Here's a dangerously subjective poll. I can be a bit impatient with text adventures on most days, sadly, and if a game doesn't grab me, shake me, French-kiss me and hump my leg in the first 2,000 words (those long intros count toward the total) I generally shut the game down and walk away - too many other fish in the sea to linger. But I'm certain I've paid a quiet price for that: I bet there are a lot of games with so-so opening bits that, later on, blossom into something FANTASTIC ... what game does that description bring to mind, for your own tastes?
Shade, by Andrew Plotkin 6 votes "May seem like any..." [+]"May seem like any other "your apartment"-game (though better written en implemented)... but it isn't." --Victor Gijsbers... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Spider and Web, by Andrew Plotkin 3 votes "Keeps getting better with every scene" [+]"Keeps getting better with every scene" ( ![]() | |
Slouching Towards Bedlam, by Star Foster and Daniel Ravipinto 2 votes "It didn't..." [+]"It didn't really strike me very strongly at first, but as the plot unravels things get very good indeed." ( ![]() | |
Bad Machine, by Dan Shiovitz 2 votes "At first it seems like nonsense" [+]"At first it seems like nonsense: but it is well worthy puzzling through if you can." --Newbot... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Savoir-Faire, by Emily Short 2 votes "The..." [+]"The learning-curve is initially a little steep, but once you get into it it's marvellous." ( ![]() | |
Changes, by David Given 1 vote "The first..." [+]"The first transformation puzzle may cause players to give up which is a shame since you never even get to see the first cutscene that reveals and intriguing and beautiful story." ( ![]() | |
Crystal and Stone, Beetle and Bone, by Jenny Brennan 1 vote "At first I didn't have a clue what to do, but it just kept getting better and better." [+]"At first I didn't have a clue what to do, but it just kept getting better and better." ( ![]() | |
Infidel, by Michael Berlyn 1 vote "The opening..." [+]"The opening puzzles are tough and a bit unfair, but once you get into the pyramid, the game opens up a lot. (It's still very old-school, but infinitely more fun.)" ( ![]() | |
Within a circle of water and sand, by Romain 1 vote "The intro has a..." [+]"The intro has a ton of text that may be overwhelming at first, but the gameplay is NOT as dense as it seems. After your first playthrough you can skip the lengthy intro. The game has a high replay value, but players may quit before they see this. It also has beautiful graphics that make it worthwhile." ( ![]() | |
Chancellor, by Kevin Venzke 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --Ikram... ![]() | |
Christminster, by Gareth Rees 1 vote "This is a plotty..." [+]"This is a plotty and ambitious game with some cool set scenes. Unfortunately, the first puzzle more or less requires mindreading. Walkthrough that part, and the rest is better." --Emily Short... ![]() | |
The Tiny House, by Dan Doyle III 1 vote "The game picks up..." [+]"The game picks up slowly. You start out trying to find out WHAT happened, then the bulk of the game is trying to correct it. More Zork or Sorcerer-esque. " ( ![]() | |
Poll created on November 24, 2009