Reviews by Kinetic Mouse Car
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Room Mom — The Simulation Archive is a psychological horror game that explores grief, forgetting, letting go, and the lasting effect of human memory.
Gameplay
I was excited to play this because it uses a “fake website” format found in games like Excalibur and ConfigurationUploader. However, Room Mom takes it up a notch by having multiple sites to explore. I counted roughly 21. You’ll want to keep a running list.
It begins on an archive for “Mrs. Henderson’s Room 14” at Maplewood Elementary. Gameplay is a mix of clicking on links for navigation and typing in commands when presented with a computer terminal window. Every site is either run by or has some connection to an entity called “Room Mom” that addresses the player directly.
ROOM MOM RESOURCE SYSTEM v1.0
Serving Room 14 since 2001.
You have activated a terminal.
The objective is to uncover 12 files by combing through pages in search of hidden content and links to new sites. Occasionally, pop-up hint boxes will appear onscreen if you wait long enough (though they sometimes disappear before you can read them).
Sadly, I was only savvy enough to find 10 out of 12 files. I’ll share my leads on the remaining two at the end of this review.
Story
Room Mom is my favorite kind of horror: the kind that exists in layers. Everything appears to be benign and harmless on the surface, until the player peels off these surface layers to uncover something much more unsettling underneath.
First, some context.
Founded in 1998, Dramcorp Industries™ sells products and services (aka “institutional archival systems”) designed to preserve entire childhoods. Every detail, whether it be audio of laughter or cataloged pieces of artwork, an archival fingerprint is created to “capture” a child’s living memory. Used in homes and schools, parents never miss out on their child’s growing up. Or forget anything in the event of said child’s death.
Nothing is forgotten.
🔒 The Memory Vault™
Your child's memories, preserved forever.
A major selling point is how the technology can fill in any missing gaps in a subject’s profile by using already collected data as reference- assuming enough data is available. Otherwise, profiles become… unstable. This limitation is a key plot point in this story.
So: What exactly is going on?
(Spoiler - click to show)The psychological horror emerges with the implication that the player is actually searching the contents of a Dramcorp™ device that’s been idling away in an abandoned classroom for the past 20+ years. Within it, the “Room Mom” entity desperately wants to create an archive of 25 students but only has reference material for one child, Marcus Chen (who also appears to have died).
As we explore the sites, we see messages from human users who observed that schools that were supposed to be shut down still show signs of activity. In one thread, a user goes to investigate only to never report back. Spooky.
Deeper analysis
Initially, “Room Mom” seems like an antagonist, namely due to its extreme possessiveness over anyone coming within three feet of anything related to Maplewood Elementary. Extra emphasis is placed on the fact that no one ever leaves.
♡ We're hiring?
Actually, no. Our staff never leaves. Once you work at Sunny Days, you stay.
But the deeper you dig, the more “Room Mom” is portrayed in a sympathetic light. This is, after all, a discarded piece of hardware that is stuck with the futile task of archiving a classroom of children that have long since moved on (or never existed, I can’t quite tell).
I think we are the same kind of lonely.
The possessiveness stems from loneliness and fearing the loss of memory that inevitably comes with the passage of time. This ties in with the underlying theme of grief. One website serves as a support forum for parents who’ve lost children. The forum’s overall takeaway is that forgetting details about your child does not diminish their memory or take away your ability to mourn them.
Problem is, Dramcorp™ deals in the business of never forgetting. Ever. “Room Mom” will often point out that family memories are preserved long after the actual family members are gone. This carries a subtle irony. While the grieving parents may move on, it is the system itself that is unable to let go.
Visuals
Room Mom is a visually interesting game because of how it uses a range of fonts, colours, patterns, and formatting to create a variety of website appearances, ranging from the cheery yellow polkadot backdrop of Sunny Days daycare to the crisp white and cream colour palette of “Operational Persistence: A Case Study in Goal-Locked Archival Systems,” a site stylized like an academic journal, references included!
