My personal favorite games from IFComps I've judged, in no particular order (read: alphabetical until I get tired of sorting). Will be updated as I play through the games I didn't get to during the comp.
A wife and mother has disappeared from memory and reality; tell her story to bring her back. An amazing premise that makes for fascinating gameplay while telling the story of a life that will stick with you. I loved searching for clues to who the woman who gave so much to everyone else really was. Just fantastic.
2. Ailihphilia by Andrew Schultz (as N. Y. Llewellyn) (2018) Average member rating: (7 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
Delightful fun with wordplay, with a robust hint system and extra surprises for upping your palindrome game. Leans a bit hard on the palindromes and makes the text difficult to read at times, but it's goofy enough fun that the plot really doesn't matter.
Following an invitation from a stranger, explore a house full of magical beings. Charming and cozy with a great narrative voice and really entertaining characters.
4. Alias 'The Magpie' by J. J. Guest (2018) Average member rating: (68 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
Raffles meets Poirot meets Wodehouse, and it's absolutely hilarious. You're a gentleman thief impersonating a psychoanalyst impersonating a detective, and there's a lot of hijinks to cause in the course of stealing a priceless scarab (and maybe some good to do, too).
5. Animalia by Ian Michael Waddell (2018) Average member rating: (30 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
Forest animals pretend to be a human child! It's hilariously dark. There's tons of variety in the gameplay, since you pick your team at the beginning and their skills and interactions change a lot.
Take some time out of your day to help out at a magical apothecary. You're meant to play this for a few minutes per day over the course of some days; the daily scenes are cute and simple, and the optional cryptic crosswords and real-life charity donations add a lot to it.
7. Basilica de Sangre by Bitter Karella (2018) Average member rating: (10 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
You're a demon possessing nuns in order to save your captured mother. The possession mechanic is tons of fun and the characters are great; there's one person whose segments are especially clever. You can pet a cat.
8. Bogeyman by Elizabeth Smyth (2018) Average member rating: (81 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
A child is taken by the bogeyman. Incredibly creepy and depressing, and captures the mood of a dark fairytale perfectly.
9. Cannery Vale by Hanon Ondricek (as Keanhid Connor) (2018) Average member rating: (30 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
You're a horror author checking in to the Lovecraft Hotel to write your latest novel, alternating between controlling yourself and your new protagonist. This is amazingly well-done, funny, and creepy; the process of writing the novel and seeing what the changes you've made do it extremely fun.
10. Citizen Makane by The Reverend (2023) Average member rating: (8 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
As the last man on earth, reintegrate yourself into society and solve problems by leveling up your sexual prowess. It's a deckbuilder deconstruction of an old porn game that's hilarious and straight-up fun to play. There's a bunch of optional cards to find and alternate resolutions to quests, so worth replaying, too. Making a non-creepy game about a dude sleeping with tons of women is impressive.
Hanon Ondricek's games are always weird and funny and very meta, and this was a delight to play. It starts off as a text MMORPG (which is fun on its own) and goes off the deep end. Winning another scenario is necessary to progress the main plot; it can be repeated upon dying.
12. Diddlebucker! by J. Michael (2018) Average member rating: (13 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
Go on a goofy scavenger hunt to win a prize. The hunt and puzzles are really fun, and an added subplot adds a nice wrinkle to it. Some puzzles can be obtuse, but there's a great hint system.
You're a B-movie actor discovering the horror creeps much further than the styrofoam sets. Hilarious and delightful, with perilous situations that entertain without frustrating.
As a mad scientist, make a deal with the devil (but not before figuring out how to wriggle your way out of it). Hilarious and delightful, and I love all the queer characters!
Astarion is trapped in a nightmare of his old life that is slowly killing him; you've entered the nightmare and are finally helping him escape. I highly recommend playing the first two parts, as the process of gaining Astarion's trust and making yourself perceptible to him makes this hit harder. Normal mode is pretty hard, but extremely replayable. No idea how well this works if you don't know Baldur's Gate 3 but Astarion fans should play this immediately.
Exactly as pulp as it sounds. The writing is delightful, including in the hint system, and the puzzles are brutal but fun. Keep a save at the start of each area, for the love of god.
