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.

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.

Robot Recovery Mission is the most upbeat, light-hearted robot war that you may ever find in interactive fiction. Simple, short, and made with Ren’Py.

Cirq. An unremarkable rocky planet with four moons.

In orbit is Flywheel Station- home of the Cipy robotic race. But a recent attack by the Decabots, a rival robot group, has left the station in critical condition. You and your fellow Cipys have now been called upon to assist with repairs.

In a nutshell, the player visits Cirq’s moons to harvest gems that are brought back to Flywheel Station. These gems are needed to repair the station's vital systems. A set number of each kind of gem must be collected within a limited timeframe before the Decabots attempt another attack.

Gameplay is easy and uncomplicated. A point-and-click map is used for selecting destinations. Moons, mostly. Upon arrival, you select a mining method to extract gems which are automatically collected. Then it’s back to the map. And if you’re attacked along the way, combat boils down to a simple “Fight” or “Flee.” The time limit, however, is where the challenge comes in because all actions consume time.

Hull Integrity:
100/100
---------------
Time remaining:
100/100

Oddly enough, (Spoiler - click to show)running out of time does not result in a “game over.” The game essentially says, “you know what? Let’s reset your time limit and pretend this didn’t happen. Off you go.” You don’t even lose your gems. Which… I appreciate since time goes by quickly. But the game could be more subtle about it. Who knows, maybe this will be changed in the future. Fortunately, there is a respawn mechanic if your ship gets destroyed. This is a forgiving game.

Final thoughts
I wouldn't outright classify Robot Recovery Mission as a "kids’ game," but it would be a good pick for older kids. Middle schoolers, maybe? Heck, I could see myself playing this in 4th/5th grade, partly because most of the character art is reminiscent of a children’s sci-fi picture book. Professor Coghead could quite possibly be the mascot from some library’s summer “reading challenge” program. The streamlined gameplay is especially suited for such audiences.

And yet, more experienced players can find things to appreciate. While the gameplay may feel underwhelming, there is a charm to the “Oh no! Decabots!” dialogue during action sequences. I also liked that the cartoonish character art is contrasted with more realistic backdrops and differently stylized imagery. The game never fails to be visually interesting. A fun 20 minutes.

The Vault of Stories is a rather unique Twine game that both entertains and educates. It was created by a professor at the University of Maryland for a course titled "INST388Q Interactive Fiction,” and describes itself as “half story-game and half instructional material.”

I am NOT a student. But I still ended up having a positive and memorable experience. Hopefully, my (rather long) review, will help you get the most out of it.

Overview
The story-gameplay portion is set in the future where the player attends the fictional Palisade Institute as a student. Fun and immersive, this part adds flair through worldbuilding and makes players feel more invested in the assigned work.

The instructional part teaches different narrative structures and genres in interactive fiction before guiding players into crafting their own Twine stories. Throughout this section are checkpoints where real-life students submit assignments for the course in exchange for assignment codes. More on that later.

Gameplay
PART I: “Story-game”
Gameplay is broken into three stages, class time at the Palisade Institute, a trek across a desert, and investigating a ruined city. While linear, plenty of interesting things occur.

Renowned for its unique blend of cutting-edge survival science and cultural heritage studies, the Institute is one of the last bastions of higher education in North America.

You begin by choosing a student avatar. Six diverse options are available and ties in with a stat system that is further shaped by your choices in the gameplay. The name and character portrait is just cosmetic. The stats, however, determine the genre and narrative structures covered in the instructional section of the game.

Later, you stumble across unfamiliar files belonging to an employee at the “Vault of Stories,” a place that supposedly collects fictional narratives. Without spoiling the details, it appears the Vault had experienced a structural failure. This led to the creation of a (Spoiler - click to show)human-A.I. (I think) entity known as the Archivist…

Now you know.
Now you see us.
Now, come find us.

…who contacts you and provides a set of GPS coordinates leading to a derelict city!

In a way, everything up to this point serves as an intro. The trip across the desert includes a sampling of some interactive fiction games, but the main action takes place in the city where the Archivist awaits with a special task. Soon after, the game then asks for an assignment code to continue playing.

To my delight, all I had to do was message the author on IFDB.

