Grove of Bones

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Review

Great short horror with fantastic dialogue, September 10, 2025

by Atreyu_Celestine

Absolutely fantastic, compelling premise that tackles greater good vs personal commitments in an intense and captivating way. (Spoiler - click to show)The scene of the townsfolk debating who should be sacrificed is incredibly compelling, I could read a whole chapter of just that.

(Spoiler - click to show)My only complaints are that the reason the player's son was chosen for sacrifice felt a bit convenient, I think the emotional impact of the moment would have hit harder if it didn't feel like the kids teasing him about his dead mother were didn't just exist as a means to get him into a fight. My other major complaint was that, as soon as I saw the option to take a flint and steel with me on a whim, I could see the ending of this story coming beat-for-beat. Which, given how early the flint and steel is acquired, isn't great for maintaining tension.

That all said, this is an incredible short story that I hope places high in its competition. Made an account on the IFcomp website to give it a good score.

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