17. Eikas by Lauren O'Donoghue (2024) Average member rating: (10 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
Plan meals and make friends in a fantasy world as you run a community kitchen. A lovely, cozy management game; planning themed meals, making money to buy your ingredients, and helping community members makes for a nicely complex game.
18. Erstwhile by Aster (formally Maddie) Fialla, Marijke Perry (2018) Average member rating: (58 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
You're a ghost solving your own murder by diving into your friends (and suspects') memories. Really engaging, with great gameplay and lots of tantalizing personal mysteries left unsolved.
19. Ferryman's Gate by Daniel Maycock (2020) Average member rating: (19 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
An edutainment game about grammar with a fun world and a good sense of humor. Makes me want to proofread my review.
20. Forsaken Denizen by C.E.J. Pacian (2024) Average member rating: (13 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
When a collections agency turns the people of your colony into monsters, save them with the help of your princess girlfriend whose fault this definitely is not. A funny and creepy survival horror game, with great gameplay and a snarky but sweet lesbian love story at the heart of it.
In a gallery displaying Francis Bacon's art, learn more about its subjects. A haunting, heavy game diving into art, biography, and ethics; I recommend pulling up the works in question while you play. Definitely heed the content warnings!
22. The Golden Heist by George Lockett and Rob Thorman (2021) Average member rating: (19 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
An entertaining romp to empty Emperor Nero's treasury, featuring three possible companions and many ways to bumble your way through.
23. Grimnoir by ProP (2018) Average member rating: (26 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
You're a noir supernatural detective--can you improve the lives of your clients, or even your own? Engaging characters and fun cases, and it's nice to see a gay noir protagonist. Get coffee at the start of every case.
24. Honk! by Alex Harby (2023) Average member rating: (17 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
A phantom is haunting your circus; can a clown save the day? A hilarious game full of clever puzzles and charming characters--it's a joy to play. You can pet the goose.
25. LAKE Adventure by B.J. Best (2023) Average member rating: (26 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
At 13, a boy made a text adventure about going to a friend's sister's birthday party. Decades later, you play while he commentates. A really cool concept which, as far as I can tell, is actually an expanded game the author made as a teen.
The Little Match Girl, having been adopted by Ebeneezer Scrooge and become a vampire-slayer/general heroine, must collect pearls to prevent war between fairies and humans. A super-enjoyable Metroidvania with tons of fun puzzles, sidequests, and clever descriptions. There's five previous games in the series, but the introduction tells you the important backstory.
In a fantastical festival, mingle, make connections, and prevent a murder or worse. This is a heavily time-based game (find characters at certain spots at certain times), which I don't enjoy enough to find the good endings, but there is so much to do in this game. The writing is delightful, and there are dozens of subplots to follow.
28. The Maze Gallery by Cryptic Conservatory, Paxton et al.Show other authorsRachel Aubertin, Chrys Pine, Ed Lu, Toni Owen-Blue, Christi Kerr, Sean Song, Joshua Campbell, Dawn Sueoka, Randy Hayes, Allyson Gray, Shana E. Hadi, Dominique Nelson, Orane Defiolle, An Artist's Ode, Sisi Peng, Kazu Lupo, divineshadow777, Robin Scott, Sarah Barker, TavernKeep, Alex Parker, Mia Parker, J Isaac Gadient, Charm Cochran, Ghost Clown, and IFcoltransG (2024) Average member rating: (5 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
Escape a surreal art museum. This is a huge game made by a ton of collaborators, but it somehow coalesces perfectly into a weird whole. Go with the flow and explore everything.
You're a Miss Marplesque detective, and you've suddenly died. As a ghost, steer your well-trained dog to prove you were murdered and find the perpetrator. A charming, cozy mystery with a fun gimmick. Watson is the goodest boy.
A parasite allows you to speak to your abusive brother after his death; can you ever find closure for a lifetime of pain? Gorgeous art and presentation of a moody story where the horror accentuates the real. Mind the content warnings.
31. One Way Ticket by Vitalii Blinov (2022) Average member rating: (13 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
A surreal, charming adventure that reminds me of The Little Prince. Brave jackals, corn, a chess-obsessed priest, corn, a man with four right hands, corn, and more to get to whatever your destination was. Clunky and weird and probably my favorite IFComp game of 2022.