PART II: Instructional material
Once you become acquainted with the Archivist, the gameplay switches to the instructive half of The Vault of Stories. Because this game is for a college course, it’s tailored to its primary audience: students taking the class. For non-students like myself, the organization and amount of content can be overwhelming. So, I’m going to focus on what I consider to be the best of the game’s instructional content has to offer.

Initially, the game starts by providing some basic Twine tutorials that you may have seen elsewhere (note: The Vault of Stories focuses on Harlowe.) Next, are basic overviews on game engines, POV, character design, the history of interactive fiction, and more.

But the highlight is when the game teaches three narrative structures (ex. hub-and-spoke narratives) and three genres. Which three? Depends on your highest stat, though multiple playthroughs revealed that they often overlap. You are then directed to try another Twine game that demonstrates the narrative structure or genre that is being described, followed by a photo tutorial on a related technique.

For example, when learning about hub-and-spoke narrative structure, you try the game The Great Mortality before receiving a tutorial on variable tracking.

This combination of explanation, outside examples, and a visual breakdown of what to do is where the game shines as an educational tool. It may not be a complete, comprehensive guide, but it gives you a starting point and some building blocks.

Once you’ve learned about three different narrative structures and genres, the Archivist challenges you to pick one of each to create your own Twine game. Several spinners select your setting, protagonist, quest, story twist, and conclusion. In fact, these spinners have some clever ideas. This might come in handy if you ever experience writer’s block.

In submitting assignments to the teacher, you are supposedly adding your work to the Vault in-game. If you want to see how everything wraps up, do so with the assignment codes. The author will provide them by request (see the end of Gameplay PART I).

Story
While there is more story on the Archivist and the Vault, I don’t want to spoil everything. Instead, I’ll delve into my favorite part of this game: the overarching backstory as unveiled during the lecture we attend at the Institute. It outlines a moment in history called the Great Collapse… where everything changed.

Prior to the Collapse, humanity opted to address the climate crisis with technology-based solutions while countless data centers were entrusted to house ancient and modern knowledge. This all relied on vast infrastructure, functioning as a “house of cards waiting for the smallest gust of wind.”

The Collapse began when solar flares devastated electronics globally. An overreliance on automated systems brought daily life to a halt and triggered a cascade of problems. Meanwhile, climate change only worsened. Humanity plunged into a “pre-biotech reality” with diminished cultural memory and scientific knowledge. Survivors transitioned to isolated pocket communities, leaving cities behind as relics of a lost age.

Thoughts
This backstory is intriguing because it draws parallels to our world now. Like the building of data centers. The growing use of A.I. has brought questions about the amount of infrastructure needed to support and power it. And then there’s climate change…

What’s refreshing about The Vault of Stories is that it offers a vision for a future in a scenario where human civilization nearly leads to its own demise. Now, the immediate gameplay takes place in a post-Collapse world. But do we see a drab, miserable, post-apocalyptic existence? No. Civilization has found a way to flourish.

The lecture reveals that humanity gradually rebuilt in desert regions with an emphasis on working with nature rather than trying to conquer it. By pooling together different areas of knowledge and expertise, modern civilization turned its focus to the “art and science of survival.” The Institute is one such product of this philosophy.

✦ BOTE024 Symbiotic Infrastructures. Investigates how botanical systems can serve as living infrastructures for shelter, energy, and data exchange.

I would totally attend this school.

Ideally, we’ll avoid our own Great Collapse. Regardless, I’d like to think that it’s always an option to embrace the themes of adaptation and coexistence as outlined in this story.

Visuals
First off, I was pleased to see that The Vault of Stories uses a wide range of fonts, colours, and visual effects. And the art. Filled to the brim with art! Some of it gives the impression of being A.I.-generated, but that doesn’t stop it from looking really cool (if not breathtaking). I would often linger to marvel at the scenery. It brings the story to life and works well for the game’s purposes.

That said, the game tends to go overboard. Not every scene needs a visual, especially when the gameplay follows a pattern of click on link, wait two seconds for a large picture to load, scroll down to the bottom of the screen to read the text, repeat. Especially when we’re crossing the desert. Also, our meeting with the Archivist feels dominated by the gameplay showing off her hair colours. The game could tone it down without sacrificing her characterization.

Final thoughts
Reviewing and rating this game has proved to be an interesting task because its hybrid nature as both a gameplay experience and a learning tool was something I had never encountered before in a Twine game. My rating of four stars reflects the fact that I was enamored by the story presented in the first half, and was impressed with what it teaches in the second half. Overall, an ambitious and impressive effort.

