams. All this subtly and depth is then abruptly axed.
Or maybe the execution could have been better. In that sense, I suppose I’m not outright against the ending, only how it kicks the player when they’re down. Mixed feelings about it, at best. Mostly annoyance. And that’s probably not what the author had in mind.
At least, you get a choice on how to move forward.
Am I here to stay, or just a traveller?
[I'm here to stay.]
[I'm just a traveller.]
The player can either stay with the human colony or leave and continue exploring the universe. Interestingly, we’ve been away for so long that we’re somewhat of an outsider to the colony. Is it too late to go back to Calypso?
Thoughts
My impression of the ending was not helped by its logistics. This is what bugs me: If Penelope died an old woman, how old are we? As her parent, we should have died long ago. And I’m skeptical that it’s been that long.
While it’s never explained how fast spacecraft can travel in the story, the early gameplay on the Ark gives us a sense of travel time. It appears that these ships aren’t puttering along. Reaching another star system is no problem. The travel time, however, is long enough to justify putting people into stasis to pass the time and conserve resources.
We haven't figured out how to keep a person in stasis successfully for too long, so each 'night' lasts approximately three weeks...
Sleep for three weeks, wake up, repeat. Not perfect, but it works. (Conveniently, Calypso repairs our shuttle with stasis tech that works the same way but allows longer sleep periods.) Anyway, the commander tells us about an approaching star system, the same system of planets that we explore later in the game.
Commander: The first is only a few days away. The others are farther, but if we stretch the stasis systems we could get to the next one within a few months.
Doesn’t seem that long of a wait. And you can skip having to wait at all by using the stasis system to sleep it off in cycles.
Seeing how events unfold on the three planets also provides a general estimate of how much time passes when you go from planet to planet. Considerable time, yes, but certainly not long enough for Penelope to grow old and die. Though the game does say that the coordinates to the fifth and final planet are farther away.
And if it HAS been long enough for Penelope to die of old age, we would have died from old age before that. Yes, stasis tech knocks you out. But it works by injecting you with drugs to fall asleep. No mention of your body being preserved from aging.
I realize that I’m overthinking it. But I’m only doing so because I’m upset about the ending.
Characters/Worldbuilding
Despite what I’ve said already, I want you to know that this game is more than its immediate story. Along the way there are secondary narratives that carry a similar weight. The author has a talent for writing sci-fi that exists on a larger scale where multiple worlds and civilizations are woven together to create a saga-like quilt of a story. Like The Traveller.
Characters are the most compelling when you meet them for the first time. Traveling to a unique, alien world to face its challenges only to leave it all behind is exhilarating! Though the lack of interactivity dampens the effect, I was eager to see what the next planet had to offer. It's only until you leave (Spoiler - click to show)Calypso’s planet that you start to see how long the game is.
PC
From the start, Traveller proves herself to be something of a badass, and this never changes as she looks for her daughter (Penelope is quite loveable). Later, people refer to her as the “savior of Earth,” and while I wish the game would elaborate on this since it’s quite a title, there is no denying that she had a major role in kickstarting the Ark’s journey.
Being a parent is a key part of her character, and we feel this as we experience the story’s events from her perspective. Like when the Ark leaves her behind. Our radio can hear the Ark’s we-are-leaving broadcast… but is too damaged to send a response. We just listen as the broadcast is like, “farewell to those who didn’t survive, etc.” And leaves. With Penelope. Who now thinks we’re dead. Talk about an emotional scene.
NPCs
I don’t want to spoil everything, but we do meet four alien species. While they have different cultures and physical biology, our interactions with them reveal a recurring theme: that family structures can take different forms. For some, the process of raising and protecting individual children is like that of humans. Meanwhile, another species eliminated individualism altogether, making any distinction between parent and child obsolete- this results in an interesting discussion.
The Greek mythology symbolism of Calypso was clever. Their planet, and its depiction of alien life, was one of my favorite parts. Leaving was sad. That said, if you choose to stay on the planet and end the game early, it does feel like a complete ending.
Calypso: It was my pleasure.
:(
Also, the romance with Scout was sweet, but totally came out of nowhere. Does anyone feel the same way?
Visuals
The author’s commitment to the game’s art is impressive. Everything is illustrated, while dialogue is displayed in a see-through text box at the bottom of the screen. For most of the game, the visuals consist of a backdrop with a character portrait facing the screen, though brief cutscenes may deviate from this.
It is a gorgeous game. Especially the planets, which each have at least one unique landscape. The character portraits display a range of emotions. Occasionally, this means that the faces look off kilter, but I much prefer this over static expressionless imagery. I can only imagine the time it took for the author to create everything.
Final thoughts
The Traveller has many strengths that include its extensive art, emotional depth, creative worldbuilding, and a memorable depiction of parental determination. And yet, when all these are brought together, the result is not a seamless experience.
Low interactivity is the main issue. Meanwhile, the parts with replay value are likely to be overlooked. If you’ve played this game once and thought you’ve seen it all, you’d be mistaken. Unfortunately, the game’s length doesn’t inspire replays, unless you had the foresight to save the game in advance. Plus, some frustrations about story execution.
