Willy's Manor

This is a parser game set in an eccentric older man's joke-filled house using traditional parser game play (i.e. taking items and using them in places, unlocking doors with keys, etc.) and riddles.

The map itself is fairly small, but hides a lot of details. I had to use the hints at one point because I completely missed an important piece of furniture. I used it again a couple of times when I couldn't guess the solution to a puzzle involving a tree and a different one with books.

The main gameplay cycle is to go to a clue room, push a button to get a clue describing an item, find the item, put it in a box, and pull a lever. This gives you a new item like a key or a useful tool that allows you to progress to the next clue.

Most of the items seem kind of random, but the main themes that I saw were household items, puns, and the memories of Willy's life. I liked the way the very end pulled everything together.

There could be some improvements in the game. A lot of the items are listed in the room description and at the end as well; this can be avoided by either putting brackets around the item name in the room description (like 'you see a [cabinet] here') or by making the items 'scenery', or by adjusting their default description like:

A box is in the side room. "You see a strange box on the floor."

I didn't notice any bugs. It was a bit strange to have to (Spoiler - click to show)physically grab the ants and termites out of their jars and shoot them in a slingshot or put them in a box. I think in such a pun-filled house it could have been fun to have a little more description for some things. Overall, though, this is a solid game and I found it pleasant to play with little frustration (outside of running to the hints).