One Week

One Week occupies the middle ground between light and shadow, between...wait, that's the wrong kind of game. One Week is a fun romp through one week in a teenage girl's life before the Prom AND the SAT. Surprisingly, even though it's a CYOA-type setup (i.e. read lots and choose from a menu to push the plot forward), it doesn't come off as constrictive. Because you are given explicit choices and there's almost always more than one choice, you feel like you are guiding the character's destiny. That stands in stark contrast to games where although you might have more freedom, you feel immobilized in the panic of guess-the-verb or guess-the-topic. (Yes, Shadows on the Mirror, I'm looking at you.)

The writing strikes the perfect tone -- breathless, humorous, fragile, spunky, and 110% sincere. Some of the slang has not fared well, but that's the only fly in the ointment. Some may complain about the lack of "realism" but if you're looking for gritty games, you wouldn't be playing this, anyways. With that said, there are no greater resonances here, and the lack of depth is why One Week gets a solid four instead of a five from me.

Nevertheless, One Week is an enjoyable and entertaining game, worth at least 30 minutes of time to find a few different endings.