Crème de la Crème

Perhaps my expectations were a little too high for this one. Everyone is always hyping about the CDLC games and the author is such a wellspring of helpful information and a pillar of the IF community, so I thought I'd have more of a reaction than just...meh.

But I can see why it does so well for CoG fans, as it nails the CoG style. It's certainly polished and has decent gameplay, with a wide range of goals and personality customization for the MC (though I found the stat checks a little too pervasive and punishing for a supposedly cozy game). Had I liked the game more, I could see it being highly replayable. It's also a good examplar of CoG's commitment to diversity and particularly LGBT inclusivity. Players can choose from three different genders for the MC and romance options and the game is filled with gay couples and non-binary characters, including an option to join in a polyamorous relationship, all in a world that's deliberately crafted to be basically gender neutral so that there's no drama over anyone's gender or orientation.

It's basically a queer, cozy, non-magical Hogwarts story, but without anything close to the level of characterization and enchanting worldbuilding that Harry Potter is famous for. In general I found the world, characters, and romances to be flat and uninspiring.

The thing is, there are just way too many characters with way too many options. I saw someone else say there are 10 romance options (I lost count myself), and each (or at least most) can be three different genders. That's 30 different possible variations, not to mention the other non-romanceable characters we can curry favor with.

There is no possible way to do each of these romance paths justice in a game of this length. Frankly I'm not convinced any of the romance paths feel fleshed out and real but certainly not the ones I toyed with (I flirted with Freddie, dated Hartmann, then married some aristocrat from a competing school and I just finished the game a few hours ago and already forgot his name because I cared so little about him in the end).

Not every game needs good romance, but in a genre that's kinda all about character interactions, I really expected better character development and to care about at least one of them before finishing.

I played this game several months ago, curious to try out Choice of Games for the first time. I fear this may have ruined other Choice of Games for me, though, because this one may be difficult to top. As I became familiar with the mechanics of the Choice of Game format (a story driven every few paragraphs by a set of multiple choices that impact the trajectory of the narrative and also affect various stats), I could see how masterfully Powell-Smith utilizes these features. Every choice feels meaningful, and the stats help you to see how you're making progress (or not) to a wide range of goals. I found myself truly strategizing as I made choices, checking my stats and considering how one choice over another may help lead me to a desired outcome.

In the game, you play as a character starting at a prestigious finishing school where your main goals include finding a suitable marriage and/or securing a social station that will help to clear your families troubled image. Though the genre of the game is not in my typical wheelhouse, I immediately became hooked.

What really makes the choices, stats, and achievements/goals feel meaningful is the enormous size and scope of the game. With 10 NPCs that you can develop relationships (both romantic and platonic) or rivalries with, along many other in-game achievements that can shape the plot in large or small ways, there really are an astounding number of ways to chart a course through the game. At over 440,000 words of game text, I only scratched the surface in my one playthrough. I believe I will feel compelled to play through again in the not-too-distant future.

More than just the scope of the game, though, is the craft behind the writing. Every scene is well written and richly descriptive. The NPCs have distinct personalities, lending real weight to the choice to develop relationships with one versus another. The setting is also rendered to great effect throughout the game -- by the end of the game, I felt like I knew Gallatin (the finishing school) even though you don't navigate through the world a la a text adventure.

The game is certainly an achievement, a wonderfully executed work in its own right, but also a testament to the possibilities of Choice of Games and the like. While CYOA-style works can be interesting, they typically feel like you're taking one of a handful of alternate paths through a set narrative. In Creme de la Creme, I really felt like I was moving through a fully realized game world and making impactful choices along the way. On top of that, the writing is sharp and the plot is full of intrigue. I understand that Powell-Smith is currently developing another Choice of Game set in the same world as Creme de la Creme, and I'll be playing that as soon as it comes out.