But beneath all this is a truly ambitious and unique work of science fiction. It just also seems like a game that can easily go unappreciated. And in that sense, I consider it a hidden gem. In fact, it’s one of the first games I think of when it comes to parent protagonists in interactive fiction. My advice for you is to approach The Traveller as if it were a visual novel and save the game before exploring the other planets.
your guide to meaningful community life, post-apocalypse, November 15, 2025standing on the porch in the morning…
wake up
Drift Mine Satellite is a custom choice-based “maintenance text adventure” about preparing for a community member’s birthday- but with a sci-fi twist. You live in a limestone mine located in an asteroid. Sealed off from the outside, the mine contains a community that has, against all odds, flourished. Will it last?
A question for another time. You have a birthday to plan.
Gameplay
We begin by waking up in the protagonist’s home: a repurposed train car. Checking our email reveals a message from a friend named Angela.
subject: IMPORTANT. open asap.
It’s her birthday. Apparently, it’s our job to get everything ready. And so, the gameplay’s main objectives are to arrange cake, music, and decorations for the party. We also complete maintenance tasks along the way. We are, after all, the community’s go-to person for fixing things.
Environment
Drift Mine Satellite takes a fantastic minimalist approach to its gameplay. No room descriptions. Only individual words on the screen that represent objects and people. These can be clicked on for more content and interaction. Even here, the word count is minimal, though still impactful.
The game gives the player free range of movement to explore the setting. To navigate the map, the player clicks on arrows at the side of the screen. Clickable signposts are placed throughout for guidance. All of this gives the impression of a parser in choice-based format.
Puzzles
I was intrigued by the game’s approach to puzzles: It flat-out tells you the solution to every puzzle, eliminating in solution guessing. Instead, the challenge rests on acquiring the item needed for the solution. For example, (Spoiler - click to show)examining your mirror has a link that says, “take a photograph of yourself.” If you do not have a camera in your inventory, the game says, “you need a camera to do this,” indicating that we should be on the lookout for a camera. I liked this! Streamlined and uncomplicated.
And a nice change of pace since puzzles in choice-based games usually involve the player selecting an inventory item and applying it somewhere in the gameplay. In these cases, the player may choose the wrong item or have a difficult time knowing what is needed. Not a problem in Drift Mine Satellite.
Story
More like overarching story. As we wander the limestone tunnels, questions inevitably emerge. How did everyone end up here? Did something happen to Earth? What’s up with the shrine? Will it be possible to leave someday? No one, aside from the astronomer, mentions any of this. It’s up to the player to piece it all together, if they want to.
Library archives
Underground mine. Somewhere in asteroid belt. What else? One of my favorite things about this game is its subtle worldbuilding, particularly with the library archives. The section titled “asteroid (mining)” contains a model of an asteroid:
a tiny model of an asteroid… a cutaway view shows that the inside has been hollowed out. a section has been converted to housing. minuscule models of miners are positioned around the base. some seem to be having a party.
Remind you of anything?
There’s also (Spoiler - click to show)an advertisement for “apocalypse shelters.” We also learn of a debris field orbiting Earth. I think it’s safe to say that an apocalypse of some kind happened on Earth that drove at least part of its population off planet. For the community, this meant taking refuge in a former mining facility.
Astronomer
While the archives tell us about the community’s past, the astronomer is where we get answers for the future.
Their telescope tracks the locations of celestial objects. Except these objects’ positions have shifted, suggesting that the asteroid is drifting from its usual area. We then contact Earth’s navigation satellites for more information. Turns out, the asteroid is not drifting. Rather, the satellites have slowly desynced from each other.
From here, the astronomer tries to connect the dots. The satellites communicate with stations on the ground, but their desynchronization indicates that the ground stations are no longer working and/or being maintained. And if that’s the case…
…any survivors on Earth are dead or lack the means to keep things running. No one is going to arrive for the community. But this reveal lacks the doom and gloom one would typically expect. Earlier in the game, there is mention of the “S.O.S days.” A time when an S.O.S signal was regularly sent to Earth. This stopped years ago, simply because everyone was absorbed in building their community.
Or as the astronomer says, “it got kind of busy down here.” The community is content. This new discovery doesn’t change a thing.
Thoughts/Themes
The author describes Drift Mine Satellite as a “utopian apocalypse fantasy.” Despite the community’s less-than-happy origins, we see nothing but optimism and gratitude. It’s refreshing to see a game with a post-apocalyptic setting take a more positive route.
Repurposed technology and self-sufficiency are frequent themes. Living under a mountain of limestone and sealed from the outside world, community members live in makeshift homes built from disused vehicles. Solar panels became tables. Patched generators are repatched. Scraps of materials are valued. Nothing is ever fully discarded.
Plus, everyone seems happy with what they have. They grow a communal garden, play cards, run a library, and happily celebrate Angela’s birthday.
what little green does make it to dinner plates is well-loved.
There is occasional yearning for life that was. The shrine has unsent letters and the protagonist’s dreams include scenes from their life on Earth. But ultimately, no one expresses any interest in leaving.
(Spoiler - click to show)That said, one cannot help but contemplate the long-term implications for this community. The fertilizer-creating goat will die someday. Every bulb will eventually burn out. Ms. Borowski can only make so many chocolate cakes before she runs out of ingredients. The signs are there.
…running on a dwindling supply of AA's…
…honestly, a lot of outages... probably half the network is offline?...
…continuing failures in the transmission lines…
But for now, everyone lives in the present. The community’s future is not something we need to worry about in the game.
Visuals
I covered part of this in the Gameplay section. The game’s minimalist design also applies to its appearance. Its appearance is of a white background with only a handful of clickable words scattered across the screen. Text is black and may be positioned at different angles to mimic a room’s layout. Occasionally, black-and-white stars and planet symbols will appear on the screen. The astronomer’s map was especially cool.
