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All Written Member Reviews

5 star:
(0)
4 star:
(8)
3 star:
(3)
2 star:
(2)
1 star:
(0)
Average Rating: based on 13 ratings
Number of Reviews Written by IFDB Members: 5
1–5 of 5


5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Historical scenes from a treasure hunt., September 17, 2020*
by Rovarsson (Belgium)
Related reviews: History

Well, this was a very short but very welcome historical experience.

Each scene puts you in a different situation as the servant of mathematician/alchemist Napier. You are his hands and eyes in this easy treasure quest.

The scenes are very well written, letting you feel the atmosphere of the castle, the cave,... The NPCs have distinct characters, adding to the immersion in the story.

All in all, more a series of historical impressions than a full-fledged game, but very enjoyable.

Great side-effect of this game: it sent me on my own treasure hunt to find out more about this John Napier, an intruiging personality in the history of mathematics.

* This review was last edited on September 1, 2024
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Good for beginners, August 25, 2020
Related reviews: beginners

This a very simple game that’s good for beginners. It introduces players to how to use IF and contains so minor puzzles. Very quick and well written, but not much here for more advanced players.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
The mathematician's assistant's tale, July 30, 2020
by Wade Clarke (Sydney, Australia)
Related reviews: spring thing 2020, inform

I didn't know who John Napier was before I played this game, and didn't research him until after. He was a noted sixteenth century mathematician with religious and occult interests. The occult angle is the launching point for this parser-based adventure in which the player takes on the role of Napier's assistant in a treasure hunt of sorts.

Napier's Cache is effective and uncomplicated. Simple puzzles are a vehicle for the evocation of servant-filled historical atmospheres, with locations such as the eccentric mathematician's quarters and a windswept Scottish castle. The PC, also a servant of sorts, is observant and resourceful, and views his master through a lens of dependable but arms-length loyalty. NPCs range from dim guards to blustery lords, and the social stratosphere is conveyed by the way the high-ranking characters deliver orders and exposition while 'the help' actually interact with or help the PC. The implementation of the characters is solid enough for each one's purpose.

The game potentially feels a bit short, but this is a sign that what's here is engaging. It delivers a bit of a lot of different effects – multiple locations, exploration, treasure-hunting, easy puzzling, human and animal NPCs – to create a satisfying experience.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
An unusual historical parser game, April 11, 2020
Related reviews: about 1 hour

I beta tested this game.

Napier's Cache is in an unusual niche of historical fiction, and is based on a family story of the author.

It is fairly linear in story with nonlinear interactions in each 'phase'. You first have a small treasure hunt, followed by a dinner scene, then another treasure hunt and a simple maze.

In design it reminds me quite a bit of Christminster, an early (pre-IFComp) inform game that was well-regarded at the time, that also had you doing things like eating at a dinner with scholars and discovering the history of old alchemists.

Overall, the quality is well-done, and most reasonable interactions are coded for. I enjoyed each iteration of this better than the previous, and I believe this is something to be proud of.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Short, easy and well written, April 2, 2020
by Denk
Related reviews: Inform

I have been looking forward to this game since I played the IntroComp version in 2018. I wasn't disappointed, except that I was hoping for a longer game since I was having such a good time! But I guess no matter how long a game is, you would like it to be longer if it is great.

This game is both short and easy but what there is, is well written and I was constantly excited to see the next scene. There were no ingenious puzzles, but they fit well into the story. The ending was a bit tame, but otherwise, it was a great game. And I cannot guarantee that there isn't a better ending and that I just didn't find it.

Anyway, I am glad I played it.

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