Games with the best writing - an IFDB Poll

by A. I. Wulf
RSS Feed

Games are a new medium of art. It's still a maturing medium. But still some works May have succeeded in being truly classic in their writing. As an enthusiastic writer I need to know about the growth of IF in this field.

Add a comment


Eat Me, by Chandler Groover
10 votes
"The most luscious, sensory experience possible." [+]"The most luscious, sensory experience possible.: The writing cannot be faulted.
Even as luscious and over the top as it is, it's done in an ingenious way that makes you hungry and laugh all at once." ( - Full review) --Angharade
... "Grotesque and beautiful" [+]"Grotesque and beautiful" () --Cerfeuil... "rich, evocative..." [+]"rich, evocative prose" () --Spike... "An over-rich,..." [+]"An over-rich, molasses-drizzled fruitcake of prose, flamboyant and personal. Like Rabelais crossed with a Victorian children's book." () --Christina Nordlander... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Malasana... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karl Ove Hufthammer... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --aluminumoxynitride... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Sophia de Augustine... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Max Fog...

Vote for this game

Cragne Manor, by Ryan Veeder, Jenni Polodna, Adam Whybray, Adri, Andrew Plotkin, Andy Holloway, Austin Auclair, Baldur Brückner, Ben Collins-Sussman, Bill Maya, Brian Rushton, Buster Hudson, Caleb Wilson, Carl Muckenhoupt, Chandler Groover, Chris Jones, Christopher Conley, Damon L. Wakes, Daniel Ravipinto, Daniel Stelzer, David Jose, David Petrocco, David Sturgis, Drew Mochak, Edward B, Emily Short, Erica Newman, Feneric, Finn Rosenløv, Gary Butterfield, Gavin Inglis, Greg Frost, Hanon Ondricek, Harkness Munt, Harrison Gerard, Ian Holmes, Ivan Roth, Jack Welch, Jacqueline Ashwell, James Eagle, Jason Dyer, Jason Lautzenheiser, Jason Love, Jeremy Freese, Joey Jones, Joshua Porch, Justin de Vesine, Justin Melvin, Katherine Morayati, Kenneth Pedersen, Lane Puetz, Llew Mason, Lucian Smith, Marco Innocenti, Marius Müller, Mark Britton, Mark Sample, Marshal Tenner Winter, Matt Schneider, Matt Weiner, Matthew Korson, Michael Fessler, Michael Gentry, Michael Hilborn, Michael Lin, Mike Spivey, Molly Ying, Monique Padelis, Naomi Hinchen, Nate Edwards, Petter Sjölund, Q Pheevr, Rachel Spitler, Reed Lockwood, Reina Adair, Riff Conner, Roberto Colnaghi, Rowan Lipkovits, Sam Kabo Ashwell, Scott Hammack, Sean M. Shore, Shin, Wade Clarke, Zach Hodgens, Zack Johnson
5 votes
"Many of the best IF authors contributed to this." [+]"Many of the best IF authors contributed to this." ( - Full review) --MathBrush... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Nomad... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Lance Cirone... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Max Fog... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Jason Lautzenheiser...

Vote for this game

With Those We Love Alive, by Porpentine and Brenda Neotenomie
4 votes
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Caleb Wilson... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Ruber Eaglenest... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Cerfeuil...

Vote for this game

Birdland, by Brendan Patrick Hennessy
4 votes
"God, the *voice* on this thing." [+]"God, the *voice* on this thing." --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --MathBrush... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karl Ove Hufthammer... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --aluminumoxynitride...

Vote for this game

Invisible Parties, by Sam Kabo Ashwell (as Psychopup)
4 votes
"Wonderfully..." [+]"Wonderfully expresses a few dozen settings in a couple of sentences each." () --Caleb Wilson... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --aluminumoxynitride... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Keltena...

Vote for this game

Vespers, by Jason Devlin
3 votes
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Space Cowboy... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karl Ove Hufthammer... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --aluminumoxynitride...

Vote for this game

Metamorphoses, by Emily Short
3 votes
"Just wonderful." [+]"Just wonderful." () --bkirwi... "That sweet spot of terse and moody that's so hard to reach." [+]"That sweet spot of terse and moody that's so hard to reach." ( - Full review) --Rovarsson... "May well be the..." [+]"May well be the best-written IF game I've played. The writing is poetic and stately without ever losing its clarity or becoming overly precious." --Christina Nordlander...