Final thoughts
Drift Mine Satellite is a game that offers both cozy gameplay and a thoughtful story. But there’s something about it that feels different. The minimal design, for instance. Who knew that a game without room descriptions could be so immersive? I also enjoyed playing a non-Twine choice-based game with parser-like feel.
Its well-roundedness will appeal to most audiences. It’s a maintenance game with simplified gameplay, and an excellent sci-fi option for those who normally dislike science fiction. Much of it leans towards slice of life. And while there’s not a lot of technical challenge, that doesn't mean you won’t enjoy it. Consider giving Drift Mine Satellite a try.
(...one last thing...)
The game was commissioned for Solar Protocol, a network of solar powered servers that connects from whatever server is in the most sunshine.
If you decide to play, it will be a solar-powered experience. According to the game’s website, anyone who plays does so on a solar-powered server. That is so cool.
(edit: formatting)
You're Gone is a linear custom choice-based game where a protagonist sends text messages to a dead loved one.
This story features anthropomorphized characters. Our protagonist, Marcus, is a coyote. His wife, a cat named Lee, recently died of cancer. His therapist recommended journaling about his feelings. He decides to do this by texting his deceased wife.
Gameplay
Gameplay involves clicking on a "send" icon to send text messages to Lee's phone. The player doesn’t choose what to send. They simply go along for the ride. While Marcus uses this to express his inner thoughts, the messages are addressed to her. For your convenience, a transcript of the gameplay can be found on the author’s website.
Visuals
You’re Gone replicates the appearance of a chat messenger with its layout of green time-stamped text bubbles and light grey background. The text box and paper airplane icon in the corner complete the look. While the game has minimal interactivity, these visuals make the player feel like they are messaging someone.
Story
Marcus’ text messages revolve around his volatile relationship with Lee's mom and her step-dad, Jun. Marcus notes how Lee always seemed to hate them but never explained why. Instead, she would avoid them at all costs.
From day one, her mom looked down on Marcus because he came from a different background and blames him for her daughter's death by being an inadequate husband. The fact that Lee left everything in her will to said husband certainly doesn’t help.
(Spoiler - click to show)The tipping point is when Marcus finds a letter on Lee left on her computer that explains why she despised her family. With minimal detail, the game reveals that Lee's father did something abusive to Lee, and her mom and Jun covered it up. When Marcus shares this letter with them...
...things go off the rails.
Afterwards, Marcus considers how his interactions with her mom reveal two sides of the same coin. There's woman who is the source of Lee's trauma, and then there's the grieving mother who is trying to make sense of her daughter's death.
As the drama winds down, Marcus starts to follow his therapist’s advice and channels his energy from grieving Lee to working on himself and moving forward. And yet, the player doesn’t feel ready for the game to end.
Characters
Despite the deeply personal nature of Marcus' narration, his character feels rather inaccessible. We really don’t know much about him. We see him go through the various stages of grief and there is clear character growth. However, this growth can feel overshadowed by the increasingly explosive encounters he has with Lee's mom and Jun.
This extends to Lee as well. While she is the central focus of the game, she can get lost in the narrative. There are moments where Marcus talks about “reminiscing on the good times,” but hardly shares these with the player. If Marcus were to offer further reflection on the woman he loved (and continues to love) so we can get to know her as well, the game would have more dimension.
And yet, the game never fails to convey the depth of his love for her.
(Spoiler - click to show)So goodbye, Lee.
7:24 PM
Sleep well, miss prissy whiskers.
7:24 PM
Also
What’s interesting is how there are two versions of You’re Gone. The story file that accessed via a “unbox.ifarchive.org” link contains a version of the game with human characters. Here, Marcus is a white man, and Lee is a Chinese woman. However, these changes are superficial and do not affect the gameplay as they both effectively illustrate the mom’s bias towards Marcus.
I think that the anthropomorphized is the "final version," and my guess is that the author wanted to move from racial themes to something more simplified, such as a canine husband with a feline wife, so the player can focus on Marcus' grieving.
Final thoughts
You’re Gone is a poignant glimpse into one person’s grieving. Though it’s bittersweet, it ends on an optimistic note. It handles a tough topic without becoming too dire. The minimal interactivity fits with the game’s premise of a protagonist sending text messages, but unless you’re interested in the story you may be turned off by the gameplay.
I played this game a while back, and I’m starting to think I didn’t give it the attention it deserved. I zipped through everything, looking for some action, and ended up missing the essence of the game which stems from the story not the gameplay itself. I now appreciate the game more than I did before.
If you are looking for a simple game about grief, loss, and moving forward that doesn’t involve a lot of detail, You’re Gone is a great option.
In the Deep is an entry for Seedcomp. It uses the seed called "Offshore Oil" that grabbed my attention because of its unique subject matter. You play as John Harper. He works as an independent contractor in the oil and gas industry and has extensive experience as a diver. But this next work assignment is going to test his limits.
Offshore oil rigs/platforms (same thing?) are peculiar things. How do you design something that sits at surface level where we all can see it, but can also reach down to the bottom of the ocean so it can dig deeper into the Earth's surface? And I mean deep. There’s a reason it’s sometimes called “deepwater drilling.”
