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Review
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.
Comments on this review
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Thanks for this review! The Anchorhead comment hits home to me because I've deliberately told myself, don't try to compete with the big classics.
The retro tribute I suppose is semi-intentional. I generally try to write the sort of game I'd have liked to play when I was 18 or so. Since this was for the Text Adventure Literacy Jam I also wanted to keep one eye on the fun I had and another on the conveniences parser players can expect & not just what commands to type in, so your comment about super tough games is something I can connect with too. I felt guilty wanting an occasional (semi-)easy one!
Ah, that makes a lot of sense! When I wrote my review, I hadn't realized this was made for a jam catered to newer players. I'm still learning what I do and don't like when it comes to IF, so I'm glad I got to experience Adventuron for the first time like this. Thank you for making such a fun game!
