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Tin Star

by Allen Gies

2014
Western
ChoiceScript

(based on 12 ratings)
1 review13 members have played this game. It's on 11 wishlists.

About the Story

Ride out into the Old West as a U.S. marshal! Confront outlaws, find romance, challenge Indians, defy the elements and craft an enduring legend as you uncover a conspiracy whose deadly web stretches from San Francisco to New York City.

Tin Star is an interactive western mystery novel where your choices control the story. The game is entirely text-based--without graphics or sound effects--but powered by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

It’s also the biggest interactive novel ever made. A single playthrough from beginning to epilogue can run over 80,000 words. The source code for the game is over 1.3 million words long.

Ratings and Reviews

5 star:
(5)
4 star:
(4)
3 star:
(2)
2 star:
(1)
1 star:
(0)
Average Rating: based on 12 ratings
Number of Reviews Written by IFDB Members: 1
A gigantic western adventure with plenty of content, May 31, 2025

Tin Star was the first choicescript game to cross one million words, and was the only member of the million plus club for quite some time. That said, quantity isn't the only thing the game has going for it. With solid writing which conveys the western setting and a wide range of encounters from the massive wordcount, you'll find yourself immersed in the game for quite a while.

There is an extensive stat system, with plenty of opportunities to raise and test those stats. The game's structure is broken up into a set of stat-changing activities you can perform, before a chapter mission picks up. The missions are interesting and really provide a sense of adventure, as you work to discover the enemy and uncover their plot. Furthermore, there is also a good bit of branching here, with hidden content and branches for players willing to try something different.

Still, the prose tends to be heavy and ramble at times. There is no doubt plenty of content here, but sometimes, it's hard not to feel that the wordcount was partially the result of over-long prose. Nevertheless, I'm not taking off a star for this, as there is certainly still an extra large dose of quality content here.

There is also an interesting cast of characters, along with romances. There is quite a bit of variety in the characters you can romance. Won't spoil anything, but there are also two other unexpected characters you can marry as well.

When it comes to the ending, the game also leaves on a strong note, with plenty of detail of what happened to different folks and places, as well as a recounting of your own achievements. This is another part that allows the end to feel satisfying.

Overall, this is a solid game which provides as much in quality as it does in quantity. It's a solid recommendation if you want a long adventure in the choicescript world.

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Game Details

Tin Star on IFDB

Polls

The following polls include votes for Tin Star:

Looking for a good Western. by Bishopofbasic
Howdy everyone, I'm on the hunt for a good western text adventure or IF depending on how you call it. Something, that's quite fun to play. The year of release doesn't matter to me. Just looking for some great games to sink my teeth into....

For Your Consideration: Games from 2014 that should be nominated for the XYZZY Awards by Molly
There were a lot of great games released in the past year, and now that the XYZZYs are coming up, it seems like a very good idea to take a poll of all the games from last year people would like to see nominated. The management has asked...

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