Lost Pig

Play it if: you want simple, accessible puzzles and a short, sweet family-friendly game that's big on humor and character interaction.

Don't play it if: you're in the mood for something long, challenging, or particularly serious.

It's difficult to say something particularly new about a game like this. With its small scope and broad appeal, a lot of the obvious things have been already stated. But I'll go ahead and try to unpick what I like about this game anyway.

The appeal of Lost Pig all about its main character. Grunk is ostensibly the narrator of this tale, so his attitudes towards things colors the player's entire experience. I find Grunk's fairly simplistic descriptions of things interesting because they are reflective of the archetypal IF player's experience. Like Grunk, we put ourselves into a situation where we're confronted with machines and mechanisms we don't really understand, and we're made to figure out how to use them for our purposes. Grunk describes the world with the naivete of a child, and more importantly the naivete of a first-time player. And like the player, Grunk overcomes that naivete with cunning and shrewdness. Sure, he's not great with auxiliary verbs, tenses, or writing, but he does figure out all the steps needed to get the pig back. And with the addition of the gnome, Grunk can even display a fairly deep level of curiosity by learning about advanced principles of chemistry.

So Grunk's traits are those most IF players wish to cultivate in themselves: intelligence (in solving puzzles) and curiosity (in talking with the gnome).

Add to this his sense of humor. I've always held a soft spot in my heart for those throwaway pieces of coding, like Zork's patronising response to jumping for no reason ("Wheee!" "Very good. Now you can go to the second grade"). Little bits that added some personality to the game world and gently steered you away from the game's inability to let you do absolutely everything. Lost Pig almost feels like a game that's composed of that stuff. A lot of the joy in the game comes from having Grunk try stupid or outrageous things just to see his responses. And because the game is so thorough in implementing the things Grunk can try or do, it gets you to sympathize with him even more. Grunk lets the player act out the more childlike side of their sense of humor, because his willingness to try anything mirror's the player's willingness to make him do anything. Take the act of Grunk taking off his pants in front of the gnome. By itself, it's not particularly funny. But the fact that we're complicit in that act does make it funny. While playing this game, I found myself laughing at stuff I haven't been able to laugh at since the fourth grade.

That may not sound like a compliment per se, and I suppose it isn't if you're looking for something a little more literary. But I think the point that this game has constructed a uniquely sympathetic and charming main character stands.

So what about the secondary aspects of the game? Well, there are no obvious holes in the implementation of the setting. The gnome and pig are lovely characters in and of themselves - the pig for his variety of emotions and reactions (including intellectual disdain for Grunk!), and the gnome for the breadth (if not depth) of conversation you can achieve with him. I liked immensely the fact that the gnome is not immediately hostile towards Grunk - I mean, Grunk could realistically eat the guy - nor is he dismissive towards this comparatively dim and uneducated protagonist. Rather, he's willing to talk in basic terms about most any topic Grunk can think of and a few more besides that. For that he becomes a likable character and his relationship with Grunk, small in scope as it is, compelling.

The puzzles are few and simple, but they rely on intuition rather than method (intentionally so, as the maze demonstrates) and so they give you the pleasure of experiencing those little "eureka" moments every puzzle designer strives to cultivate in a player.

If I had something I'd change about this game, it would simply be the length. The core magical mechanism feels productive for more diverse and complex puzzles than what Lost Pig gives us, and even putting that aside I would have loved to have seen a game where the rather simple initial quest gets this young orc embroiled in something a lot bigger. Failing that, I think Grunk is easily a rich enough character for future adventures.

But that quibble aside, Lost Pig really is a gloriously fun and engrossing way to spend an hour or two.

This was a fairly easy game in which things worked realistically and smoothly. The pig was incredibly frustrating and I was stuck on how to catch it - not because the solution eluded me but because I'd missed a step. I eventually figured it out by myself with some experimentation. And that's a lot of how to get the answers. Playing with things, seeing how they work, and figuring out how to execute the obvious solutions. Thankfully, everything's well-clued. I got the full score on the first try, and I was pleased to see good behavior rewarded. I did use hints, but not for solutions. Just helpful nudges.