The ones that boggle my mind are those huge Norwegian rigs. Rather than floating with machinery trailing down underneath, they are supported by concrete legs that extend all the way to the ocean floor. They look comical- unsettling even- out of water. I remember the first time seeing a picture of one after it was built, and a weird chill cut through my body just by staring at it. Huh. That's how I felt.
Of course, after they are slowly pulled into the ocean and sunk at their site, all you see is the top part sticking out of the water. I have to hand it to the engineers: they know how to make things happen. Bonus points for the fact that the legs are hollow with STAIRCASES that you can mosey on down like you were (almost) in a normal building.
My point: I was intrigued when I saw In the Deep. I thought it was a novel premise for an interactive fiction game, and one that tickled an odd curiosity I have about these human-made structures (challenge: try particle accelerators).
Gameplay
The game begins as you report to work at a harbour for transport. Two things catch your attention: a surprisingly high number of military personnel and an activist of unknown affiliation who cautions you about a cover-up for a failed sea monster experiment. He warns that you may be roped into the cover-up without being told the truth. Something about him gives you reservations… but you have a job to do. Soon after, you are transported to a ship called the Sea Eagle.
Most of the choices you make are structured around dives. I was a bit disappointed that the game does not take place on the oil rig, but oh well. Diving around it is good enough. And it is cool. The oil rig is called Rider Beta and was evacuated of its crew (if that’s the right term) due to an undisclosed incident. The diving team is tasked with doing maintenance at the drill site and to keep an eye out for a missing remotely operated vehicle (ROV). But the assignment takes a bizarre turn as the real purpose for the dive team slowly emerges.
A chunk of the gameplay is allocated to NPC interaction that occurs regularly. The two supporting characters are your pals Herzog and Frank, notably Herzog who right away corners you about a secret plan. Rumor has it that the oil rig was part of a bioweapon project during which a creature managed to escape. Such a creature could bring in big money, and Herzog says he has contacts who are interested in making a deal. Will you help him, or will you focus on the task at hand?
I wish the game slowed down a little and took the time to expand upon its setting associated to the seed chosen from the comp. However, the author does a nice job at conveying the dangers of saturation diving. It adds realism (although I am not saying that In the Deep is meant to be a realistic) and atmosphere without overloading the gameplay with technicalities. The author also describes the ocean depths in a convincing manner, that sense of isolation where you are dependent on potentially fragile pieces of technology.
Story/Characters
Basically, the gameplay revolves around whether you choose to help Herzog with his plan of selling the rumored mystery creature. If it exists, of course.
Now that the official part of the meeting is over, Herzog gives you an interested look.
As a result, Herzog serves as the “hook” (from a narrative standpoint, not a pun) for the story. He is also portrayed as the corrupt character. Resourceful, but ultimately driven by money. He does some unsavory things (Spoiler - click to show) (ex. sabotaging Frank’s gear), and while you have options about how much you get involved, you feel roped into siding with him if you want to fully investigate the story. In this sense, the story felt linear. You will reach the (Spoiler - click to show) big discovery at the end regardless of teaming up with Herzog, but you receive less context information than if you agree to his plan when he pitches it.
Turns out (Spoiler - click to show) the creature is real… long dead and scavenged by filter feeders. The author conveys an important truth: lifeforms unsuited to the ocean environment become food for the smallest of creatures. I’m not sure what the creature was engineered for (assuming that it was engineered to begin with, details are scarce), but it clearly did not stand a chance on the ocean floor. Furthermore, its corpse is contaminating the surrounding environment. Already, fish are dying. By the way, you are the only diver down here.
The gameplay comes down to three major choices:
(Spoiler - click to show)
Steal specimen to sell.
Give specimen to science.
Destroy specimen.
The first option is only available if you teamed up with Herzog since you need his contacts to make the sale. Also, you have the choice of going public with the story, but no one believes you. Even if you claim the carcass for your own. I guess the protagonist would have a better shot if the creature were living.
What frustrates me about the story is the loose ends. (Spoiler - click to show) What caused the oil rig to collapse that happens partway through the game? Who, specifically, was conducting these experiments? What was the purpose of the engineered creature that escaped? I have a few ideas, but ultimately the game skimps on details. Exploring this reveal a little more would do a lot in terms of player engagement.
The game is not incomplete, but the adventure feels like it is cut short.
Visuals
Only a slim rectangle of screen space is used for the text, which is a bit on the small size. It’s not too unreasonable in size but does make you go looking for a way to change it. Typically, the "control zoom" command does the trick, but for some reason the game was not responsive. Possibly an issue on my part, although the text size is generally smaller than with most choice-based games.
That aside, the backdrop is black with a blue border running along the sides of the text. Graphics are included. I especially liked the imagery on the menu page. A simple but effective look. The only other visuals are artwork for each of the endings (five endings total), which added nice flair.
Final thoughts
Playing In the Deep was a mixed bag of fun and unanswered questions. There is not a lot of depth (now, that’s a pun) with the story, and yet there is a mystery element that entices you into replaying. I think its depiction of the ocean from a diver’s perspective is the strongest point. If you like ocean settings, this game has great atmosphere.
There are a few bugs: (Spoiler - click to show) When Herzog asks if you love money, you can say yes or no. If you say yes, and then choose the option that says, "This sounds stupid," the game starts all over again. Also, there are two endings (Millionaire and Leave It To The Experts) under “Ending 04.” I assume that one of them is supposed to be “Ending 02” since we have ones for 01, 03, and 05.
Besides that, it is a decent game that inspires multiple playthroughs.