Also worth noting are the photo galleries that help make the game feel real. The “Science Fair” and “100th Day of School” felt unexpectedly nostalgic. A closer look suggests that they’re A.I.-generated, but this actually works in the game’s favor by adding a slight uncanny effect to the overall uneasiness permeating the gameplay.
Final thoughts
Despite not having finished the game, I can confidently say that Room Mom offers a compelling mystery with a website layout you can easily get immersed in. I loved it!
That said, it requires patience. Some clues don’t show up right away. Others are cryptic. There’s backtracking, and the text-input terminal may be too complicated for some players. The author could streamline a few parts. But the challenge is also part of the fun. If you’re up for it, it’s well worth playing.
And if horror isn’t your first choice in genre, that’s okay. The psychological horror in Room Mom borders more on the bittersweet than anything graphic.
Finally, below are my notes on possible leads if anyone is interested.
(Spoiler - click to show)My progress so far:
For these notes, “main site” refers to “Maplewood’s Room 14.”
The files I uncovered: 01, 02, 03, 04, 06, 07, 09, 10, 11, and 12. Below are my guesses as to how to find the remaining five.
Harvest album (05): This seems to be a clear reference to the harvest festival party photo album on the main site. I found nothing of interest except for when a box briefly appeared that said “she hid it where the soup is.” Then it vanished, leaving me with little to work with.
Memorial (08): A pop-up message on the “In Memory” page (Maplewood site) that said “The deltas are not noise. Read them with the register.” Printed at the bottom of the page is “FIDELITY DELTAS,” followed by a sequence of numbers. I used the roster/codebook to decode it: “REMEMBER HER.” Except I don’t know what to do with this information. How do I uncover the actual file?
Other questions/possible leads:
→ Maplewood Elementary has its own website separate from Room 14. There’s also a cached website for Willowbrook PTA that can be accessed. However, other schools are named dropped: MapleLane, Cedar Ridge, and Riverside Elementary. I manipulated the URL to see if they have their own websites, but with no success. Do they have sites?
→ I noticed the “LOOK AGAIN” message on the main site’s “Schedule” section. As far as I’m aware, “Week of September 9, 2003” is the only hidden link on the page. Hovering over “free play” changes the text but is not an actual link.
→ Who is “she?” Mrs. Henderson?
→ This is about the eerie page that says, “You found it. I did not think anyone would come this far.” Clicking on the photograph allows access to a terminal. Typing “STAY” and answering with “25” results in “the core” being opened. Typing “STAY” again results in the terminal asking for your name to be added to the student roster. I’m not sure if you’re supposed to give a certain name, but I did see my chosen name appear in the main site and the Maplewood Elementary site.
→ It’s possible to access a “deeper” layer of the main site where everything is in a shade of grey. The “Roster” section for the grey site has a link called “Archive Core (.net)” which asks for a master override code. I assume we only get this after collecting all twelve files.
A Masterclass in developing doomed characters, July 13, 2026In 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.
Ultimately, this ends up being an instance when “For science!” goes horribly wrong.
This isn't just a signal; it's a symphony from the cosmos, a whispered promise of untold wonders beyond our wildest dreams!
Oh, Michael. You have no idea.
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.
What we see is a more-or-less harmonious, close-knit crew succumb to the perils of human impulse (paranoia, jealousy, irritability over having to live in cramped conditions on an inhospitable exoplanet). I am somewhat reminded of the film The Cabin in the Woods in that each character is assigned an archetype and we watch them get picked off one-by-one.
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.
(Spoiler - click to show)Just wait until you unlock the password-protected files. The screen glitches and this ominous red email notification pops-up. Next thing you know, creepy ALL-CAP messages in red text appear throughout your files.
Green text: Good luck.
Red text: THERE IS NO LUCK WHERE YOU ARE GOING.
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?
An excellent escape game from the depths of the underworld, November 5, 2022Here's another EctoComp (or should I say ECTOCOMP?) review.
