OtisTDog

Top 25 Reviewer
Member since February 27, 2008
Last visited May 6, 2026
Profile ID (TUID): 8tqtppvpzluoq2jf

I've got some strong opinions for someone who's never shown the courage or skill to publish any IF of my own. Nonetheless, I am a big fan of the medium -- which I think is going to be rediscovered by the mainstream at some point -- and I hope you enjoy my reviews.

Here's a brief guide to my rating system. It is unusually harsh, because I intentionally rate using a power law distribution in which high scores are relatively rare:

5 stars -- a piece so incredible it effectively defines the genre or technique that it introduces or perfects. Very, very few works will get 5 stars from me.

4 stars -- a work that is significantly above average and achieves something notable. In general, a game that excels but does not quite reach the apex of its class. A relatively small number of works will get 4 stars from me.

3 stars -- a game that is competently put together and enjoyable to play, but lacks the special something that would make it stand out. Best summed up as "good, not great". Many games will get this rating from me.

2 stars -- a passable attempt that is deficient in one or more qualities that would make it truly enjoyable. Basically, something that could have been a 3-star game but fell short in some way, or otherwise falls into the "blah" category. Many games will get this rating from me.

1 star -- a work that, in my mind, has no redeeming qualities or is so horribly non-functional that any such qualities are not relevant to the playing experience. Very few games will get this rating from me, as I try to find something good about most games and generally avoid titles that look likely to score this low.

I am most harsh in my reviews when a work shows little evidence of effort on the part of the author. Conversely, I am inclined to generosity when I feel like the author tried hard to realize an interesting goal, even if he or she was not successful in doing so.

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Reviews by OtisTDog

The Owl Consults, by Thomas Mack, Nick Mathewson, and Cidney Hamilton   May 5, 2026

"The Owl Consults is a game that I first came across while exploring the history of the XYZZY Awards but which I had never really heard..." - See the full review

Sequitur, by Nigel Jayne (as Tin Foil Jenny)   April 26, 2026

"Sequitur, the first release by author Nigel Jayne, is an unusual work perhaps best described as a one-room police procedural. The player..." - See the full review

Spur, by Kent Tessman   April 25, 2026

"Continuing a string of Western games, I decided to try this one from 1995 -- the dawn of the hobbyist era. This distant origin is..." - See the full review

The Song of the Mockingbird, by Mike Carletta   April 24, 2026

"I've been on a Western streak for IF lately, and The Song of the Mockingbird is one of the more prominent entries in that genre...." - See the full review

Give Me Your Lunch Money, by DCBSupafly   April 23, 2026

"This game is about a child "inventor" who plans revenge against a trio of bullies that ruin a favorite project. Physically outmatched by..." - See the full review

See all 178 reviews by OtisTDog
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OtisTDog's Played Games List

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