If you like the idea of diving where humans rarely/don’t usually go, consider Tangaroa Deep. It is a Twine game about operating a deep-sea submersible as you explore the ocean depths for science. Your only connection to humanity/surface is a colleague’s voice over radio. Like In the Deep it considers how one would be compelled to stray from a risky mission to pursue a rare find.
Activate your neurometric colloids and dive in, November 20, 2022* Solve a murder in a near future world by diving into the Wikipedia of that world
This is one of the coolest games I have played.
In Neurocracy, you explore a website called Omnipedia, the apparent replacement of Wikipedia, upon its release on September 28, 2049. Days later, tragedy strikes. Sift through the articles to piece together what really happened.
Neurocracy caught me off guard at first. I opened Omnipedia and was immediately hit by an intimidating wall of cookie privacy settings that seemed to request access to things I had never heard of before. What does it mean by asking to use my "neurometric colloid" for neurometric montages? That sounded like a big deal. But sometimes you have to take things in stride. I opted out of everything I could and continued the game. Later, I made the connection.
Neurometric colloids are a technology portrayed in this game, implanted inside the brain. If you, the player, are supposedly reading a Wikipedia-modeled website in the 2040s, then it is quite possible that you would have a neurometric colloid of your own. The “privacy setting” idea was as seamless as could be for immersing the player. If this were any indicator of the game’s worldbuilding then Omnipedia was just getting started...
Gameplay
You navigate the game like you would Wikipedia by clicking on hyperlinks that lead you to different pages. You can also type in search terms. The central gameplay mechanic used to solve the mystery is the change history feature located on the right side of the screen that allows you to observe edits throughout the timeline. This feature uses red, yellow, and green colour coding to keep track of changes, additions, and deletions which opens a window into new developments and content that is trying to be concealed.
Neurocracy is overflowing with content but designed so the player can keep up with the exposition. Hovering your mouse over words underlined with a grey dashed line spell out the word’s abbreviation while words underlined with a blue dashed line provide definitions via a black popup box. You really learn things. It is a great sampler of modern-day subjects paired with more speculative, fictional ideas. This game will not give you a full working knowledge. But it does offer a micro bite-sized crash course for topics in real-world discussions about ethics and technology. Learn about AI, neuroscience, quantum computing, genetic engineering, genetics, biology, aquaculture, and even sushi.
There are some articles where if I scrolled down halfway to the page, covered all the dates, and then asked you to read it as if it were a Wikipedia entry, it would take you several minutes before you realized that it was fiction (consider the article titled, "Piscine transmissible amyloidotic encephalopathy”). There is even a convincing reference section at the bottom of the page. If only I could click on those articles. I was extremely impressed with the realism. The game also gives a shoutout to familiar topics such as COVID-19 or Elon Musk’s neurotechnology company, Neurolink. These topics are smoothly integrated into the gameplay and are fun to discover.
It takes a bit to adjust to the slick interface and gorgeous visuals before you stop flipping through articles excitedly and finally sit down to absorb the content inside them. Random curiosity-driven excursions through Wikipedia for me often consist of a mix of thoughtful reading and skimming. The deeper down the Wikipedia rabbit hole, the more I resort to skimming as my brain flits from topic to topic. Omnipedia was the opposite. Conjure up the idea of having so many presents you do not know which one to open first. That was me. I finally told myself to pick an article and read it, and for 20 minutes or so, that's all I did. The next step was piecing everything together.
Story + Characters
The lifeblood of this game. Here is an overview of the surface story:
The game’s overarching story focuses on Xu Shaoyong, founder of Zhupao, a huge technology conglomerate, and the wealthiest man in the world. On September 30th, two days after Omnipedia is released, Xu Shaoyong is assassinated when a security drone open fires at his private helicopter upon his arrival at an airport in China. Along with him was another prominent figure, Yuri Golitsyn, who ran a large-scale energy company. This ripples across the world in complex ways that you must decipher. The assassination narrative is spread across ten days, the tenth day still portrayed as being an ongoing event.
A major theme is the balance of biosecurity and personal privacy. The gameplay is filled with the aftermath of the CMD (Cariappa-Muren disease) pandemic where an entire stock of genetically engineered bluefish tuna was found to be a vector for a prion disease. The resulting CMD phobia only spurred an argument in favor of heightened biosecurity. We see the usage of quantum computing, neural networks, and other technological advances to conduct surveillance and collect vast amounts of consumer and personal data, justifying it for the sake of monitoring biological threats. While part of this reasoning has merit, we see major problems with this approach. Whistleblowers reveal a lack of transparency in data collection and unethical usage of consumer products, often for corporate advancement. Neurocracy takes this a step further asks about the implications of these practices in more futuristic technologies such as brain implants. Cyberattacks are already a familiar phenomenon in our world, but what about brainjacking?
As technological advancements emerge, the realm of ethics only continues to grow. Even Omnipedia is shrouded in controversy. Wikipedia fizzled out and Omnipedia stepped in among criticisms of its supposed corporate favoritism. But by utilizing the revision history feature you can come to your own conclusions.
As for the characters, I found them to be intriguing even if we only learn about them through the pages of a website. (Spoiler - click to show) Connie Muren's death was especially saddening given her commitment to her work although her posthumous comeback against Spencer Hagen was quite moving. The characters themselves were just as interesting as the story.
