Reviews by Jacqueline A. Lott
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A Must Play, March 15, 2015Thank you, Mr. Evans, for writing a truly enjoyable story - wonderfully implemented, thoughtfully and carefully written, and thoroughly coded.
To speak too much of this piece would be to ruin it for others, so I will be brief. Photograph shined in the 2002 IF competition. Evans ventured beyond what was necessary, such as the dream sequence and the mishap on the way to the store, to illustrate the concerns of adulthood looking back on what might and should have been. Though the nature of this story requires that it be linear, Evans meticulously implements deviations from the plot as wistful reflections upon how things might have been different. This piece might not appeal to younger audiences, but to those of us who look back now and then to wonder if this was the proper path, Photograph is a must.
Memorable, but Challenging, March 1, 2015This is a quick game, but only if you're able to surmount its challenges (some intended by the author, some not). There are red herrings and optional herrings and unseen things that must be sought, as well as at least one coding issue that can hang people up and cause them to abandon the game. But I played it with ClubFloyd and we stuck with it and found a couple of endings, including the one that I think is the 'good' ending.
I can see why the other review so far gave it three stars. It's a first time author's game, written in under a week, and it (not surprisingly) has issues, but I liked the concept and the imaginative setting. I also have a soft spot for games that explore anatomy, and I enjoyed the blending of qualitative description and clinical jargon. So I bumped up to four stars for this.
Definitely memorable.
Not for the feint of heart (or those of weak stomach).
Simple, slightly perplexing, and ultimately fun, March 1, 2015This is both dark and fun, and it's difficult to write a non-spoilery review, but suffice it to say that the type of fun that is had is not expected. It's also a relatively quick game to play. Recommended.
An endearing game, but with slightly unintuitive puzzles, April 20, 2014ClubFloyd played the Inform version of this on Easter 2014. Overall, I am glad to have played it, but take it for what it is: a one-room puzzlefest with a holiday theme. I recommend you play it on or near Easter to boost the enjoyment, and be willing to try things you would never ever try in a real life confection shop.
Author's First Work, April 20, 2014This is Welbourn's first work of IF, and a speed IF at that. He was learning to code as he was writing it. Nevertheless, it has little hints of the sort of things we'd see in later games from this author. Very short, fairly easy.
Emo goes wacky, April 20, 2014One of David Welbourn's very early games, this is a quickly coded speed IF. Go in realizing it's a speed and just have fun with it. It starts out dour and emo and you think it won't be fun and then it surprises you and you're clapping your hands the way you do with delightfully unexpected wacky IF. (If that is a thing you clap your hands for, as I do.)
The one and only hint I shall give you (and this isn't a spoiler) is that this isn't a one room game. Once I figured that out, things went pretty swiftly.
Looking forward to Episode 2, February 17, 2014We played this on ClubFloyd, and came pretty close to bailing on it because it's got many of the touches of a first-time author who didn't get a game thoroughly tested, but ultimately we stuck with it and all of us agreed that we warmed up to the game despite (or perhaps even because of) these flaws by the end. I wasn't sure it was worth the time at first, but looking back afterward I had a great time playing Colonists. 'Endearing' is one word I'd (oddly enough) use to describe it. That said, I generally enjoy quirky games with amusing descriptions of things meant to be revolting, so your mileage may well vary a great deal. As for me, I'm looking forward to the sequel. Four stars may seem a bit high, but had it been a scale of 1-10, I'd have given it an 8 based on my pre-defined rating scale, which converts to four stars here.
Feels like an episode, February 9, 2014We played this on ClubFloyd and really enjoyed it. It's short, fun, and when you're done it feels like you've experienced an episode of Firefly — complete with a twisty ending. Worthwhile.
Cute, tiny game, February 3, 2014This is an fairly adorable, small, quick to play game, and probably the only interactive fiction I've played where the PC is a zebra. It has a small, easy to map landscape, solid writing, and a clear goal.
I did hit one small snag... (Spoiler - click to show)Sometimes you need to be specific in conversations, and >ASK _____ ABOUT _____. Other times, even when you might think you're supposed to be *very* specific, you should just use >TALK TO _____. And don't even try giving commands to other characters in this game, even though that seems like a good approach; the game will tell you to leave that character alone, even when you may well be on the right track.
Somewhat cruel, but worth playing, February 2, 2014Noire d'Encre is a puzzlefest on a short fuse. Or rather, it's a game in which you have to find a lot of objects to solve a lot things, and you're on (what for me felt like) a very cruel timer. I'd say it's probably impossible to win on the first playthrough. If you're the sort that would take that as a challenge, have at it!
All that having been said, it is definitely worth playing, and it's worth playing in the dark, wearing headphones, at low- to mid-level volume. The game is laced with pretty awesome sound effects that are effective (difficult to pull off in IF!) and add to the game play.
In the long run, I'd love to see a second release of this that has a more merciful timer, an explanation as to how the PC came to be where she is, and a little brother with a bit more personality, but this first release is nevertheless a lot of fun. I'm very glad to have experienced it and I definitely won't forget it.
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