Escape from Hell is about the escape efforts of Zgarblurg, a demon spirit who got caught pulling a prank on Lucifer and was sentenced to inhabit the body of a zombie and count paperwork. But gradually, Zgarblurg has been regaining strength, perhaps enough strength to escape both hell and mind-numbing bureaucracy.
Gameplay
As a spirit, you possess NPCs to travel and interact with characters and your surroundings. There are six total, and each have a specialized skill centered around a verb that can be applied to certain puzzles. For example, the zombie counts things, the succubus smooches, and the golem shoves heavy objects. The main mechanic is to possess these characters to use their abilities to your advantage. I also found two solutions for two puzzles in the game, which was nice.
While it is not obvious right away, the overarching goal is to (Spoiler - click to show) indispose the demon princes so that you can escape through the mineshaft. Otherwise, they will intercept you to keep you from leaving. The solution for each (Spoiler - click to show) prince (I never thought of Beelzebub as a prince, but maybe I am behind on the times) were creative and inventive, especially since they involve using their own vices against them. In total, it is a longer game. I completed it in about two hours.
I am a big fan of Fagerburg's games which can be cryptic, but in good way. These games use creative gameplay mechanics that are streamlined for discovery and experimentation. In Dessert Island, for instance, puzzles feature a magical spatula with pre-prepared spells, but knowing how to fully use it requires some work. While Dessert Island, I feel, is a little more technical than the author’s other games, they all feature strong setting, story, characters, and other attributes that engage the player and motivate them to investigate methods of problem solving, even in the face of a daunting puzzle. Plus, the author also strives to make things user-friendly so that technical puzzles are enjoyable to solve.
Escape from Hell is not a particularly cryptic (if at all) game, but some puzzles will take longer to crack than others. For me, (Spoiler - click to show) it was learning how to cut the golden threads in the courtyard via food offerings. First, it was about discovering the mechanic of food offerings, and then it became a matter of making the right ones in the proper order. It took a while, but rather than being frustrating it was fun and felt rewarding once I solved it. The author has always seemed to have “signature” puzzles, ones that are creative with a distinct style.
In terms of user-friendliness, one of the best features is its built-in map consisting of a grid at the corner of the screen that expands as you explore. If you hover over a box, it lists the location title along with any characters in the room. Characters are also indicated by dots which is helpful since some move independently. You can also click on a location to have your character travel there automatically, room by room. By the end of the game, you will have a 7x7 grid of locations. For a puzzle-oriented game, this was extremely helpful.
Story
The game focuses more on puzzles rather than story, and there is not much else to add other than that Zgarblurg stepped on the toes of the wrong prince. And I do not think it needs any more than that for it to stand on its own because the focus is on exploring the landscape and interacting with (sorry, possessing) people for your own gains.
The bureaucratic monotony paperwork-hell in hell is reminiscent of Perdition's Flames, a TADS game about discovering the mundanities to be experienced after you die. Escape from Hell only touches on those themes lightly at the start of the game (such as the Infernal Cubicle), but they are still a humorous component in the game.
(I am not sure where to put this so I will just list it under “story.”) There are some fun easter eggs with the (Spoiler - click to show) cubicle forms. They list people who are destined to go to the underworld when they die. The catch is that these people are characters from other games. If you look closely, in the corner of each form is a reference number that you can use to confirm the game on IFDB. None of this has any purpose in the gameplay but I still had fun looking for games that I recognized.
Visual/Design
This game is a parser/choice-based hybrid. It looks like any of the author's parser games but instead of typing on your keyboard you click on links and buttons. The action buttons change depending on what actions are available based on your character and location. Everything is easy to use, and you can carry out commands at the same pace of a parser game. I also liked the appearance of the game. It has a purple background, white text, pink text for dialog, and pink links.
Final thoughts
Escape from Hell is another fun game by Nils Fagerburg. Great for Halloween or, quite frankly, any time of the year. It is a creative puzzlefest with technical but well-clued puzzles amid humorous characters. If you have played the author’s other games before, you will recognize the trademark qualities in Escape from Hell, and I recommend it to everyone.
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