Reviews by ChanceOfFire

You’re trapped in a nightmare, and need to pick the right choices to understand what’s happening to you.

The game’s design is pretty straightforward. It’s a linear adventure through a series of scenes in a nightmare. Well… dreams (and nightmares) can take all sorts of forms and generally don’t make any sense, and that’s the case here too. Still, your objective is to get a certain stat above a certain level to get the ‘good’ ending. Additionally, you’ll also need to raise another stat to unlock more options and better outcomes.

You’ll need to deduce which choices in this nightmare will bring you closer to the stat increases you need. It could take some trial and error to reach the ‘good’ ending.

There are a few typos in the game, even if the writing is generally ok. Unfortunately, there’s just little in the way of plot in a series of nightmare scenes. The trial and error based gameplay may or may not cut it for you, and even if you reach the ‘good’ end, it’s pretty short and doesn’t say much. You could play with it for a bit, but it’s probably not a game you’ll spend plenty of time with.

The plot behind this game is simple. You’re a thief, you’ve heard of an opportunity, and now you’re out to liberate some gold from a vault.

Gameplay is quite heavy on trial and error. There is one (or maybe multiple?) true path to reach the good ending and obtain the gold. A few choices will test your thinking and calculation, but most choices appear to be the sort you work out by trial and error, to figure out a path forward which does not lead to a dead end. There are no stats here, just choices which will bring you forward or to a premature game over.

If you’re looking for a more traditional choicescript game, this isn’t it. This is mostly a short challenge to complete a story by working out the best (only?) path forward, possibly through numerous game overs and restarts. Still, it is a decent way to pass the time if that’s your thing.

Island of Carnage is a fairly solid short game for a bit of entertainment. You play as a journalist, traveling to a dangerous island for a special investigation. However, said island is filled with red-eyed mutant people looking to make you their next meal.

The game is pretty combat heavy, with a lot of action/horror scenes and fight or flee options. Health is a stat within the game you have to keep track of, as letting it fall to zero could lead to a game over. There is also a simple inventory system, with consumables which can restore your health, and a few rare chances to pick up other items. It’s a simple system, but it’s serviceable.

There are some plot twists and moral decisions, but the game’s plot is generally quite heavy on action and fighting.

If you want a fast paced game with a mix of horror and action, this short game should do a fair job.

For some reason, I decided to dig through one of my oldest memories, the second choicescript game I played and the first one ever made.

Unfortunately, as with Choice of Broadsides, this hasn’t quite aged well. The game starts you off with a lot of character creation options, including gender, but this does not seem to affect the game in any way. It does not even get a mention on the stats screen.

The stat system is a mix of opposed stats (e.g. brutality/finesse) as well as regular stats (e.g. infamy). To beat most stat checks, you’ll need to focus on a certain stat and stick to it consistently, hence staying on one end or the other of the opposed stats. The infamy stat can be used to beat some checks in the game. The wealth stat keep tracks of how much money you have, but to the best of my knowledge, this is rarely tested in the game and is largely a personal progress meter.

There are some characters in the game, but most have little in the way of development or personality. There are ROs as well, but these feel like no more than stat checks.

It’s a short and fun romp, if you want to see the very first choicescript game which started it all. Nevertheless, if you are out hunting for free choicescript games, there are longer and better options on the CoG and HG omnibus.

Interactive Bonbons is no typical choicescript game. Instead it is a bunch of minigames made in the choicescript engine. A couple of these minigames have very small plots around them, but this is mostly mild flavor.

If I were to rate this game on the basis on creativity, uniqueness or technical chops, it would be five stars, no question about it. There is a very interesting use of the engine's code to made this game, as well as an interesting use of sound, emojis and other gimmicks.

However, this game feels more like something I'll play with for a bit, get bored with, then return to the shelf. After being wowed by the technical display, a lot of these games really struggle in the fun department. Games like snakes and ladders are probably more fun to play as an actual board game rather than through the choicescript interface.

It's good for playing with for a moment, but it's not something which I'd keep for the long term.

If I had an award for “Best Game which nobody but me liked,” this probably would be it. Arthur: A Retelling wasn’t too warmly received in terms of ratings, but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.

The game is a parody of the original tale of King Arthur, with strong vibes and references from Walt Disney’s The Sword in the Stone. As with the Disney movie, Merlin is a comical and bumbling mentor, leading young Arthur on a couple of misadventures. Sir Ector is a tyrannical master, sentencing young Arthur to a life of pointless drudgery. The game is also one which doesn’t take itself seriously at all, with countless modern references. Humor is a tricky thing to pull off, so it may or may not work for everyone.

