It’s Comp time again, and of course that means it’s time for me to do some reviews! I typically try to write one for each game in the competition, ideally before the deadline – I know when I’ve entered the Comp, the reviews and attention from players have been the best part, so hopefully this comprehensive approach is at least somewhat gratifying for authors as well as interesting for players. In 2020 I managed this handily, as despite the 103 games in the competition I was working remotely due to COVID and didn’t have too many obligations. In 2021, I had a new baby but was still on parental leave so also got through all the games.
This year, I have a much less nap-happy one year old and have to be a contributing member of society, so not going to lie, while I’m excited to see the host of genres and concepts included in the 71 games entered into this year’s Comp – not to mention the host of new authors – there’s also a fair bit of trepidation about whether I’ll be able to keep the streak alive. On the plus side, I have the advantage of having tested a fair number of games, including a couple of the longer ones, and I have two super-powers: 1) I write fast, and 2) I have a congenital inability to make good life choices when it comes to how much of my free time to devote to IF vs. fripperies such as sleeping.
I’ll be saving the games I tested for last (and depending on whether or not the time left allows for full replays and adequate writing time, might include those as short impressions posts rather than full reviews), and will occasionally bump up shorter choice-based games in the queue since sometimes my IF playing happens while I’ve got a baby sleeping on my shoulder, which is not ideal conditions for 1000-move parser puzzlefests, but otherwise I try to stick to playing and reviewing games in the order the randomizer gives me.
Fair warning – I try to spoiler-block puzzle solutions, and specific plot points if they seem especially climactic or surprising, but typically my reviews go into full detail on questions of theme, mechanics, and overall narrative, so the spoiler-averse might want to wait until they’ve played the game in question before reading my review.
4 Edith + 2 Niki
The Absence of Miriam Lane
According to Cain (BETA TESTED)
Admiration Point
The Alchemist
An Alien’s Mistaken Impressions of Humanity’s Pockets
Am I My Brother’s Keeper?
Approaching Horde!
Arborea (BETA TESTED)
The Archivist and the Revolution
Blood Island
Campus Invaders
Cannelé & Nomnom - Defective Agency
CHASE THE SUN
A Chinese Room
The Counsel in The Cave
Crash (BETA TESTED)
Death by Lightning
Elvish for Goodbye
Esther’s
Glimmer
Graveyard Strolls
The Grown-Up Detective Agency
Hanging by threads
Headlights (BETA TESTED)
The Hidden King’s Tomb
HOURS
i wish you were dead.
INK
Inside
Into The Sun
January
Jungle adventure
The Last Christmas Present
Lazy Wizard’s Guide (BETA TESTED)
Let Them Eat Cake
A Long Way to the Nearest Star
Lost at the market
Lost Coastlines
The Lottery Ticket (BETA TESTED)
Low-Key Learny Jokey Journey
Lucid
A Matter of Heist Urgency
No One Else Is Doing This
Nose Bleed
One Final Pitbull Song (at the End of the World)
One Way Ticket
The Only Possible Prom Dress (BETA TESTED)
The Pool
The Princess of Vestria (BETA TESTED)
Prism
Star Tripper
The Staycation
Thanatophobia (BETA TESTED)
The Thick Table Tavern
The Thirty Nine Steps
Through the Forest with the Beast
The Tin Mug
To Persist/Exist/Endure, Press 1
Tower of Plargh
Traveller’s Log
Trouble in Sector 471
U.S. Route 160
Under the Bridge
Use Your Psychic Powers at Applebee’s
A Walk Around the Neighborhood
Who Shot Gum E. Bear?
Witchfinders
You Feel Like You’ve Read this in a Book
You May Not Escape!
Zero Chance of Recovery