An extremely long and even more detailed game about acquiring your daughter's perfect prom dress in a closed mall. I cannot emphasize enough how involved this is--dozens of shops and puzzles and items and some really asshole puzzles. The puzzles were a bit too old-school hard for me, but I had a blast just exploring and examining and solving what I could, supplemented with the hint system and walkthrough. Download the map unless you really love mapping!
33. Ostrich by Jonathan Laury (2018) Average member rating: (19 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
You're a censor in an increasingly fascist government. Like 1984 and want to be depressed about the state of the world? It's chilling.
34. Paintball Wizard by Doug Egan (2023) Average member rating: (10 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
As a pledge at a wizard fraternity, it's up to you to learn enough spells to win the wizard paintball game. A really fun magic system and surprisingly sweet story make this a blast to play, and the many Easter eggs are an incentive to use that magic system to the fullest.
35. Prism by Eliot M.B. Howard (2022) Average member rating: (17 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
You're a downtrodden courier in a fantastical city, and you've found the tools to make a difference. Thoughtful and atmospheric with very compelling worldbuilding. The Spotify soundtrack really adds to it too.
Sneak inside your abandoned studio to save your deceased boss's beloved puppets--but the puppets aren't the only things there. A surprisingly touching take on mascot horror, with fun gameplay and ridiculous amount of missable dialogue and interactions between the puppets.
As a cheerfully amoral bat lady, conquer a suitable birthday present for your lover. The florid and hilarious fantasy prose makes exploring and examining everything a treat. It is extremely, explicitly horny; the particular style isn't my thing, but it has so much fun with sex that it just adds to the atmosphere.
38. Sidekick by Charles Moore (2024) Average member rating: (3 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
When an Old Western town is terrorized by bandits, never fear, Buck McSwagger is there! And you, his sidekick, trying to keep his dumb ass alive and save the day. Hilarious premise and really fun puzzles that make you feel smart for getting them. The clickable parser format also works really well.
39. Stuff of Legend by Lance Campbell (2020) Average member rating: (21 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
A charming game following a village idiot becoming a knight, sort of. You can pet the horse, and cow, and cat, and--
40. StupidRPG by Steven Richards (2018) Average member rating: (6 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
Title is bad, game is one of the most delightful of the year. You're playing through an inexperienced GM's campaign, and it's a lot of fun. The different sections are disjointed (some very deliberately so) and there's plot hooks which go nowhere, but I'd play an expanded version of this in a heartbeat. The parser is incredible.
41. The Temple of Shorgil by Arthur DiBianca (2018) Average member rating: (24 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
Solve puzzles and learn more about the inhabitants of a lost temple. Filling in your journal is just as fun as solving the very clever puzzles. The puzzles can be difficult--some mechanics are obtuse, and there's a meta-puzzle for the best ending I didn't even know existed--but it's worth playing through.
As a blind mech, help your pilot carry out his mission. The conceit of depending on someone else to describe your surroundings is really clever, and the game does a lot with it. Figuring out different outcomes is difficult--I only got two.
43. They Will Not Return by John Ayliff (2018) Average member rating: (12 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
You're an android waiting for your masters to return and watching the world change. The first segment is really powerful, and the rest is a thoughtful look at ethics and consciousness.
44. Trouble in Sector 471 by Arthur DiBianca (2022) Average member rating: (30 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
Basically a parser Metroidvania--get upgrades and solve puzzles to destroy bugs. Seems overly simple at first, but gets more complex (especially the optional puzzles). Addictive and super enjoyable!
45. Ürs by Christopher Hayes, Daniel Talsky (2018) Average member rating: (22 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
A rabbit investigates the big THUDs that are shaking his home. Gorgeous art and text; the puzzles are thin, but it's still an enjoyable experience.
46. A Very Strong Gland by Arthur DiBianca (2024) Average member rating: (11 ratings)
jaclynhyde says:
After a disaster hits the spaceship onto which you have been abducted, fix the ship and help the aliens.A single-character parser makes figuring out the bizarre alien technology a ton of fun.
A writer faces the end of the world, and some more important things. The writing is extremely well done, and there's a lot of variety to the story; your choices are meaningful. There's some interesting meta parts that integrate into the story.
