First Bull Run

Full Disclosure: I am a credited beta tester for this game.

First Bull Run is on the shorter side in terms of wordcount, but still provides a pretty enjoyable experience with content for multiple playthroughs.

One of the first things I’ll mention is that this game is an absolute masterclass for folks who want to have plenty of pictures in an IF game with limited art skills. The game has plenty of pictures from the public domain, allowing you to pick your own character portrait and also allowing you to see various other commanders on the field. Army maps are also provided in game, which while simple in design and not complicated to make, helped to convey the situation on the battlefield. It has the military vibe too. Plus, you can see your character’s name on those maps too.

The writing is solid, and helps to convey the intensity of battle. There are no traditional choicescript stats here, so you will need to read through the text carefully to decide what could give you the best outcome. I’m still having a bit of difficulty with that Gold Medal, but I’ll get it at some point.

The game doesn’t take too long to finish, although it’s still worth a replay to see how things could have turned out differently.

I’d definitely recommend this if the genre is your thing.