Hangman's Gulch

Hangman's Gulch, despite the ominous title, is a player-friendly old school parser light puzzler.

Although given a coat of Western genre theme paint, it is basically a short treasure hunt built out of classic text adventure tropes. The nature of the treasure at first seemed reasonably related to the fictional time and place but soon drifted into the exceedingly unlikely. This does not matter in the least -- again, it's an old school parser treasure hunt game.

None of its Tab A/Slot B puzzles are particularly difficult since strong hinting is provided in the game's main text. Although a >HINT feature is implemented, the player is unlikely to need to use it, and if used is likely to be disappointed. (The only hint I got from it was a restatement of the obvious.) Most of the things needed by the protagonist are left conveniently abandoned somewhere in the newly-created ghost town in which the action takes place. Others arrive through unexpected chains of cause-and-effect, such as answering riddles or feeding animals. Aside from their unexpected outcomes, puzzles are rooted in real world concerns and amenable to straightforward reasoning; there's not a hint of moon logic to be found. A few items can be used for more than one purpose, which is a nice touch.

There are several animal interactions in this game, giving it an occasionally cutesy feel that may appeal to kids. (Note, however, that violence toward one of them -- a type considered dangerous -- is required to win.) Caffeinated beverages also figure more prominently than might be expected for a Western, with the largest point award in the game being given, surprisingly, for brewing some tea.

Mechanical quality is high, as is typical for a game published by author Garry Francis. I encountered one trifling error (attempting to (Spoiler - click to show)>READ SIGN IN MIRROR) and might quibble about some of the responses to unsuccessful actions (e.g. (Spoiler - click to show)>TIE ROPE TO JUG and >TIE ROPE TO KETTLE) as missed opportunities to provide additional hinting or allow alternate solutions, but these are minor and do not detract significantly from the overall experience, which leans minimalist and focuses on the gameplay essentials.

Overall, this game is a solid introduction to the old school style and a suitable introduction to puzzlers for someone new to the idea. It's also a good choice for someone in a nostalgic mood who wants some amusement during a lunch break or commute.