Strings: a (bug)folk song, by Tabitha & baezil
Play a “bugfolk” musician on a quest to recruit legendary musicians to join you in a concert to summon the moon. This charming “fable” involves interacting with wildlife and learning how to use natural environments to your advantage. There’s evocative writing worth lingering on here, and it takes place in a unique setting with fun world-building.
This is a well-implemented Inform game with plenty of unique parser responses and commands, in-game hints, and QoL features that make for a smooth experience. I think it achieves a Goldilocks balance of an experience that’s not terribly long or challenging but still feels substantial.
Length: About 30 mins (though I could see it taking longer, depending on your reading speed).
Play this if you like:
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Original stories that feel like folklore.
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Fantasy settings with anthropomorphic animals.
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The idea of playing a parser, but find many games in the genre intimidating. (Although seasoned parser players will enjoy this, too.)
Tips: There are a couple puzzles in the game that involve NPC movements that are timed to the player’s turns. There were places where I found that I needed to leave a room or take an action in order to trigger a character to move. Also, don’t overlook the scenery descriptions: they include some fairly subtle clues that may take a couple of readings.