Vote for this game

my father's long, long legs, by michael lutz
3 votes
(No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --MathBrush... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Lance Cirone... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Jason Lautzenheiser...

Vote for this game

Fallen London, by Failbetter Games
3 votes
"Whole scenes alive in every sentence." [+]"Whole scenes alive in every sentence.: Fallen London is massive and constantly grows. Some parts are definitely weaker than others, but the strong parts are written with laser-precision. Each word counts." () --CMG... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Passionario... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Sophia de Augustine...

Vote for this game

dripping with the waters of SHEOL, by Lady Isak Grozny
2 votes
"One of the best writing in IF ever" [+]"One of the best writing in IF ever" () --Ruber Eaglenest... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Passionario...

Vote for this game

Solarium, by Anya Johanna DeNiro
2 votes
"Dense, powerful, succeeds in suggesting vast scope." [+]"Dense, powerful, succeeds in suggesting vast scope." () --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) --calindreams...

Vote for this game

Lime Ergot, by Caleb Wilson (as Rust Blight)
2 votes
"One of the best hallucinatory game" [+]"One of the best hallucinatory game" () --Ruber Eaglenest... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol...

Vote for this game

Harmonia, by Liza Daly
2 votes
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karl Ove Hufthammer... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --besmaller...

Vote for this game

howling dogs, by Porpentine
2 votes
"A modern classic." [+]"A modern classic.: Most Porpentine games belong on this list. This was my first and perhaps still my favorite. Check out Contrition too." () --CMG... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Ruber Eaglenest...

Vote for this game

Galatea, by Emily Short
2 votes
"An artful discussion on art." [+]"An artful discussion on art.: I just felt that this IF is an example for how humane and fleshed out can a NPC be. Kudos to Emily Short" () --A. I. Wulf... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --aluminumoxynitride...

Vote for this game

Take, by Katherine Morayati (as Amelia Pinnolla)
1 vote
"Prose sharp enough to sting." [+]"Prose sharp enough to sting." ( - Full review) --CMG...

Vote for this game

Superluminal Vagrant Twin, by C.E.J. Pacian
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Sobol...

Vote for this game

Will Not Let Me Go, by Stephen Granade
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karl Ove Hufthammer...

Vote for this game

According to Cain, by Jim Nelson
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Denk...

Vote for this game

Bee, by Emily Short
1 vote
"Not presently playable, alas, but some incredible writing." [+]"Not presently playable, alas, but some incredible writing." ( - Full review) --Sam Kabo Ashwell...

Vote for this game

Deadline Enchanter, by Alan DeNiro
1 vote
"One of the..." [+]"One of the earliest IF pieces I can think of where I'd gladly read a whole novel of more of the same writing." --Caleb Wilson...

Vote for this game

Jesse Stavro's Compass, by Arlan Wetherminster
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk...

Vote for this game

Starry Seeksorrow, by Caleb Wilson (as Ayla Rose)
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sam Kabo Ashwell...

Vote for this game

A Trial, by B Minus Seven
1 vote
"B Minus Seven is great." [+]"B Minus Seven is great.: Howled House and Voice Box are also excellent." ( - Full review) --CMG...

Vote for this game

Adventure, by William Crowther and Donald Woods
1 vote
"For the first IF..." [+]"For the first IF ever, it has darn fine writing" --Christina Nordlander...

Vote for this game

Computerfriend, by Kit Riemer
1 vote
"Evocative cyberpunk setting" [+]"Evocative cyberpunk setting" ( - Full review) --Cerfeuil...

Vote for this game

So Far, by Andrew Plotkin
1 vote
"Plotkin is always..." [+]"Plotkin is always a good writer. This is probably his most poetically-written game" --Christina Nordlander...

Vote for this game

Pytho's Mask, by Emily Short
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Lance Cirone...

Vote for this game

Best of Three, by Emily Short
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Lance Cirone...

Vote for this game

Honeysuckle, by Cat Manning
1 vote
"Very fine horror..." [+]"Very fine horror writing evoking an increasingly more oppressive mood, something especially impressive in a speed-IF" --Christina Nordlander...

Vote for this game

Swan Hill, by Laura Michet
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Caleb Wilson...

Vote for this game

SPY INTRIGUE, by furkle
1 vote
"Morbidly witty, yet painfully sincere" [+]"Morbidly witty, yet painfully sincere" () --Cerfeuil...

Vote for this game

Is there another game that you think should be on this list? Just fill in the title of a game you'd like to vote for.
Game Title (or TUID or IFID):

Poll created on October 18, 2017