It does, however, have room for improvement. Some vocab terms had broken links and the text input boxes can be fickle. (Spoiler - click to show)The answer to the interactive fiction puzzle is, “interactive fiction,” right? So why does it act like it’s the wrong answer the first time I punch it in but not the second? Also, it takes a while to reach the part that teaches narrative structures and story genre which I argue is the most informative part. And of course, some players may be turned off about having to input a code at all.

Who knows? Maybe there’s things I missed. But for now, I had a fun time and will leave things here.

You should try this game if…
-The worldbuilding and backstory in the first half interests you
-The artwork sounds appealing
-A college course Twine game piques your curiosity
-You want to learn techniques that turn a story idea into an interactive narrative (Especially this!)

Otherwise, the game might not be your style.

In this custom choice-based game, you are starship captain looking to make a living through commerce!

Gameplay
The gameplay centers around fielding job offers, most of which involve being paid to ship goods to other planets.

Vyphoo Turul: I have a job for you, Captain. Can you deliver this shipment of exotic matter to Toedud?

Some opportunities feature NPCs willing to pay for passage to a particular destination.

As a choice-based game, the layout is well-organized. The left side of the screen displays your inventory and crew roster while the right half has a star map and panel that displays information on any links you click on.

Procedural generation appears to be the game’s key feature and is used for the names of characters, planets, species, and more.

Sasow is an inhabited planetary system. The majority culture is Tawaw. Primary exports include gold, grain, and water. Major imports include antimatter, livestock, and synthstim.

Tawaw is a distinct culture in this region of the galaxy.

There are helpful features that streamline the gameplay. For example, if you linger for too long, a crewmember will nudge you and say the equivalent of "hey, maybe we should leave and travel to [planet name]." Planets that have active content- delivering goods or dropping off passengers- are also flagged on the map. This visual reference is helpful so you don't have to worry about mixing up Eathlowthu with Eathlouthu.

But this strong implementation does not make up for the fact that the gameplay lacks any broader objective beyond completing the same kind of jobs in exchange for payment. No way of upgrading your ship (repairs are occasionally possible) or aligning yourself any faction or characters.

[NPC name]: I’ve got a job for you, Captain. Can you deliver this shipment of [cargo] to [planet name]? I’ll pay you [$ amount] – half now, and half when you make it to [Planet name].

That's it. Over and over again. After about 20 minutes I realized, "I’m done.” As far as I'm aware, it only ends if (Spoiler - click to show)your ship falls apart or you fail to pay back a loan. (To top it off, loans give you little upward mobility in the gameplay).

Story
None, really. There is no narrative introduced at the start of the game. But I suspect that might be the author’s intent, instead choosing to showcase the procedural generation behind the game’s world.

Visuals
Emoji icons! Not too many, just enough to provide visual metrics and make the game’s appearance livelier. Like how you can see the morale of your crew at a glance.

😃🙂😐😒😡

The most impressive feature is the large, clickable, colour-coded planetary map on the right side of the screen. It makes a great impression and sets the mood for hauling goods across solar systems.

Final thoughts
I'm a big fan of another work by the author: Epitaph. It, too, is heavily structured around procedural generation. However, I didn’t get the same satisfaction with Starfreighter.

Starfreighter, as a space commerce sim, demonstrates one possible way procedural generation can be implemented in a choice-based game. Unfortunately, the end product lacks trajectory. It is worth playing to sample what it has to offer, but beyond that, players will likely lose interest after 15-20 minutes.

On the flip side, you pick up this game and set it down without feeling guilty about abandoning a story halfway through. (And I still enjoyed those 20 minutes of playtime.)

Before you go…
If you like this game or enjoy elements of it, I suggest Star Tripper and 4x4 Galaxy.

Star Tripper is a ChoiceScript game with a mechanic of buying and selling units of resources akin to that in Starfreighter, along with the colourful use of emojis. While not without flaws, it is easily one of the most ambitious and innovative ChoiceScript games I've played. It does have a long intro, but after that, it's all space exploration and economic-driven gameplay. Recommended for those who like the technical micromanagement of buying and selling various goods.

