The Little Match Girl 5: The Hunter's Vow

I played this game over about two months during lunches at work. I kept thinking I was close to completing it, only to find that there was more.

There are two main gameplay phases of the game (although they aren't the whole game). In the first, you play as a new main character (not the match girl) who has a special key that opens portals in locked doors. You have to hand out five invitations, but a lot of the puzzle is figuring out who the invitations are for, how to deliver them, and what the event is. There are historical areas, fantasy areas, and sci-fi areas.

In the second phase, you command five PCs (!) all of whom can operate independently. I was quite shocked a second phase even existed, as the first phase was very long. This second phase includes a large and complex multi-story map, and each of the characters has unique properties.

Playing this in bits and pieces over weeks, it was easy to get lost, but each time I came back I operated on the assumption that the game was fair and logical and that if I explored and kept notes I could move forward. This worked, although I did have to ask the author about one puzzle involving distracting someone.

The story was full of good twists and turns, and I found enjoyment in the polish of the game and in the well-crafted storytelling. I feel like it has a lot of implications on the match-verse.