Reviews by ChanceOfFire

Recently, I have seen a few IF games include mentions about AI, automation and how it could possibly lead to mass unemployment. Well, now we have once which puts this topic front and center (more or less, I suppose). You need money for... (the game gives you some options here)... and there are pretty much no jobs left for you to take to earn that money, due to the AI and employment crisis. Well, maybe except one. Being a medical test subject.

This game is pretty short, although there is a slight bit of branching where you can choose to back out halfway, screw the big corp with an illicit deal and so on. It's somewhat thought provoking, particularly in the context of a world where you need money and are running out of ways to earn it.

It was a fairly good read, and certainly gets one thinking.

The writing is solid, in a game which takes you in a dream featuring various environments, where you have to work your way to solve a puzzle to get through each stage.

Still, much of the puzzle largely involves visiting different areas, obtaining a certain key item to unlock another area, and so on, until you unlock the final task in a key area and move on to the next stage. Brute forcing your way through the puzzles by selecting as many options as you can could also get you through most of the story. Still, a few of the sections require you to think and read the text clearly to get through, so some challenge is there. It's not overly difficult or complicated, however, which is a plus for me.

You will also have to repeatedly wake up to feed a fire, or it's game over, but it still felt more like tedium to pad out the gameplay rather than an interesting part of the puzzle.

It's a short and fun bit of entertainment, and the undo option also means you can't really lose, since it's possible to rewind back to an earlier stage of the game. It's good for a bit of entertainment.

Tin Star was the first choicescript game to cross one million words, and was the only member of the million plus club for quite some time. That said, quantity isn't the only thing the game has going for it. With solid writing which conveys the western setting and a wide range of encounters from the massive wordcount, you'll find yourself immersed in the game for quite a while.

There is an extensive stat system, with plenty of opportunities to raise and test those stats. The game's structure is broken up into a set of stat-changing activities you can perform, before a chapter mission picks up. The missions are interesting and really provide a sense of adventure, as you work to discover the enemy and uncover their plot. Furthermore, there is also a good bit of branching here, with hidden content and branches for players willing to try something different.

Still, the prose tends to be heavy and ramble at times. There is no doubt plenty of content here, but sometimes, it's hard not to feel that the wordcount was partially the result of over-long prose. Nevertheless, I'm not taking off a star for this, as there is certainly still an extra large dose of quality content here.

There is also an interesting cast of characters, along with romances. There is quite a bit of variety in the characters you can romance. Won't spoil anything, but there are also two other unexpected characters you can marry as well.

When it comes to the ending, the game also leaves on a strong note, with plenty of detail of what happened to different folks and places, as well as a recounting of your own achievements. This is another part that allows the end to feel satisfying.

Overall, this is a solid game which provides as much in quality as it does in quantity. It's a solid recommendation if you want a long adventure in the choicescript world.

Temple of Endless Night might not be the biggest name in the choicescript universe, but it is easily one of my favorite fantasy choicescript games. With a unique and well-developed setting in ancient Egypt, along with a stat and character customization system which fleshes out the lore even more, there is plenty of interesting reading here.

The plot is initially straightforward, although it thickens eventually, as you join a caravan on a task to retrieve an item from a mysterious temple. Much of the entire plot comprises your journey to the temple, and the temple itself. Still, there is plenty of branching, different endings and replay value here, as well as major secrets for players willing to venture off the beaten path. I enjoyed most of the romances as well, with solid character writing and romance scenes.

The game itself isn't too difficult. Still, there are some difficult stat checks in the game, so careful character building may be important. The game also provides an optional item to give you an easier experience at the earlier parts.

Temple of Endless Night does the setting well, and presents a unique approach from the usual knights-and-castles fantasy fare. It is a game I have played and replayed multiple times, and one which I think is worth a look.

Gameplay-wise, The Twelve Trials follows a really tried-and-true stat based formula. You pick a few skills you are good at before you embark on your quest. On the way, you make choices and face stat challenges. Completing these challenges successfully awards you a skill bonus of your choice, helping you for the next round as the requirements go up. It's functional, but no more.

Still, what I really liked about the game are the writing and characters. The game depicts a host of interesting and charming encounters against a backdrop of greek mythology, and I really liked the story and setting. The cast here is also pretty interesting, and I liked most of the characters. Sadly, while there is romance in the game, as far as I can tell, it's just a short scene somewhere in the middle. It is a shame, because with so many characters being this good, romance was one of the first things on my mind.

Once your reach the ending part of the game, you are asked what you think the meaning behind your entire quest was. I got this right on the first try, and it wasn't too difficult to guess the answer. Still, the journey was as fun as the destination.

This game gets a solid recommendation from me. That said, if you're looking for romance, lower your expectations a little.

As with other titles from the author, Life of a Mercenary comes with plenty of gameplay and management elements, but with a good dose of story as well.

You play as the leader of a mercenary company, and are tasked with finding contracts and making money while keeping your forces and stronghold in shape by buying various upgrades. When it comes to making management games in the choicescript engine, it is easy to wind up with a clunky or overcomplicated interface. Still, the management system feels easy to manage here, with different decisions laid out for you without the feeling of navigating through a dozen menu pages.

You start out with smaller missions like providing security or beating up thugs, before moving up the ladder and gaining access to bigger and better contracts and missions. In addition to earning money for upgrades, you can also gain experience to improve your character's stats. The first part of the game appears to be timed, which is annoying if you want to clear all the content there before moving on. Still, there are plenty of adventures within to keep you entertained, along with a sense of progression.

