1. howling dogs by Porpentine (2012) Average member rating: (122 ratings)
meadowmower says:
i love porpentine’s writing style so much. this is my favourite of their games and the words are just so so beautiful. totally didn’t emotionally wreck me or anything.
recommended if you enjoy: less puzzles, amazing language, and smaller short stories within a game.
to gain the experience I had while playing this, I recommend you do it at midnight after a big exam and then spend the next half hour crying about it to friends on discord and reading every single possible review.
2. Glass by Emily Short (2006) Average member rating: (107 ratings)
meadowmower says:
this game confused me, and then it delighted me. sometimes I just want to be a BIRD and cause CHAOS is that too much to ask for? this satisfies an urge I didn't know I had.
recommended if you like: short games that you can play through many times, fairy tale twists, and multiple endings.
3. Curses by Graham Nelson (1993) Average member rating: (129 ratings)
meadowmower says:
okay, okay, I know recommended lists are normally games that you've finished. but Curses! is the first real interactive fiction that I spent a lot of time on and it is very dear to my heart for that. yes it made me want to die as a beginner who still typed "examine" instead of "x" but the details and exploration kindled my great love for parsers.
recommended if you like: solving tough puzzles, big maps, amazing game atmosphere.
4. Violet by Jeremy Freese (2008) Average member rating: (388 ratings)
meadowmower says:
VIOLET MY BELOVED!! made me laugh out loud multiple times while playing. this is 100% my comfort interactive fiction and the one I go back to the most. in conclusion I believe in Violet supremacy and I love her sm!
recommended if you like: one-room puzzles, narrators with their own personality, crazy puzzles, and humour.
5. Erstwhile by Aster (formally Maddie) Fialla, Marijke Perry (2018) Average member rating: (60 ratings)
meadowmower says:
my relationship with this game is complicated. at first I was completely into it with the cool mystery mechanic, but the end fell flat for me because of some unsolved mysteries. a few days later, I stumbled upon the post-mortem and it punched me in the face 10 times with disbelief. complete emotional rollercoaster. 10/10 highly recommend you do the same as me.
recommended if you like: murder mysteries, a unique game mechanic, characters with secrets and unreliable narrators.
the replay value of this game is high! overall such a fun, well-made game. i took a few runs trying to win, and then I tried to make the worst robot I could possibly make. I will revisit this with my other ideas soon....
recommended if you like: light, chill puzzles, robots, ect. actually I recommend this game for everyone. it's that good.
7. Cragne Manor by Ryan Veeder, Jenni Polodna et al.Show other authorsAdam Whybray, Adri, Andrew Plotkin, Andy Holloway, Austin Auclair, Baldur Brückner, Ben Collins-Sussman, Bill Maya, Brian Rushton, Buster Hudson, Caleb Wilson, Carl Muckenhoupt, Chandler Groover, Chris Jones, Christopher Conley, Damon L. Wakes, Daniel Ravipinto, Daniel Stelzer, David Jose, David Petrocco, David Sturgis, Drew Mochak, Edward B, Emily Short, Erica Newman, Feneric, Finn Rosenløv, Gary Butterfield, Gavin Inglis, Greg Frost, Hanon Ondricek, Harkness Munt, Harrison Gerard, Ian Holmes, Ivan Roth, Jack Welch, Jacqueline Ashwell, James Eagle, Jason Dyer, Jason Lautzenheiser, Jason Love, Jeremy Freese, Joey Jones, Joshua Porch, Justin de Vesine, Justin Melvin, Katherine Morayati, Kenneth Pedersen, Lane Puetz, Llew Mason, Lucian Smith, Marco Innocenti, Marius Müller, Mark Britton, Mark Sample, Marshal Tenner Winter, Matt Schneider, Matt Weiner, Matthew Korson, Michael Fessler, Michael Gentry, Michael Hilborn, Michael Lin, Mike Spivey, Molly Ying, Monique Padelis, Naomi Hinchen, Nate Edwards, Petter Sjölund, Q Pheevr, Rachel Spitler, Reed Lockwood, Reina Adair, Riff Conner, Roberto Colnaghi, Rowan Lipkovits, Sam Kabo Ashwell, Scott Hammack, Sean M. Shore, Shin, Wade Clarke, Zach Hodgens, Zack Johnson (2018) Average member rating: (25 ratings)
meadowmower says:
this game is the equivalent of watching a movie with a lot of celebrity cameos. all the different writing styles and the puzzles and the giant map.. this game was so amazing, and the feeling of going "HEY LOOK THEY MADE ONE OF MY FAVOURITE GAMES!" while playing is just so cool. swag pog dope.
recommended if you enjoy: sprawling maps, puzzles. there really isn't anything quite like Cragne Manor.
8. Toby's Nose by Chandler Groover (2015) Average member rating: (118 ratings)
meadowmower says:
this game is the first reason I failed my French exam because I played it non stop during online school. the writing is amazing, and the settings are so rich and detailed. the scent mechanic was so cool, and finding out how all the secrets of all the characters was so so fun. in conclusion talented brilliant showstopping perfect. insert that gif of Gordon Ramsay saying "finally, some good freaking food." except replace "food" with "game".
recommended if you enjoy: detective puzzles, mysteries, complex backstories and characters, and being nosy.
9. Stay? by E. Jade Lomax (2020) Average member rating: (29 ratings)
meadowmower says:
this game. is the second reason why I failed my French exam. I don't even have words to say how much I love this, but the story is so amazing and I love all the characters to death and when I finally got the ending I wanted I nearly cried in my zoom class. does this community have comfort characters? because Myka, Suzette, and Gemma are my top comfort characters. normally I don't like romance in games but this was just so good.
recommended if you like: getting way too attached to characters, finding your own perfect ending, free choice on gender/sexuality, and time loops. actually don't even bother reading this just GO PLAY THIS NOW. I'm peer pressuring everyone who reads this review.
10. The Baker of Shireton by Hanon Ondricek (2015) Average member rating: (18 ratings)
meadowmower says:
came to this game because of the whole "baker" thing. you give me cooking in a game and immediately I'm hooked. 10/10 because I genuinely could have stayed in the little bakery making bread and been happy even if that was all the game contained. but SIKE it's not! the twist in this game was interesting to discover (not going to lie I had to use a tutorial to find it all out but the tutorial fit with the game itself nicely and didn't make me feel as guilty). although the ending didn't land completely for me, I still replay it sometimes for the beginning bakery sim.
recommended if you like: puzzles that require you to think outside the box, RPG games.
11. The Impossible Bottle by Linus Åkesson (2020) Average member rating: (82 ratings)
meadowmower says:
heart eyes I have so much love for this game. the concept is just. unlike anything that I'd ever seen and it makes for experimentation outside of the main storyline. it reminded me of my experience with Metamorphosis, because of the multiple solutions to all puzzles and the craziness of gaining a godlike power and subsequently abusing it. (thinking about how reality works in the game makes me feel kind of sick and dizzy but that's actually a plus. I could be doing something completely unrelated and then think "man, remember The Impossible Bottle? that was crazy." and I think that's a sign of a well-made game that sticks in your head.
recommended if you like: unique mechanics, insane puzzles, child's point-of-view. if you read this review I am picking you up and shaking you by the collar and telling you to play this
