Ratings and Reviews by verityvirtue

This game’s main gimmick is its extremely sparse prose, as if it had a strict word limit (300 words, anyone?). This extends to the parser responses (to things such as unrecognised verbs and so on), helping to set the mood.

However, the scarcity of prose also means there’s barely any feedback on the player’s actions (i.e. was I doing the right thing? Can I examine this thing?) grew frustrating after a while. I wouldn’t call it getting *stuck*, per se, since there’s so little to do that it’s pretty obvious how to get to the end of the story. But again it’s like those simple origami foxes or cats or whatever: it’s so stylised that it gives the *idea* of the thing,though it lacks many of the features that make the fox or cat or whatever it is.

Is it horror? Because of the prose, a lot of the content which would be considered horror is implicit, and depends on how you respond to certain situations.

As another reviewer has mentioned, the ‘epilogue’ feels rather rushed. The attempt to smoosh in some semblance of ‘story’ was a letdown, precisely because it felt so out of place. Still, it’s interesting for a one-time playthrough, as a writing experiment or a little piece of art.

The first thing in the blurb, and indeed the first thing the game mentions, is that it's set in the 14th centry. Why, then, does the author use such modern language? I mean, (Spoiler - click to show)was preserving evidence really a thing then?

There are some language issues which, again, take away from the mood of the game, especially what feels like an excessive use of ellipses.

This dovetails with a general lack of immersion. A 14th century setting should probably feel foreign to a 21st century reader, but this... this would come straight out of a rural police procedural. (Spoiler - click to show)There’s even mention of an autopsy (once generally frowned upon, would you know)! This game would do well with more investment into the 14th century setting, that being one of the features of the game.

(Spoiler - click to show)The interviews with the various characters felt very generic, and it was difficult to remember which character was which. Navigation in the room could also do with a bit of work to make it more intuitive. One main problem - main, because it makes up the bulk of the game - is that to leave the crime scene, you have to speak to Borin first.

Dead Deeds is exceedingly straightforward, with nary a red herring. On its own, this would not have been a problem, but coupled with the lack of thought to the language - not even faux-medieval language - that makes it a tiny bit disappointing.

This, the blurb states, is a story about growing up. Well, it isn’t wrong, not entirely, but one thing the blurb doesn’t state is that this isn’t a game. (Or IS it? The debate continues at 5…) Well, it's a game-poem.

So if you do have a look at it, know that there are no choices. As a poem, though, it does pack quite a punch.

Warning: mentions suicide and sex.