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Review
Map of Fahlstaff is a Twine piece that acts as a kind of virtual tour guide. There's a pretty high degree of spatiality here; you can very easily "navigate" the city's sights, with only occasional deadends.
The writing is very sharp--while moving around the city the narrator acts as a tour guide of sorts, with plenty of oddball commentary, with a cheery tone that quickly gains dark undertones. This reminded me a great deal of some of the content of the Welcome to Night Vale podcast (although perhaps a little gentler), or the world of Twin Peaks or the town of Greenvale in Deadly Premonition. There are also a couple of narrative events that are triggered as well, giving a sense of immediacy and interconnectedness between the different parts of the city. The fact that this, hopefully, the first part of a series is exciting.
If I had some complaints, it would be only two things: occasional typos, and the background images taking a bit too long to load. The first should be an easy fix; don't know about the latter. They are, however, gorgeous, drenched in slightly sepia undertones.
In conclusion: if you're a fan of uneasy ambulation and strong sense of place, do yourself a favor and pick up this map.
