Nontraditional Parser, Gamebook, IF and Systems

Recommendations by thecanvasrose

This list is based on a poll you can add votes to. I will update the list from time to time to reflect what's on the poll as I play the elected games and can write snippets about them.

See here: https://ifdb.org/poll?id=9xs5adb1gvesf3tk

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This list features games which are:

》Neither parser nor gamebook games
》Highly nontraditional parser games
》Highly nontraditional gamebooks
》Those which bend the norm of traditional development systems
》Those which push the envelope of/with less common development systems
》Potentially foggy in their status as IF

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1. Cannery Vale
by Hanon Ondricek (as Keanhid Connor)
(2018)
Average member rating: (27 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

One of my favorite horror games. "Cannery Vale" pushes the gamebook format with a sort-of parser feel. Uses AXMA Story Maker.

2. All Your Time-Tossed Selves
by Porpentine
(2016)
Average member rating: (15 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

Neither parser nor a gamebook. This is an IF story told through Google Forms from the experimental Porpentine.

3. Heaven Will Be Mine
by Aevee Bee and Mia Schwartz
(2018)
Average member rating: (2 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

An interactive fiction game told through emails and chat logs. Illustrated. Could be looked at as a gamebook, possibly. Built with Unity.

4. Human Errors
by Katherine Morayati
(2018)
Average member rating: (16 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

An unusual gamebook which resembles a type of help desk interface. One wouldn't be able to immediately guess that this was made in Twine.

5. The Dead Tower
by Mez Breeze, Andy Campbell
(2012)
Average member rating: (1 rating)

thecanvasrose says:

Debatably IF, debatably not IF, though this is a text-based game. At the same time, this is a 3D terrain exploring game. Hard to say whether it has a narrative. Adobe Flash.

6. 1915
by Gregor Duddy, Luke Powell, Finlay Macpherson
(2019)
Average member rating: (1 rating)

thecanvasrose says:

Another 3D terrain explorer merged with a gamebook, but with a more cohesive narrative!

7. The House Abandon
by jonNoCode
(2016)
Average member rating: (5 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

A meta, parser game built with Unity. Inside a static 3D environment which changes when achievements are reached within the text adventure.

8. Loss, Undersea
by D. Fox Harrell

thecanvasrose says:

A custom built HTML gamebook with animations.

9. (do not) forget
by lectronice
(2014)
Average member rating: (22 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

A gamebook (?) featuring heavy graphics and terrain exploration.

10. Façade
by Michael Mateas, Andrew Stern
(2005)
Average member rating: (5 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

An IF story told with a custom-made chat bot and animations. Resembles other conversational IF.

11. Charlie The Robot
by Fernando Contreras
(2017)
Average member rating: (14 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

An offbeat, unusually styled gamebook with videos, music and pretend "pop up" advertisements.

12. Harmonia
by Liza Daly
(2017)
Average member rating: (71 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

A unique gamebook built with the uncommonly used Windrift story engine.

13. Doki Doki Literature Club
by Team Salvato
(2017)
Average member rating: (18 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

A satire of visual novels, made with Ren'Py.

14. Hyper Rift
by CKS Studios
(2015)
Average member rating: (2 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

A mobile app and gamebook, built in Unity. Also features an interactive map.

15. The Bubble Bath
by Susane Berkenheger
(2005)
Average member rating: (1 rating)

thecanvasrose says:

Requires a certain outdated version of Internet Explorer. This is a (harmless) virus that takes over your computer to tell a story.

16. Venience World
by Daniel Spitz
(2018)
Average member rating: (3 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

A parser built with custom HTML.

17. Trapped in Time
by Simon Christiansen
(2013)
Average member rating: (24 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

IF in a PDF you have to print out to play. Sorta "oof" and sorta awesome.

18. Secluded
by Niklas Gløsen
Average member rating: (1 rating)

thecanvasrose says:

A gamebook built in Unity that determines the choices made by a depressed man with an abstract ending.

19. Detectiveland
by Robin Johnson
(2016)
Average member rating: (51 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

A parser game with unique implementation and a custom interface made in Javascript.

20. Draculaland
by Robin Johnson
(2016)
Average member rating: (27 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

From the creator of "Detectiveland." Same type of Javascript interface.

21. Love, Prestige & Spookiness
by Elizabeth Smyth, Pedro Alves, D'Ack Games, Maria Vittoria Patti, Ed Roberts, Alan Wills, Anita G. Zadeh, Aria Zadeh
(2019)
Average member rating: (1 rating)

thecanvasrose says:

Neither wholly a gamebook nor parser game. An experiment in Unity, contributed to in part by Elizabeth Smyth, creator of "Bogeyman." Explore a house and make choices about what to do with the furniture.

22. My Very Own Train Station
by Niklas Gløsen
(2019)
Average member rating: (2 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

A gamebook built in Unity that requires multiple playthroughs to reach its various endings. Several animations.

23. Guilded Youth
by Jim Munroe
(2012)
Average member rating: (48 ratings)

thecanvasrose says:

A custom parser made in Vorple with a real gamebook feel.

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