Quirky Test

In many ways, Quirky Test reminds me of the other spoonerism-based wordplay games I’ve played by this author, but this one is different. This one feels more like a love letter to parser games. The author is present, giving commentary: about the point of games, the history of parser IF, the differences between Inform and Adventuron, the process of making the game and the reasons for certain design choices. Even without the tutorial on, I still felt the author acting as a tour guide as I walked around the world they created. This is a really unique and interesting approach.

It almost goes without saying that a wordplay game must also be a lighthearted comedy. But this one felt more like a drama to me, with abstract riddles leading to poignant reflections on self-growth. There were certainly light moments, but also strife. Sometimes solving a problem was narratively satisfying, but other times the recipient of our help wasn’t all that grateful. Unlike the goofy wordplay romps I remember from the olden days of parser games, this one takes the situation seriously. Like when you gain confidence as a status change, to solve a later puzzle. Even in abstractness, the proceedings feel connected to the real world, much unlike a more escapist adventure.

I JUST GOT THE TITLE, I wrote in my notes halfway through the game.

I also appreciated the visual design choices. The art is quirky and fun, and despite all the text I alluded to above, it doesn’t feel like a ton of reading because of the thoughtful use of color to emphasize different elements of the text. I tend to get impatient with large chunks of text, but I didn’t even notice how much I was reading here. The checkmarks on paths that are already completed also make the game easier to navigate.

So this game has a lot of affordances for people new to parser games, but it also presumes you’re not a wholly inexperienced gamer: there are references to the larger gaming world, and something like RNG might not be spelled out. The sheer amount of information might also be overwhelming for some beginners. But a lot of it (including Graham Nelson’s entire bill of players’ rights, plus commentary) is optional, so people can explore at their whim.

In fact the game feels designed to be explored in leisurely fashion, with added replay value from all the bonus points and achievements as well as a New Game+ with extra footnotes and the ability to skip rooms that aren’t required. As for me, I’m happy with the time I spent in this world, and I got something else from my playthrough too:

Most of the time, I’m not thinking about the level of remove between the game I’m playing and the author who created it. We expect that the author will create a separate little world, then let go of it. This game made me think about that unspoken rule and reminded me that rules are sometimes meant to be broken.

This game was fun to play in the Text Adventure Literacy Jam.

It's a wordplay game based on shifting rhymes, and written with Adventuron. I really appreciated the extensive explanations and help early on, the colored text and the little hints really helped me navigate the game.

The images went perfectly with the game as well, having the same whimsical vibe as the rest.

Gameplay was simple in a pleasing way, good for the context the Literacy Jam, but there are a ton of accomplishments that I didn't achieve which diligent players could search for.

I liked the game overall, but I don't see myself revisiting it; it felt like a one-time satisfying play.

I feel a bit like I've stumbled into someone's high school reunion while trying to find the hotel vending machines. Quirky Test is an unapologetic love letter to the halcyon days of the text adventure game...which I'm about ten years too young to have experienced. I've tried the classics, the Zorks and Colossal Cave Adventures and the like, and usually found myself scared off by a puzzle that seemed designed by someone who locks their front door each morning by breaking their key in thirds and feeding the pieces to a flock of ducks. Say what you will about newer IF titles, but at least they're more likely to commit the sin of incompetence than malice.

As an outsider, then, Quirky distinguishes itself with colorful presentation, whimsical prose, and puzzles that reminded me, in a good way, of Counterfeit Monkey. The tone of the writing I think deserves special mention; especially with the tutorial on, it feels like a kindly teacher talking you through a subject they're passionate about. References to the classics and the tropes therein abound, but Quirky makes a commendable effort to rebuke the cruelty that often mars its forebears.

You do have to like wordplay to make it through Quirky Test, but hopefully you already figured that out. If the title of this review makes you groan, trust me, it gets worse. Personally, I found the dad-jokey charm of the spoonerisms pleasant enough, but I wouldn't call it laugh-out-loud funny.

Quirky Test is a brief, good-natured little diversion, with a fun central mechanic. Its greatest fault, perhaps, is a lack of ambition, but not everything in this world needs to try and be Anchorhead.