Stoned Ape Hypothesis is prehistoric fiction written by James Heaton, using Ink.
4 Likes
The Arkhill Darkness is a fantasy combat RPG by Jason Barrett. You have been dispatched to lift the Darkness and save the town of Arkhill.
A lot of creative work went into The Arkhill Darkness, but it didn’t take itself too seriously.
3 Likes
Equal-librium: Lion & Mouse? is a take on social critique by Ima, and it does not waste any effort on subtlety.
This entry is fast-paced and dense with information, trying to create the sense of a large, dramatic event unfolding rapidly.
4 Likes
High Jinnks is a choice-based story about a jinni’s mishaps in human society.
It’s a bit like a magic trick: when the presentation is smooth enough, you can ignore the mechanics and delight in the experience.
4 Likes
Vain Empires is a parser-based espionage game by Thomas Mack and Xavid.
“Cold war struggles playing out on foreign soil” is a familiar theme, and that familiarity allowed me to focus on applying game mechanics that departed from normal parser-based puzzles.
5 Likes
Red Radish Robotics is a choice-based science fiction story by Gibbo.
Overcoming almost every obstacle is a matter of finding the right links and clicking them in sequence, which meant that I enjoyed uncovering the story more than solving the puzzles.
4 Likes
Turbo Chest Hair Massacre is a real piece of work by Joey Acrimonious.
The main character’s insecurities prevent her from leaving the house, and you must deal with this by removing her chest hair. Although the razors are missing, useful substitutes can be found everywhere. There’s just one question: What price will you pay for perfection?
I went into this entry expecting a weakly implemented joke, and instead I found smart writing in a parser-based exploration of what it means to be in a relationship. Yes, it contains coarse language and erotic themes, but they’re artistically justifiable coarse language and erotic themes. Without them, the Turbo Chest Hair Massacre experience would be incomplete.
A wide variety of tools can be applied to the main problem, and they are uncovered by exploring the environment and interacting with the main character’s roommate. I enjoyed their different observations and reactions; they are clearly defined through sharp writing.
I was also entertained by how Turbo Chest Hair Massacre nudges the player towards obviously terrible solutions that are easy to attempt. Some of my worst ideas were smoothly executed without having to guess any verbs. After some quick early failures, I thought, “I need duct tape.” Dear reader, the game provided duct tape. After discovering more details about the roommates, I resorted to a method of hair removal that was suitably horrifying.
If I have but one regret, it’s that I didn’t spend more time exploring new frontiers of personal hygiene with Turbo Chest Hair Massacre. It was fun as hell.
9 Likes
this rules and i’m definitely trying this. there’s very few games i like more than ones that reward you most fully for making bad choices. life should be similar imho
4 Likes
Hi, Peter. Thank you for playing and reviewing RRR. I’m pleased you enjoyed the story, and your feedback is much appreciated. The respawn feature was added to take the player back to before the mistake was made, allowing a different choice, rather than replaying from the start, so it’s a shame that players have been a little muddled by this. In future games, I may remove this checkpoint feature or better explain it, as it clearly needs some attention. Thanks again!
1 Like
Desolation is a parser-based horror entry from Earth Traveler.
I had a difficult time engaging with this story, and I’m not convinced that a parser was the best format for delivering it.
3 Likes
Tavern Crawler is a choice-based, screwball noir fantasy by Josh Labelle.
Too much dramatic tension might have cramped the interactivity and left me feeling like an observer. Instead, I had enough slack to play around inside the story and enjoy myself.
4 Likes
Passages is speculative fiction by Jared W. Cooper.
I wondered whether I should try to piece together its chronology on my own. Then I decided to follow the narrator’s example and accept things as they are.
3 Likes
Quintessence is a choice-based science fiction work by Andrea M. Pawley.
The choices in Quintesence were less about deciding how my character acted, and more about choosing which actions would affect it.
4 Likes
Savor is a choice-based horror entry by Ed Nobody.
My inability to enjoy the story might have been a personal failing.
4 Likes
@vivdunstan recommended Captain Graybeard’s Plunder, and she’s absolutely right that it should not be missed.
Honestly, you can ignore my review. Graybeard’s Plunder, by Julian Mortimer Smith, is short enough that your time would be better spent just enjoying the work itself.
2 Likes
Seasonal Apocalypse Disorder, written by Zan and Xavid, is a parser-based mission to save the world from fiery destruction. (Xavid is also credited on Vain Empires.)
I appreciated how the challenges were designed, and I was entertained by its understated absurdity.
4 Likes
Accelerate is a choice-based multimedia project credited to The TAV Institute.
This story is set in a future world where nations have already been remade by violent conflict, but political and economic actors are still engaging in familiar behavior that divides and controls the public. It’s quickly apparent whether this experience will appeal to you.
3 Likes
Big Trouble in Little Dino Park was written by Seth Paxton and Rachel Aubertin, using Ink.
I enjoyed exploring the question at the heart of this entry: “What if Jurassic Park gave summer jobs to disaffected teens?”
2 Likes