Number of Reviews: 2
Write a review
A brief tutorial and mini game introducing basic IF concepts, June 23, 2023This is an interesting game. It seems to be the author's own custom system, and uses a multi-pane format kind of like Scott Adams, with a room description constantly displayed and then parser responses in another window, with important items listed in a third.
The first part is very hand-holdy, as it is designed as a tutorial. Each room is a page or more full of text describing how interactive fiction works. It takes you through navigation and basic use of items.
I found this part to be relatively well-polished but also pretty verbose. That may be more useful to newcomers but also may not. I've seen a lot of IF tutorial games (like Bronze, Dreamhold, 'So, You've Never Played a Text Adventure Before, Huh?') and I've written my own, but most people I ask about who got into IF found a big hard game without a tutorial and tried it on their own.
This tutorial includes things like mazes and darkness which aren't quite as ubiquitous as once they are.
It then segues into a main game which is exploring a creepy abandoned house. This part has very well written descriptions. The story and puzzles form a coherent atmosphere but not a logical plot. Overall, though, I thought this part was pretty fun and well put-together.