4x4 Galaxy is made with Twine and involves exploring a grid of 16 planets. It has multiple stories to choose from and the commerce component is easy to master. I would recommend it for anyone in general, especially if you’re interested in economic gameplay that is more casual and simplified.

The Acreage is an oddball sci-fi game that slowly grows on you. You are Lain Bellets, a mercenary born in the Pisces constellation. A man named Desmond hires you to escort him and his companion Isaac to a monastery on a planet called Surst.

Isaac is unlike anyone you’ve ever met. Childlike stature, sickly pale skin, mechanical eyes, and black wires growing from his scalp. He communicates via a device hidden in his clothes and only speaks in verses… and he’s taken an interest in you.

But your ship, The Vigil, was damaged after escaping a scuffle with law enforcement. The three of you are now stuck in Bluèl, a city on some nondescript world.

Gameplay
Gameplay revolves around the end goal of getting your ship in working condition so you can leave. This means navigating the city and networking to find individuals who can help you. There are just over a dozen locations. You begin in a seedy motel room.

A CLINIC and GROCERY STORE are nearby. A short flight of stairs leads to a PAWNSHOP. Between two buildings you see a small TENT, firelight still flickers from within. A VENDOR stands by her STALL, holding out various trinkets for sale.

ISAAC huddles next to you, wrapping his tunic close in the cold.

Exits are listed at the bottom of the screen. A built-in map is also available. It is a Quest game (fortunately, the website now allows you to save without an account).

While I do wish that more scenery could be examined, the game does reward the player for noticing certain details. For example, (Spoiler - click to show)you listen to the men gambling outside the shacks, you get another dialog option when talking to the seer.

The coolest feature is probably the three characters who exist inside your head as colour-coded dialogue: Synapse (yellow), Animus (blue), Sinew (red).

Familiar voices echo within the architecture of your being.

I’m not sure if they are A.I.s or something more abstract, but they contribute guidance and humour, sometimes even disagreeing with each other. They are especially helpful in making sense of Isaac’s cryptic manner of speech. As a result, I was never lost and always knew what my immediate objectives were. Plus, they’re fun characters. Like when we spot a stunningly beautiful person in the bar.

SINEW: Wow.

ANIMUS: Wow indeed.

They also serve as a moral compass, weighing the pros and cons of available choices.

Story
Backstory
Humanity resides throughout the constellations of the zodiac. The space between them, if I’m not mistaken, is called the “acreage.” Sometime ago, all sources of starship fuel were destroyed by an unknown agent, preventing travel between regions. This event was known as the Divide. Deprived of trade and commerce, many civilizations died out.

Thanks to the invention of “fold engine” technology, travel has been restored. But the Divide’s left regions vulnerable to exploitation by corporations like GasTechnin that seek to monopolize and control workforces. Just listen to what the citizens of Bluèl have to say about life there. (Spoiler - click to show)The parasitic secretary expects us to work 10 months at a gas refinery just to leave the space port.

Immediate story
Initially, it appears that Isaac is Desmond’s “sidekick.” It’s actually the other way around.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the ideas contained in this story. I won’t spoil it, but the things Isaac reveals about himself are shocking and kind of cool. A recurring joke is how people assume that Isaac is your son.

He looks over at Isaac and beams a smile in his direction, seemingly unconfused by small figure’s strange appearance.

“We also have plenty of roles for children eager to earn some spending money.”

The volume of Isaac’s silence seems to suddenly increase.

With Isaac, there are also some philosophical, perhaps even religious, themes associated with his character. We get the sense that he is (Spoiler - click to show)on a mission for a higher purpose regarding the acreage. He hints that you can be a part of this, if you so choose.

Endings
The game’s description says that there are multiple endings, but I only found two. Without going into detail, they align in the fashion of (Spoiler - click to show)“do you go back to your old life or do you try something new?” I’m curious to know if there are any other outcomes.

Visuals
Its appearance is of a black background and primarily green text. The font does take some time to get used to, but this is offset by key words being displayed in white text and in ALL-CAPS. Cleverly, the screen changes when you (Spoiler - click to show)access the office terminal.

I did find spelling errors (the game is currently Version 1.0.)

ISAAC leavevs and waits silently for you at the bar's entrance, simmering with angy.

Then again, I suppose there is a lot of text to proofread in this game.

