|
Have you played this game?You can rate this game, record that you've played it, or put it on your wish list after you log in. |
Playlists and Wishlists |
RSS Feeds![]() ![]() ![]() |
About the Story"Walking away from a picnic, you are suddenly caught in a country storm. You must protect a bridge from being destroyed. An ultra-linear game." [--blurb from The Z-Files Catalogue]Game Details
Language: English (en)
Current Version: Release 6 License: Freeware Development System: Inform 5 Forgiveness Rating: Cruel Baf's Guide ID: 235
|
Awards
1st Place, Inform Division - First Annual Interactive Fiction Competition (1995)
Editorial Reviews
Baf's Guide

-- Carl Muckenhoupt
Jay Is Games
This is unquestionably the hardest game that I've posted here, and is near impossible to complete with numerous attempts or a walkthrough.
-- Wulfo
See the full review
SPAG
[Reviews by Magnus Olsson, Palmer Davis, Gareth Rees and Duncan Stevens]
See the full review
Tags
Member Reviews
| Average Rating: ![]() Number of Reviews: 7 Write a review |
Most Helpful Member Reviews

The parser is also limited, but that didn't really give me trouble.
What the game does do exceptionally well is build a sense of isolation and real dread out of what would seem to be an innocent scenario. The writing is excellent, not just in the sense of describing sunsets (though it does that too), but in that it maintains a subtle and seamless emotional tone throughout. Your friends are just across the river, but you nevertheless get the feeling that there is something serious at stake -- much more so than in most games where you are jumping off buildings and saving the world and so on.
My advice is to go in committed, spend some time, and try your best, but look at a walkthrough before you start to hate the thing. The solutions to the puzzles are satisfying but not worth banging your head against the wall for.

The game is well-written in many respects, and the game contains a great (non-verbal) NPC, but the game just doesn't make enough sense to really live up to its potential. Its very difficult anyway, and that great difficulty is enhanced by a peculiarly vague and not very consequential goal (and a needlessly ambiguous ending). I really wanted to like this game, and part of me did, but overall, its tragically flawed. Yet its too close to the mark to warrant a rating below three.

This game was one of the two winners of the very first IF Comp. It is well known for being one of Plotkin's most difficult games, and one of the most difficult well-known games in general.
You play a loner who leaves a picnic/party to look around a secluded woodland area. Puzzles are hard due to:
1. Not knowing what your goal is;
2. Being able to put the game in an unwinnable state without knowing it;
3. Fast-paced timing.
Despite, or possibly because of the difficulty, this has remained a very popular game. Perhaps this is because the game has an inspirational feel. It is easy to identify with the protagonist, and the games understated writing gives you a sense of wonder.
The game was intended to be completed in 2 hours. You will certainly reach an ending within two hours.
See All 7 Member Reviews
If you enjoyed A Change in the Weather...
Related Games
People who like A Change in the Weather also gave high ratings to these games:The Nemean Lion, by Anonymous
Average member rating: (23 ratings)
Human Errors, by Katherine Morayati Average member rating: ![]() A contractor assigned to handle bug reports for a wearable mood-regulation device becomes unwitting witness to trauma and crime. |
Oppositely Opal, by Buster Hudson Average member rating: ![]() You've practiced long and hard for PotionComp, but Grusilda won't give up her title so easily. UGH! Curse that Grusilda! A one-room potion-brewing spell-casting parser puzzler, where things might go opposite the way you planned. |
Recommended Lists
A Change in the Weather appears in the following Recommended Lists:IF For Libraries by pwaak
I have examined the licensing and reviews for these games. They all conform to the selection policy of a typical public library in Texas. Your mileage may vary. Academic libraries may consider this list conservative while school...
My List Of Most Fun Games Ever by Rotonoto
(in purely alphabetical order)
Great games in a mostly realistic setting by MathBrush
These are games that for the most part don't contain magical elements or futuristic technology. This includes games where there might be magic or futuristic technology, but you don't know until the end. So several of these games do...
Polls
The following polls include votes for A Change in the Weather:Vivid games by Jeff Sonas
I'm looking for games that evoked strong feelings or strong mental images that stayed with you long after you finished the games.
Really hard puzzle/adventure games by Silius
You know like with lots of puzzles you have to solve.
Games with an evolving environment by Sorrel
I'm looking for IF where the setting constantly evolves/changes to either advance the plot or confuse the player. Something to the effect of Shade.
This is version 8 of this page, edited by Nathan on 9 September 2019 at 1:39pm. - View Update History - Edit This Page - Add a News Item