Visuals
The best part. I could say that about most things in this game, but the visuals really are a defining feature. This goes beyond the visual interface which already boasts of a clean-cut design with a blue Wikipedia reminiscent logo at the top left-hand corner of the screen. Neurocracy also features plenty of artwork of people, logos, locations, and technologies commissioned by artists. As is the case with Wikipedia each page only has a few visuals, but the quality of the art makes each piece shine. I can recall at least one article that had a small video imbedded in the page, which was a cool surprise.
Thoughts on structural design
After a long while I reached the point where I had viewed and analyzed a large chunk of the story’s content and wondered what to do next. I went online to learn more about the game, only to make a startling (to me, at least) discovery: (Spoiler - click to show) the player’s investigation is independent from the gameplay. I thought that the act of going through the content, of digging deep, would have some payoff within the game. A payoff beyond the deductive reasoning that occurs from article to article. Excalibur comes to mind.
Excalibur is another excellent and ambitious interactive fiction game. It is made with Twine and designed to look like a wiki fandom page for a fictional TV show by the same name. You read the articles to spot the controversies behind the show while pondering fandom culture and the dynamics of shared memories of media content. It too is open ended, but the twist is that content surfaces as a result of your explorations. For instance, reading about certain material results in more material being “posted.” The pinnacle moment of the game’s interactivity (go play the game) comes later, but even after that, the game never ends. There is no winning or losing or a congratulations for “completing” the game. You dive below the surface, and the game quietly acknowledges your participation.
I was anticipating something similar for Neurocracy. But Neurocracy is not Excalibur. They are two different games. And quite frankly, this game does not revolve around me. I decided to see it from the authors’ approach. Originally, the game was released episode by episode in 2021 to the public where players were encouraged to take notes and share theories with each other while waiting eagerly for the next episode to be released. That is the true investigation of game’s story. You take the investigation out of the game and into the audience. Meanwhile, I play all of it in one go a year later without any attention to this structure. There is also something to be said about accepting that sometimes games do not intend to give you all the answers. That in itself is part of the experience. And on that note, if anyone wants toss around theories, do not hesitate to comment on this review.
I must admit, the game’s design cleverly maintains the illusion that you are in fact sitting at your computer in 2049 leisurely browsing Omnipedia. Having the game act like a game would risk breaking this. Briefly, I wondered if there was an angle with the neurometric colloid privacy permissions. If you had such a thing would your browsing experience with Omnipedia be different? I opted into the privacy to setting to see if it changed the gameplay. It did not, but that type of experimentation is also part of the fun. The game entices players to invent ways of interacting with it.
Ultimately, (Spoiler - click to show) my sadness was about not being able to learn more about certain subjects. I was deeply disappointed because I was drooling for more. I felt like I had barely scraped the surface of this story’s vivid universe. As I described earlier, blue words with an underlined dash have popup definition boxes, but later in the story, some words turn into links with their own pages. I had my eye on several character names and terms that I hoped would become articles. Learning otherwise was a bummer, but it also made me appreciate the sheer volume of content- writing, artwork, user interface- that went into this game to produce over thirty detailed pages of glossy, futuristic wiki material. It remains, without a doubt, one of the coolest games I have ever played. That is nothing to sneeze at.
Final thoughts
Now that you have (finally) reached the end of this review, all I can do is recommend playing Neurocracy. It will blow you away. Its story is fascinating and deep, the artwork beautiful, and the interface is effectively convincing. You do not need to be an interactive fiction fan or a sci-fi fan or a Wikipedia fan to enjoy this game. And even if you don’t, the game’s discussions about the intersections of technological advancement, personal rights, and societal ethics will still linger in your mind as you draw parallels from today’s world. I thank the game’s creators for creating and sharing such a fascinating piece.
(As a formality, I found and accessed the game through its listing on IFDB which took me right to the game’s website.)
One Way Ticket is a surreal custom choice-based game about being stuck in a strange town after your train runs into an accident… the railway is covered in a big mountain of corn. These circumstances only get stranger. If you want to leave you will have to show initiative by pestering the locals, worming your way into off-limit areas, and maintaining your sanity is this odd, odd adventure.
This is a town where (Spoiler - click to show) people use golden sand as currency, night and day are determined by adjusting the arms on a clock, buildings have legs, everyone only eats corn, and lions hang out in the valley. There is also an NPC (Spoiler - click to show) who has arms and hands in place of legs and feet. Soon after your arrival, the mayor gives you a town map that already has the broken-down train marked on it, almost like a historical landmark. His also attitude suggests that the train (which, by the way, has *(Spoiler - click to show) eyes for wheels) and its passengers were meant to be trapped here, but that won’t stop you from looking for a way out.
Despite this weirdness, this is not a horror game, more akin to a demented version of Thomas the Tank Engine (not Thomas himself but the human characters). These themes are subtle, and that is the whole point. If you like vague, slightly unsettling themes right under the surface in a surreal game, this might be for you.
Gameplay
After an intro in the train, you are essentially dropped into the middle of town to fend for yourself. This means wandering around and asking people questions. Later on, the gameplay becomes more complex.
The gameplay is structured for convenience and frustration, a surprising combination. The central mechanic revolves around the two icons at the top of the screen: a satchel icon (for inventory) and a notebook icon. The satchel icon keeps track of clues and observations which are added as you play. Any noteworthy information in a scene is underlined and sent to this section for future reference. For me, there was a learning curve with how the gameplay implements these two icons. In an interaction you can open the notebook or satchel to select an entry to be used in the encounter.
"By the way, if you want to eat or something else, say, do not hesitate!" she added cheerfully, without turning around.
