Backpackward

This is more of a demo than an actual game. Literally none of the conflicts introduced in the story are resolved by the time it ends, and it ends on a cliffhanger note that strongly implies the action will continue in one or more future episodes.

The most interesting thing about it is the backpack for holding inventory, a cool graphical interface that forces the player to choose which items will be available in each part of the narrative. The backpack only holds so much (represented as a limited number of squares), and items take up squares in varying amounts and configurations. You've almost certainly seen this interface in other games before, but here the assortment of items is entertaining in itself. (Spoiler - click to show)(Should I ditch the bong to make room for the photograph of Burt Reynolds? Which is more likely to be useful in a medieval setting: a spade or a pack of cigarettes?) Although items can be rotated to allow denser packing, there is never enough room to take everything available.

The implication of that process is that the choice of available items will significantly alter the gameplay of each part, perhaps even going so far as to make a poor enough choice result in a loss. However, as far as I can tell none of the choices to be made by the player -- neither the choice of inventory items nor the standard action choices presented -- matter much at all. The plot is essentially unchanged regardless of which options are selected; only details at the margins are modified.

The writing was amusing in many places, and some of the jokes got genuine laughs, but after two playthroughs I think I've seen just about all it has to offer. Recommended as a quick diversion for those who like anti-heroes and mild absurdism, with the advice that there's no point in thinking hard about which path to take since any two paths will be 95% the same.