You get to pick your gender, although you’re stuck with Arthur as your name, despite the apparent option to choose something. There is something of a mild romance option with Guinevere (but this isn’t a romance game so set your expectations accordingly). There are no stat checks from what I can tell, although there is a fair bit of branching with all sorts of humorous options.

I actually enjoyed it quite a lot. Perhaps I’m crazy or perhaps everyone else is crazy. Maybe both. Honestly, since it’s free to play, I would personally recommend giving it a try if you’d like a short story with a few laughs.

Choice of Broadsides is the first choicescript game I played, back in 2010. For some unfathomable reason, I decided to come back to it some fifteen years later. It brought a slight bit of nostalgia, but not much else.

The game breaks a few modern recommendations. There are a good number of two choice options, as well as fake choices which do not even change flavor text. Mini walls of text are present in some of the choice options, making them look somewhat unsightly. Also, while I recommend a long and linear approach to writing CS games, this one is linear to a fault.

Apart from one character who serves as the player’s main rival and final antagonist, a lot of the characters, including the ROs, have only a little more character development than a name on the screen. There is a lot of copy-pasted text for the three ROs, reducing their depth even further. There is one part where you have to choose a subordinate officer, but there is so little development for the selected characters that it’s difficult to make this a meaningful choice.

Choice of Broadsides is free to play. Still, there are plenty of better free choicescript games around, even under the Hosted Games label.

Full Disclosure: I was a beta tester for this game. This review is based on the version of the game I played during the beta testing process.

Leas: City of the Sun is a fantasy story of sizable length. You play as a highly skilled agent, proficient in a selected set of skills and sent on a mission in a mystical world outside, filled with strange creatures.

You have three romance options in the game, each with their own quirky and interesting personalities. I eventually picked Keo, but making a choice was certainly hard, and reading about the romances was certainly enjoyable. RO genders are determined based on your own gender and sexuality. Speaking of which, there are plenty of customization options which you would expect in a choicescript game. Along with your name, gender and skills, you can also customize your physical appearance, hair and tattoo selections.

The skill system is probably a bit of a weakness. Without giving too much away, the skill system isn't too difficult to handle, and beating checks should be pretty straightforward almost all the time. Personally, I think it could be a little harder, and this is coming from someone with a severe aversion to difficulty.

The writing and worldbuilding is solid and does a good job of conveying the fantasy world before you. The pacing is slightly on the slow side, but still reasonable for the most part. If you like fantasy and prefer a stronger focus on romance or story elements, you probably won't be disappointed here.

Oedipus Rex is a tragedy, a man cursed by prophecy to (Spoiler - click to show)kill his father and marry his mother.

However, that does not have to be the case here. The game gives Oedipus the option to avoid the tragedy of the original play through a series of decisions. Additionally, the game also provides some optional hand-holding. You can choose to have the game guide you down the path of the prophecy or away from it, or an intermediate option which gives you the freedom to make choices and decide your fate.

The story and writing is told well, and does a good job of conveying the world of ancient Greece and the elements of the play. There are some mild RPG and resource management elements here, such as managing your supply of the in-game currency and buying things which may aid your adventures, but nothing overly complicated. There is also a riddle section, as per the original play.

There is plenty of branching and different options within the story, where Oedipus can follow the path of the original tragedy or stray away from it. The game is a little short as far as a single playthrough goes, but there is replay value here. All in all, it is a thought-provoking and enjoyable ride.

Oh yes. The most rated game in the HG omnibus. In the Great Tournament, you start as a young boy from a humble background who works his way up to be a squire, and then a knight. Gameplay consists of two parts, a largely linear story section at the beginning, followed by an exploration section for the second half.

The story is actually surprisingly good, with a solid cast of interesting characters. This section is pretty linear, although there are a few combat sections here and there to put your gameplay skills to the test.

The second half is also great from a gameplay perspective, where you get to travel around, visiting various places and interacting with different characters. The sandbox and free-roaming elements are also quite well done.

There are also several romantic interests, with a good mix of different personalities whom you can get to know and build a relationship with over the course of the game. This part is also good.

The game culminates in a final challenge with various choices which will put your skills and past choices to the test. I’ve never really had any trouble beating it, but I’ve always played on easy so…

As with Swamp Castle, this game demonstrates how gameplay elements can work in a choicescript game. In addition, there is a solid story and character cast. I have different thoughts on the sequel, but this game, as it is, is definitely fun to play.