Say goodbye.
Ask about the driver and conductor.
Above is an early scene where you talk to the hostess in the tavern. “Say goodbye” and “Ask about the driver and conductor” are action links, the latter of which only appears if you open the notebook section and select the clue about the driver and conductor’s whereabouts in the notes section. Easy enough. The problem is that later in the game the objectives and puzzles become increasingly cryptic, technical, and confusing. I found myself just randomly trying every clue in an encounter until I found one that did something. At times, the number of clues and details can be overwhelming, especially if you have a hard time following the story.
The reason why I am giving this game three stars instead of four is because the last third of gameplay involves excess backtracking for solving the dozen or so final puzzles. You navigate by opening and clicking on a map which translates into, (Spoiler - click to show) go to the tavern, the trolley, another trolley, the cemetery, the trolley, another again trolley, the tavern, the southern trolley, the workshop, the southern trolley, the tavern, the- and so forth. Usually this is just to switch between night and day via the tavern, but it feels so repetitive, even more so since this is a long game. At least it was fun to see the night and day art for each location.
Story
The gist with the story is that a mountain of corn is covering the train tracks, and that the only way for it to be removed is to eat it…………..it is hard to keep track of events in this game. It largely has to do with (Spoiler - click to show) dealing with the lions in the valley, but to get to that point you must do all these odd jobs (like obtaining some golden sand so you can actually buy something) to acquire the resources need to achieve that.
I was using the walkthrough for most of the second half of the game (Initially, I thought I was making speedy progress, but when I saw the walkthrough, I realized I had a long way to go). By the time I finished I was not even sure of what I accomplished. It was (Spoiler - click to show) snowing and everyone seemed miffed that I banished the lions. I can’t even remember if I managed to leave.
It feels like you have to jump through hoops just to get some answers about the story. It is not as if the game simply skips over discussing exposition about the town but having played it for several hours, I find myself unable to piece it all together. While it is not really something I plan to play more than once, the optional achievements and bonus art galleries make it awfully tempting.
Characters
The game vaguely suggests that the protagonist is male, but there is a scene on the train that may or may not be an opportunity to choose your own gender. It has to do with examining and entering the bathroom doors, but it does this so vaguely that I cannot say for sure.
I thought it was interesting how the game uses a first person and past tense narrative. The protagonist is telling a story that already occurred, which I do not see as often in interactive fiction. We also do not get much background on the protagonist, only that they are on the train to leave an old life behind. Obviously, this debacle with the corn-oriented town derailed (hey!) their plans of starting a life somewhere new.
Some of the NPCs are a little intense, but others are mysterious in a cool way. It is hard to pinpoint characters’ motives. Combined with being stuck in a strange town, that is a little worrying, but also the whole point.
Visuals
I really like the art which uses basic lines and shapes to form an image but at times it’s a little unsettling. Imagine taking several sticks and lining them up perfectly side by side except for one that is slightly bent. It is barely noticeable, but something at the back of your brain thinks, “huh, that’s weird.” This is not a complaint since it contributes to the bizarre weirdness that is lurking about. Most of the art though, is not like that. A great feature is a gallery section that collects the art you have found. There are quite a few.
There is also a handy in-game map of the town that expands as you explore more areas. You just click on where you want to go. If I had to describe the map’s style, I would say that it looks like it was hand drawn and then processed through Microsoft Paint, but much nicer looking. And I like the style. It is just hard to describe.
A downside is that I noticed some mildly frequent spelling errors sprinkled about. The game is certainly not sloppy, but a final round of proof-reading would have added some polish.
Final thoughts
One Way Ticket does an effective job at conveying a surreal setting featuring a flustered protagonist forced into bizarre and unexplained circumstances determined not to succumb to the wonderful life that the town claims to offers. I must say, this game’s story is probably the most eccentric, but also memorable, out of all the entries I have played so far for this IFComp.
Ultimately, this is a quality game, and quite an adventure. However, based on its length and repetitiveness near the end, I recommended it if you are looking for a creative take on surrealism and have the patience to be in it for the long haul.
*When I saw the cover art, I had the impression that this would be a kids’ game. It’s not. But it was not until I played the game that I noticed the “wheels” on the train are supposed to be (Spoiler - click to show) eyes. I think since they blink on the menu page in the game.
This is a short mystery game where you search someone’s apartment in their absence for a black phone.
Gameplay
There is a brief intro that is a bit confusing. I will summarize it here to provide some context. It is the dead of night in the apartment. Peter, a possibly a doorman or attendant, hears a stranger loudly ringing at the entrance. This stranger is named Ronald and is the PC for the gameplay. Ronald manages to sneak into the apartment of Anastasia Kozlowa who happens to be away on a trip. By the time the door to the apartment closes, Ronald is already inside. Peter decides to wait in the hallway. That is the intro.
The story is in omniscient third person because it covers the thoughts of both Peter and Ronald. However, Ronald is the only playable character. The gameplay begins in the living room. From there, the player has free range of movement to visit each room and search the items within. Most choice-based games with free range of movement tend to be Twine games (I have a recommended list about it if you want to know more), so it was nice to see this implemented in a different format.
Ultimately there is only one puzzle which is to (Spoiler - click to show) unlock the box containing the phone. The significance of the phone is unclear. It seems to have something to do with Leonard Yakovlev, a painter whose name crops up throughout the game. Everything else is either atmosphere or hints on the (Spoiler - click to show) box’s combination.
