Constraints

by Stephen Granade profile

2001
TADS 2

Go to the game's main page

Review

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
A very complex-appearing game for Walkthrough comp, March 25, 2023
Related reviews: 15-30 minutes

Walkthrough comp was a competition that had a bizarre 'walkthrough' posited to have been sent by telegram, and each game had to be designed to make the walkthrough make sense.

This game is very rich and complex-seeming, starting with a bizarre meeting with an occult man deep underground. It moves on to magical painting abilities and a sexually harassing duck.

It interprets the walkthrough in very creative ways, making parsing the walkthrough the hardest part.

The walkthrough itself is here:
HERE IS WALKTHROUGH YOU REQUESTED STOP YOU WILL SEE WHAT TO DO STOP THINK STOP X UPHOLSTER SEAT ZRBLM TAKE ALL N LISTEN FOLKS DRAW SWORD WAVE FAN DANCE ABOUT PAINT FENCE TAKE NEXT TURN SMOOTH DUCK DOWN ANESTHETI I EAT IT UNLOCK DOOR SWITCH PLOVER EGG STAND ON EAST SWING KNIFE LION PRAY GET MOUSE Z NW WAKE FISH SWIM DRINK DRINK READ LOOK UP DRESS BOOK SHIP PACKAGE PRESENT BOWL DROP TOY SLEEP PLAY STRING PICK POLISH APPLE EYE MIRROR POSE UNDO TRIM CORSET PUT GREY ON BLUE STAKE LIGHT FIRE HELP MAN STATION STOP WATCH XYZZY

The one command I didn't understand was 'put grey on', possibly because I dallied around too much in one scene.

As a narrative, it's disjointed; as a game itself, far too complex; but as a walkthrough comp entry, it's fantastic.

Was this review helpful to you?   Yes   No   Remove vote  
More Options

 | Add a comment