Guilded Youth

I really enjoyed Guilded Youth, it was a super fun quick play. The graphics really enhanced the experience, rather than being distracting as they often are in IF games. It's definitely a game I would play again to see if I could find a different ending.

Guilded Youth looks and feels great, but unfortunately lacks in its puzzles and a real sense of satisfaction upon completion. The interface is a very convincing and well-implemented reminder of my gaming youth and is the only really memorable part of the game.

At first I was drawn in by the story (which I could relate to) and the thrill of exploration. However, the repetition and somewhat jarring moments of returning to "reality" interrupted this otherwise quite pleasant nostalgic experience.

I never felt much connection with the characters so the more emotional scenes had little impact. Repetition of the main scene quickly became tedious and the puzzles, while not difficult, were frustrating to execute. Ultimately I would not have pressed on with the game were it not for the charming interface.

This game is nice to look at but not as nice to actually play. In some ways maybe the 80s were really like that, but I wanted to re-experience my memories of that time period, not to be reminded of the dissonance.

This enjoyable game is more story than puzzle, although it uses a parser. You play a teenager with access to an online community. Actions are strongly limited, mostly TAKE, LOOK, and SHOW. You investigate an abandoned house, and have to entice others to come with you.

What made this game work for me was the contrast between your friends online personas and their real-life selves, including yourself. Chris and Maximus gave especially funny contrasts.

The game in the end works as a slice-of-life story. There is one significant choice, and unfortunately it comes at the very end of the game, with no opportunity to save, which prevents lawn-mowering (i.e. trying every branch).