(Spoiler - click to show)I really liked the gnome. I didn't stay to chat about everything, but he was kind and made me smile with some of his comments. His speech is very polished and intelligent, so I was thinking at some parts that Grunk would not understand what he was saying, but I appreciated that the gnome didn't try to dumb down his words. It said something about the gnome's character to treat the clearly less academic Grunk as an equal. Some of the narration was funny, too. One of the ones I still remember is when you "x leaf" at the tunnel entrance. Grunk reasons the carving must be part of the stone because it's made of stone and vines are "made of vine." LOL Grunk's description of the pig is funny, too. "Tasty" is right.

I don't tend to make characters do crazy things, so my play of the game was fairly somber and straightforward. But with amusing and likable characters, fun toys to play with, and a lighthearted atmosphere, this is a wonderful story to lose oneself in for a little while. Highly recommend, and I think would be pretty easy for beginners because of the hints.

I've given this game 3 stars because I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.

I was very impressed with the attention to detail and the level of implementation. This is good if you like messing about in your IF and hate unpolished responses that don't make sense. I noticed the NPCs struck a good balance between reacting to the player and living their own lives. I respect the work that goes into creating something like that.

Unfortunately, I lost interest in the puzzles quite rapidly. I felt they left me a bit too clueless a bit too early on in the game. Earning just one point per solved puzzle only served to alienate me further. I suspect that the puzzles work well for experienced IF/Zork players who are accustomed to trying more obscure commands, knowing they might do something useful. They are probably more hungry for unusual thinking, too, having seen most tricks played before. Not the best for beginners, though.

After being abstinent from IF for over 20 years, this game was the perfect starter to get into the IF way of thinking again. And also the perfect game to get me addicted again. Not too large, nice puzzles, great use of language, sensible parser and good humor.

But now no time anymore. Must play next game. Where next Grunk game????

Most of the game takes place in seven rooms, and still this is no small game. It has simulations of both fire and water, and an NPC that responds to 250 topics! If you like to replay a game to find hidden stuff, this is the game for you! But the game also has bad sides. It might sound fun to be able to talk with an NPC about 250 topics, but in reality it gets boring after a while. Physics simulations like fire and water is not something that improves a game. The puzzles are difficult and the story about an orc looking for a lost pig is charming but also silly. It is overrated but still a fun game.

Funny narration from the point of view character. Most of the game revolves around a series of enjoyable puzzles. I was able to win without hints or walk throughs, but it took me a couple of days and some thinking to do it.

I chose to review the game "Lost Pig." I enjoyed this game because it’s very cute and the title suits it so perfectly. There are a few of the puzzles that rely on the little magical explanations. This game has a good sense of humor. When you’re stuck looking for a solution to the puzzles, it funny little actions keep you entertained and interested in the game. I think games like this are a good reason as to why text is still important. I thought it was very clever, informative, and enlightening. This is definitely my favorite game among the three on my recommendations list. I think laughter is an important factor when it comes to playing games. That’s the whole point of games, in my opinion. Lost Pig deserves 5 stars. 

This game took a little while to warm up to. The first time I played it, I didn't thoroughly search the rooms which made a solution completely impossible. Totally my fault! After reading a few positive reviews online, I gave it another shot and ended up really liking it. The humor is great and the puzzles make sense. There are not many rooms in the game which is also a plus in my book because it is easy to get around and go back to previous locations. Grunk give this game 4 stars.

This is a fun game with a very immersive style. Great to play in a group!

This is my favorite game in a while. It’s funny, well-written, and the perfect size and scope for a text adventure. Everything you do enhances the story, instead of only helping to solve the game puzzle. Well done.