Reviews by MathBrush

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Dad vs. Unicorn, by PaperBlurt
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
An occasionally list rated story of a father and son and expectations, June 9, 2016*
Related reviews: less than 15 minutes

This game is about a father who is macho and masculine, and a son who has taken a different path and identity from their father.

You take turns playing as father, son, or, eventually, unicorn. The meaning of the unicorn is enigmatic to me, perhaps representing social pressure, but you'll have to play to see what you think.

There is some strong profanity, vague reference to sexual acts, and occasional violence.

* This review was last edited on September 15, 2017
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Which Describes How You're Feeling, by Allison Parrish
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
A typing game; race to rhyme as many words as you can, June 2, 2016
Related reviews: less than 15 minutes

In this game, the doctors are testing to see if you have recovered from a mental illness. They test you by having you rhyme words that they say, but in an odd way and with a timer counting down quickly.

In no way is this an epic or life changing games but it satisfies all of my criteria for 5 stars, which is why I'm giving it that score.

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Fingertips: Leave Me Alone, by Kevin Jackson-Mead
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
An excellent one move, mostly puzzleless game with distinct branches, May 24, 2016
Related reviews: less than 15 minutes

This is my favorite Apollo 18 one move game so far. It is very simple; someone is chasing you, and you have one chance to escape them. There is a correct solution, but all endings are interesting (I found 11 or so).

This game really shines in its writing and creativity. It affected me emotionally in a mild, pleasant way.

There is some mild profanity right at the beginning.

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The Shape of Our Container, by Rocketnia
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
An innovative Twine game about a curious dream, April 23, 2016*
Related reviews: less than 15 minutes

This game, one of the later entrants to the tiny utopia jam, has several unusual features. Fist, it uses neutral pronouns (ze, zir,..). I found that this helped with establishing the tone of the game and the allowing the player to identify with the protagonist.

The second unusual feature is in its branching structure. The game has an unusual structure in its branching that had me playing again and again. This is a strongly branching games but is short enough that replay is easy, similar to Porpentine's Myriad.

Unlike most strongly branching games this game's branches build on each other and create a unified story. Also, the author left little surprises and added variety in the branches.

* This review was last edited on April 24, 2016
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Skull-Scraper, by chandler groover
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
A brief Twine game about a skull scraper with nice effects, April 20, 2016
Related reviews: less than 15 minutes

This game is a Tiny Utopia jam game, and Groover has picked an unusual vision for his utopia. You play a skull-scraper in a house of skulls, and you interact with the world in unusual ways.

This game has great production values, with combinations of advanced visuals, sound effects, etc. The setting is macabre but not gory, dark but not depressing.

The writing is well-paced, with a truly beautiful and almost-hidden turning point. Perhaps my favorite Tiny Utopias game.

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The Northnorth Passage, by Caleb Wilson (as Snowball Ice)
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
A short, interesting experiment on constraints, April 18, 2016
Related reviews: less than 15 minutes

In this game, you are in a room that seems incredibly detailed, with many NPCs. As you progress, there are interesting locations, exciting events, and complicated scenarios.

However, it is all for naught. The family curse has activated in you, so that any action besides GO NORTH will cause your death. Time and again, it seems like some other action is needed, but only GO NORTH is allowed.

This is amusing, and would not work nearly as well in a short story. This exact feeling of helplessness is unique to an interactive format, and it's a welcome effect.

Strongly recommended.

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baby tree, by Lester Galin
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
A minimalist surreal horror/dread game, March 27, 2016
Related reviews: less than 15 minutes

This game is almost like westernized Haiku, with short, clipped, uncapitalized sentences, usually of two or three words.

It is minimalistic, with perhaps less than 50 words in the entire game, two rooms, etc.

It is essentially puzzleless, but I was stuck a bit at the very end. But with so many objects, it's easy to try.

The game attempts to be one of deep/shocking/horrifying at random, and somewhat succeeds.

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Ex Nihilo, by Juhana Leinonen
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
A short and charming Vorple game about omnipotence and loneliness, February 8, 2016
Related reviews: less than 15 minutes

This beautiful web-based game (made with Vorple) tells the story of an omnipotent being who is alone and comes into contact with ordinary beings, before a more significant encounter.

The text shifts and changes on a white and black screen, with background decorations and smooth panning of screens.

The game, as others have said, seems to save the responses of previous players, and integrates them into the current game.

It's so short that you could play it 2 or 3 times in 15 minutes. Recommended.

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Before the End of the World, by Silverstring Media
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
An enjoyable moment at the end of the world for a dreamer, January 17, 2016*
Related reviews: less than 15 minutes

I first saw this enjoyable shortish Twine game when another reviewer brought it to my attention. You visit your childhood village, where you explore the home of your own family and that of a childhood friend.

There is some kind of unspoken disaster about to occur, giving you a sense of urgency mixed with hopelessness. You discover that you and your friend had a highly unusual relationship.

The writing is evocative and breathless. The story is unfolded as you examine objects in burned-out shells of houses. I never really listen to music, but I had left the volume on as I played, and the music that came contributed significantly to the mood.

* This review was last edited on February 3, 2016
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Andromeda Dreaming, by Joey Jones
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Short, atmospheric game with new lingo, tight plot, and good writing, December 22, 2015*
Related reviews: less than 15 minutes

This game was written as part of a competition to extend the universe of Andromeda Awakening and Andromeda Apocalypse, two of the best sci fi games out there.

This game plays with constraints in a very effective way. As the game opens, you are strapped into a bunk, unable to move. The setting will make much more sense for those who have played the first Andromeda game.

The game is mostly conversation based. It has a Gostak or For a Change feel, where you have to try and decipher what other people are saying. This part was a lot of fun, developing a new slang.

The game is quite short; I finished without a walkthrough in less than twenty minutes. However, it is very well crafted. There are supposedly many endings, but I have only reached one, and it was a good one,

This possibly has the highest fun-to-time ratio of any game I have played, so I recommend it to everyone..

* This review was last edited on February 3, 2016
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