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Review
A fascinating PunyInform game based on Japanese mythology.
The game starts off with a really thorough and solid tutorial – the Garry Francis model for tutorials has been well studied and used as inspiration here, including the classic ‘pocket as a container’. There are also occasional but well-placed further tutorial hints elsewhere in the game when players might encounter a command new to them.
The game starts out fairly slow and standard, with an introduction about arriving back in your hometown to meet a friend. The descriptions of the ryokan are lush and beautiful, and it all feels very relaxing and then… combat! Out of nowhere in this seemingly staid Japanese bathhouse setting! Yes, you do have to fight the occasional monster in this game - the combat is simple and puzzle-based, but very fun.
I thought the game might be a bit big when I left the first building, but it turned out to be a really nice size. The puzzles are straightforward and well clued, and the list of important topics provided in the notepad neatly avoids the guess-the-topic issue usually inherent in ASK X ABOUT Y dialogue systems.
There are a few small bugs and occasional writing errors, but nothing major.
I did encounter some slightly buggy stuff with the final puzzle, but it turned out to be because I did things in the wrong order and it worked itself out once I corrected it.
The reveal at the end is nice. Overall this is a really enjoyable game, especially if you’re interested in Japanese culture and mythology, and it works out at a good level for beginners.