Stock images appear to have been used in the game for illustrations. They aren't too consistent in terms of style, but I didn't mind it too much. Also note that some pictures might be slightly nsfw, but there's nothing explicit within.

Also, there is also a fairly interesting cast of characters who serve as fellow mercenaries, along with romances. I preferred the romances in the Great Tournament, but what is here works for me as well.

It's a strong title, and a good example of an open-ended choicescript game with management elements done right.

The Great Tournament 2 continues from where the first game left off. You had the choice of four ROs in the first game, and the sequel offers a unique starting chapter for each RO (along with ending the first game single.) It also partially takes into account the final decision you made in the first game, although it has much less of an impact of the game, and the game also appears to disregard some combinations of choices.

The overall story is largely linear as you take charge of your small fief, before eventually being pulled into a larger plot which brings you into working with another major kingdom, solving their problems by diplomacy, force or some combination of each. Like other games by the writer, there are plenty of gameplay elements here, including city management, troop organization, battles and so on. Most of these gameplay systems feel engaging, and while it's a bit more complex than Swamp Castle or the first Great Tournament, it doesn't feel overly clunky or complicated.

Still, the battles here are a huge pain in the ass, and I was strongly considering giving three stars because of this alone. There are plenty of battles where you have to fight massive enemy armies which large numbers of troops. Sounds fun? Well, you'll be tapping the next button zillions of times just to get through the mountain of meat. Recruitment is another pain as well, as you will have to train some units one at a time, rather than being able to specify a bulk amount to purchase.

The Great Tournament 2 has an engaging story, strong gameplay elements (minus the awful tedium mentioned before) and plenty of content and branching. I do think it's a really good game and a worthy sequel to the first title. Still, be prepared to slog through some of the battles.

You work for a luxury brothel. No, not as a courtesan, but a swordswoman, providing combat services for the Belle-de-Nuit. That said, you do get to work as a courtesan for the brothel at some points, but this is entirely optional and consensual, and the game is upfront about it when it happens.

Belle-de-Nuit is female-locked, although both male and female ROs are available in this HC title. I actually liked all the romanceable characters, and there are also some really sweet scenes of love and intimacy in the game. Interestingly, the game hands most of these scenes to you at the earlier chapters, while turning down the faucet for the middle and later portions. (Most romance games I've played usually do it the other way round, unless they're handing the heavy stuff to you every step of the way.)

Still, I think the plotting and writing are some of the negatives I see here. Your task is to secure a very wealthy patron for the Belle-de-Nuit. (Spoiler - click to show) I romanced the guy working for said patron, and enjoyed it. However, the game does not appear to have much of a plot even with this overarching goal. Most of the time, I felt like I was going through scenes which were interesting individually but didn't have much coherence as a larger whole. It was hard to get the sense that I was progressing well towards bringing this wealthy patron in. The writer also tended to ramble a bit in Never Date Werewolves, and I'm seeing the same problem in this title as well.

If you're just here for romances, I can recommend this game, quite strongly in fact. However, I feel the story just isn't as good.

Full Disclosure: I am a credited beta tester for this game.

Compared to Zoo-pocalypse, Message in a Melody is more like your traditional Hosted Games title, with a fairly substantial word count (150k), character creation, stats and romances. Still, the Sci-fi genre isn't exactly popular with the Hosted Games crowd, and Message in a Melody is more the 'academic' type of Sci-fi game rather than the 'adventure' type. I'm guessing this is one of the reasons it hasn't done well with that crowd. Still, if this type of sci-fi is the one for you, I do think Message in a Melody could be a pretty strong title.

First, let's talk about this game's signature feature - the ability to unlock music. Well, how this works is that at different points in the game, you can unlock songs, which are essentially links to MVs on external sites like youtube. Unfortunately, I feel that this idea was much better on paper than in the actual game. Due to issues with clicking hyperlinks in game, these links are provided as full URLs which you can copy/paste on the mobile version. Also, even if you're playing on wifi or with unlimited cellular data, moving to another website from the omnibus to hear the music just feels really clunky on mobile platforms. Even on desktop platforms, it also feels immersion breaking to jump to a youtube page just to hear the music. I appreciate the attempt at innovation, but this felt like a huge miss.

The setting and story is pretty well written, and while some writers tend to ramble, I felt that the amount of prose used here was just right. There are also optional modes for full stat transparency, which is a big plus in my book. You play as a member of a race of aliens, out to destroy the human race, until something musical just seems to change your mind. You also have the option to romance some other alien characters in the game, but none of the ROs really stood out, and this didn't feel like a big part of the game anyway.

Given the choice of genre and style, this game was never likely to be a hit with the HG crowd. The external music link system also felt a lot like an experiment which went very wrong. Still, if the more academic type of Sci-fi is your thing, there can be a lot to like here.

I've played quite a number of VNs for the dialogue jam. A good number of them had pretty high production values for the event, and Lady Anneliese Dies could be another of them. There is plenty of delightfully fitting music and art here (most of it appears to be free assets, such as pixabay), but the overall product feels pretty high quality, with the mysterious and otherworldy vibes.

A powerful heiress (whom you play as) dies under mysterious circumstances. Using some mystical powers, she travels back in time to figure out who or what killed her.

There are three main suspects, along with a few other possible options like a stranger or a self-inflicted death. The game puts you through a couple of scenes as you move back in time to see what happened and figure out who the murderer is. Still, I was unable to solve this one, and it seems (I might be wrong) that the developers wanted this to be somewhat ambigious so that people could discuss possible theories. Anyway, I'm pretty bad at solving mysteries, so there's probably little I can bring to the table. Still, it was an enjoyable read, even though I'm scratching my head now.