Final thoughts
Some games, when you play them, feel like an easy five stars. With The Acreage, its potency snuck up on me. It wasn’t until I reached the end that I realized, “I love this game. What a great experience.” The appeal is hard to pin down. It feels more surreal than other sci-fi games I’ve played. Its depiction of space travel is especially interesting. And Isaac. Odd… but elusive. As I said, it grows on you.

It certainly helps that the gameplay has features that guide you in the right direction. That way, you can complete it and decide whether it resonates with you. I noticed that the game begins with “PART ONE: OLD BEGINNINGS.” Does this mean The Acreage is only the first installment? I hope so.

This is what you trained for all your life. This is what your squadron died for. The expeior queen, helpless, at your feet.

Helpless, she is not.

The Selfish Gene is a sci-fi game about dealing the final blow, only for victory to remain out of reach. Perhaps violence isn’t the answer. But what alternative do you have when Earth and the human race is on the line?

It’s a submission to inkJam 2025, though made with Unity instead of Ink.

Overview
Earth has been taken over by the expeior alien race, aka “expys.” Meanwhile, humanity has taken refuge on Earth’s moon. You are Captain Aster on a mission for the Human Resistance. Your task is to infiltrate the alien mothership and slay the expeior Queen, Queen Ismin. By your side is your squadron and Lieutenant Latif, your friend and military engineer.

Gameplay
The gameplay uses a cyclic trial-and-error structure. It kicks off with the characters breaking into the mothership’s hanger. You then choose which of the ship’s six locations to explore. However, locations can only be visited once.

The Queen is camped out somewhere onboard. She’s able to control time locally, allowing her to escape death, as shown in the opening scene. The protagonist kills her, only to find himself outside the ship with his crew, moments before the infiltration begins (they are at least vaguely aware of this).

Same deal with the gameplay. If your showdown with the Queen ends in failure, you are sent back to the beginning.

THE LANDING - AGAIN

Therefore, the objective in the gameplay is to experiment in the order in which you explore the ship’s locations to maximize your chances of success against the Queen. Each failure informs the next “loop.”

Mechanics
Choices are made by selecting a card from a spread shown at the bottom of the screen. Cards determine how you approach a task, and include things like “Violence” and “Smarts.” The cards you receive at the start of each cycle will also change.

Nothing fancy, but streamlined and quite easy to learn.

Story
The human vs. expeior war is an intriguing one that we know little about.

I do wish there were more backstory. Not only is this a war, it’s an interplanetary one. However, its coverage in the game feels one-sided.

Despite coming off as the default “bad guys,” the more you examine the expeiors, the more complex they seem in their motives. For example, (Spoiler - click to show)Queen Ismin says, "I do want to preserve the Earth," and agrees that its preservation is of greater value than trying to win at all costs. Her concern feels genuine. If the player succeeds in their negotiations, the situation becomes a matter of “I’ll put my weapon down if you put down yours.” So, maybe there’s some hidden depths there.

As for the title, I interpret it as considering the other side rather than merely focusing on what you have to lose or gain. The game has four endings. I found all of them except Ending 2.

Visuals
The visuals are awesome. When I first played The Selfish Gene, I kept thinking, wow, this game looks really professional. The characters look cool, and while we only get a glimpse of expeior biology, it seems that they can come in variety of physical forms. (Spoiler - click to show)Poor Vicky looks like a dehydrated stalk of celery. I would love to see more.

The screen is divided into three columns. The middle one is for text. To the left is Captain Aster and his allies, while everyone else is displayed to the right. If you gain a new ally, they move to the left side of the screen. Cards are colour-coded with neat symbols. Even the clickable map of the ship was impressive!

Final thoughts
The Selfish Gene offers a gameplay experience that felt new and innovative. A good use of Unity’s visual abilities. Arguably, the game is an equal mix of combat and diplomacy, and the character art and card mechanic are notable features. And while it’s not a “time travel game,” it does borrow the looping structure used in games like Vicious Cycles where you repeat the gameplay and learn from failure. If you like choice-based sci-fi games that rely on visuals, definitely give The Selfish Gene a try.

There are parts that could use refinement. I noticed more than a few spelling errors. Additional context on the interplanetary war would also give the story needed perspective and make it less one-sided, but that fortunately (Spoiler - click to show)doesn’t stop successful negotiation from feeling satisfying. As the game puts it: It’s a start.