Story + Characters
Ronald somehow already knows that (Spoiler - click to show) the phone will be in a box in the bedroom. Some parts of his thoughts and mannerisms suggest that he is an acquaintance of Anastasia, or even a friend. But at other times he feels more like a stalker or someone who only knows her at a distance. She is an exotic dancer and the game hints that she is big enough of a celebrity to be covered in the tabloids. This provides some explanation as to how he knows about mundane things like the clothes that she often wears, but something tells me that he knows her through more than just following the tabloids. Ronald absolutely refuses to search through Anastasia’s lingerie or bathroom out of respect for her privacy. Would a stalker do this? It is hard to say. Ronald remains a mystery throughout the game.
The only criticism I have about this game is the ending comes out of nowhere and makes little sense. When you (Spoiler - click to show) leave the apartment, Ronald turns on the phone. Immediately the phone starts emitting the sound of screeching monkeys. He then spots a body on the ground (Peter, perhaps?). Then the game says, "A QUANTUM MAGICAL SMART PHONE FIESTA." Ronald leaves, and the game ends. This confusion is why I am giving this game four stars rather than five. The gameplay is excellent, and the story is intriguing, but the ending leaves you blinking at the screen in confusion. The only correlations that I can think of is the (Spoiler - click to show) letter on the kitchen table that mentions something about “Quantum audio,” and the bedroom wardrobe is filled with portable audio players. But I do not get the connection. If anyone else does, I would like to know.
Visuals
It plays and looks like an Ink game. If I did not know otherwise, I would have thought it was made with Ink. Instead, it is a combination between Undum and Raconteur, both of which are formats that I am less familiar with, especially Raconteur.
The screen is a dark navy blue that runs a bit lighter at the bottom of the screen. This small contrast adds some depth to the background. The title of a room's location is listed in large text in the lower left hand of the screen. Beneath it are listed the other locations you can visit in the apartment. The text is clean and crisp, and I did not find any spelling errors.
Final thoughts
This was a short and refreshing game. It felt like a gem when I stumbled across it on IFDB, and it did not disappoint. The confusing ending knocked it down a few points but everything else was consistent. It does not take long to play and is a good choice if you are looking for a mystery game.
You are a deputy summoned to investigate a murder in a casino. The game begins when you arrive at the casino. The manager tells you that a prominent guest has been murdered and that it would be appreciated if the investigation were conducted as quietly as possible. The FBI are planning to arrive the next day and would like you to narrow down a suspect.
Gameplay
The game is light on puzzles. They mostly involve traveling to different rooms to interview people and compare their statements. There was one puzzle about finding cheaters in the casino, but they were often found right in the lobby which made it easy to complete. This also seemed to be a bit of a side quest because you can ask the security guard if you could find more cheaters in exchange for chips. The game lets you play blackjack (and you do not even have to win) although (Spoiler - click to show) its only purpose is to attract the attention of Kat who simply gives you more information about the casino guests.
The game makes an effort at building atmosphere. There will be random characters wandering around to make it more like a busy casino. You have access to over a dozen locations including a poker table, blackjack table, bar, kitchen, private rooms, lobby, and other areas. This is roughly an hour-long game but can be completed in less time in replays.
Design
Redstone is a custom choice-based game that uses menus to create a parser-like effect. At first the point and click was slow, but you get used to it quickly. The game tries to streamline the gameplay by summarizing your findings with the “Think” command and marking off which discussion topics you have used with characters to avoid repetition. It is also cool how you can “undo” with this format.
For each location there are boxes that say "Examine," "Go to," "Talk to" (if there are people to talk to), "Think," "Inventory," "Look around," and other commands that may be unique to the situation. This all works together to create a parser-like experience. For instance, clicking on “Talk to” lets you choose which character in the room you want to interact with. On a slightly more complex level, if you use the “Examine” command and find something worth taking, then the game will implement the “Take” command. Play the game and you will get the hang of it.
The visuals are a bit rough-around-the-edges and yet they are consistent enough to create a solid appearance that carries it through. The art, though occasionally crude, I found to be oddly likable. And there is a lot of art to experience. (Spoiler - click to show) One little inconsistency that stood out to me is Kat’s dress. Kat is described as wearing a slinky red dress even though the drawing of her shows her in a dark navy dress. That kept bugging me. But that aside, I really did enjoy the art.
Story
It is an interesting story but none of it is particularly thrilling or exciting which is too bad since murder + casino tends to have no shortage of flair. The main issue is that it could have capitalized on some of the plot developments. The main one was when (Spoiler - click to show) Simon leaves his room and tries to sneak out. If the player goes to his room to find it empty the game has no reaction. No "Simon is no longer here" or "Simon is missing!" All we get is:
John Simon's room
You see a bed and a dresser.
No drama or suggestions to the player that this is a new plot development. There is not even a note under the “Think” command that acknowledges this. I was expecting a “Simon is nowhere to be seen! You should catch him while you can!” That would have been a great opportunity to turn up the heat. Instead, it just assumes that the player will notice that he isn't there and to respond accordingly. In other words, it is easy to put two and two together (Simon snuck out evade the investigation) to figure out what the game wants us to do (detain him in the garage) but there is no atmosphere to this development.
Final thoughts
I would summarize this one as a finished piece that offers some quality gameplay if you feel like playing a murder mystery game. I recommend anyone interested in the genre to play it especially if you are looking for parser-like gameplay in a choice-based format.
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