NEVER GO TO WORK

Slice-of-life Twine adventure with a retro vibe. There is a lack of clear victory conditions and a shiftyness to the layout which may be a pro or a con depending on the player. More glitches than I would prefer, but I'm glad I played it and was introduced to this character's universe.

This review uses the P.I.A.N.O. system for reviewing and rating interactive fiction.

Plot compellance = 1.0
At the outset, the game establishes investment in the protagonist's fate.
Then it proceeds to construct a succession of interesting scenes at a quick pace. Replaying to try different paths is quick and moderately rewarding.

Implementation maturity = 0.5
It makes good use of Twine's graphical, audio and layout potential. The styling of the text and the inconsistent placement of interactive icons were sometimes a barrier to comprehending and proceeding with the game. (Spoiler - click to show)Example: in my browser at least, when highlighting a link to select an choice, sometimes the font and size would change, causing the text to move and making most of the text unclickable

Artfulness in use of the medium = 0.5
I found the style of the music and the graphics to be distinctive and charming. I couldn't tell when the "glitches" were intentional (Spoiler - click to show)Example: sometimes the clock runs backwards It felt just a little too buggy for me.

Net reward = 0.5
I replayed quite a few times, the "best" outcome I could achieve was 80/100 points. The lack of clarity as to how to "win" eventually burdened my enjoyment of the game.

Oh, that certain "je ne sais quoi" = 0.5
The author managed to communicate futility and frustration through a mostly enjoyable diversion.

Total: 3.0 (represented as 3 stars)