Violet

Amy Hill, Clare Parker Fischer, and I discuss Violet at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eu-EzMvBmk&t=20m12s

I don't even know where to begin. This is an extended puzzle with multiple steps in a limited geography. But boy does it make me invest in it, emotionally and cognitively. The puzzles are difficult but – except for one where I missed the hint entirely – not too difficult. The main characters (narrator and PC) are eminently relatable and lovable.

I found the destructive behaviour of both narrator and PC so off-putting that I at times wanted to quit just on principle. But then they were also somewhat supportive, maybe? And I had invested a lot in their relationship, and I really wanted to see how it all would end. It's a glimpse into what appears to be an unhealthy relationship dynamic but which truly, really engages.

The author of this game really committed to the theme to a degree few authors do. The game is solid, detailed, and fleshed out in almost every corner, and the narrative seals it as one of the best games I've played in many years, any category. I highly recommend you play Violet.

This game is wonderfully made. The reason I didn't give it five stars was due to me finding the narrative voice annoying. Some people might appreciate the humor, but it's not my cup of tea.
Besides that, the puzzles are excellent. The story is fun and pretty relatable. I didn't ever end up getting stuck for long, but the game was engaging throughout. I never felt bored with it.

This shit is so sad bro I felt genuine fucking grief in this game😭😭

A super-fun, single-room, relatively short story filled with creative humor and a strong character development (reveal?) that warms your heart. Puzzles are not too difficult with the enjoyment being primarily in reading the flow of descriptive events.

I liked this story a lot! I have to say that the main character seriously needs some ADHD medication though; I was like that until I got my prescription

you are a college student (male by default, though it switches to female if you type (Spoiler - click to show)HETERONORMATIVITY OFF, something i'd give my left arm to be able to do in real life). you've been making practically no progress on your paper because you keep allowing yourself to be distracted, and your girlfriend is fed up with you. now you have an ultimatum: write 1,000 words by the deadline or she's leaving you forever.

as a point of stark realism, your college dorm room turns out to be a horrible place to study. there's no quiet, you're surrounded by minor irritants, and there's a MAJOR irritant who i'd think was trying to sabotage your relationship if there was any way she could know about the ultimatum.

in a very clever design choice, rather than being personality-free (or pointlessly sarcastic like the default library), the parser's voice is what you imagine your girlfriend would be saying if she was watching your situation right at that moment. it gives her a lot of character, and goes a long way towards redeeming her in my eyes (really, it's not fair to issue an ultimatum about something the protagonist can't really help).

that said, i did not even come close to completing the story without hints.

the puzzles in Violet are eminently logical, but still entirely brutal and require a ton of experimentation. so many things are happening at once that it can distract the player, as your problems aren't kindly enough to line up one at a time. the few means you have to fight back are counterintuitive and in some cases plain ornery (e.g., (Spoiler - click to show)the bizarre way you operate the radio).

but "it's hard" doesn't equate to "it's bad." we need IF for all levels of player skill and creativity. the only reason i don't refer to this as a hidden gem is that it's not at all hidden -- it's extremely well-known.

probably also says something that i was feeling depressed after writing a few negative reviews in a row, i wanted to review something good, and i came here ...

As someone fairly new to IF, and even newer to this community, this is my first review. I believe Violet is quite a wonderful game, with many *easter eggs* so to speak. It was a fairly simple game, that took me about half a day to complete and look through all the special codes that the game gave me after completing it.
All in all, Violet has a simple plot: Your Australian girlfriend is going to leave you and go home as she has already bought plane tickets UNLESS you write 1000 words of your (quite frankly BORING novel). The puzzles are moderately complex, and the solutions are not the brightest or the most intricate, but Violet was an amusing game that passed the time and I enjoyed it. (Spoiler - click to show) Sometimes I tried to shoot things using the rubber to get to the pen, and I did it once, but the game bugged out and did not drop the pen. I also spent quite a long time trying to get the purple string from the vent, but once grabbing it, I did not know what to do with it and so that was a futile task.

This is definitely one of those games I'd put in the "cute but occasionally frustrating" category. Basically, the game is one very large and intricate puzzle, but as things start to make sense, you are definitely rewarded for your lateral thinking skills. The story itself is simple but effective, and the game is occasionally very funny.

I won't put any spoilers, but I'd like to encourage anyone who starts this to put the effort into finishing it--I found it quite rewarding.

This is one of the few games I've replayed for the fun of it. It's sweet and funny (especially the nicknames) and I couldn't recommend it more. The hints are just enough for the beginner (my first playthrough) and the clueless (my second playthrough).

Also props for gender choice. It was a nice touch.