Noah's IF Spaceworld 2023- Evaluations

Competitions IFComp
41

20 Exchange Place (Sol FC)

What it is about: You are thrown into the middle of a(nother) hostage crisis at a bank in fictional New York. Expect plenty of bad endings, that’s for sure. No way to be pacifist, I’m afraid.

The good: It’s a high-stakes chase and negotiation, full of action. Shit goes down and onto the fan real quickly. Replayability is increased not because of the number of possibilities, but because this piece is simply Nintendo Hard. You die, or the terrorists escape and live to fight another day. Welp.

The bad: Ironically, there are no hints of whether you did the right thing or not. Intuition certainly does not help. And if you’ve done it before, why is the failure rate abnormally high? Also, no maps, no stats (stealth, athleticism, negotiation, etc)- these could be not just relevant but also value-adding to this piece, but sadly not any. Why is both You and I used?

The Huh: The swearing makes me really cringe. How realistic can this really be, I wonder? And the cover art features a cigarette, hinting that this may come in necessary down the line.

Grade: 73.2%

4 Likes
42

Virtue (Oliver Revolta)

What it is: The misadventures of a young wife and her journey to becoming the next Tan Chuan-Jin like MP (or not).

The good: The implicit humor. Many pieces here (Dick McButts for example) have explicit humor, but this one cleverly disguises this by putting memes into everyday situations. It extolls the virtues, no- the vices that a generic upper middle-class woman has, including xenophobia, the perfect home and so on. And the nice dog. This piece was probably written by someone from the UK. Singaporeans like myself would probably throw in acts of kiasuism if they were the author- think Jack Neo’s I Not Stupid Too. This is what typical Singaporeans are most habitual of. Well, TV dramas have plenty of these, to fit in with the satire theme. Poking fun at these issues almost makes it too fun to read, until…

The bad: Maybe it’s a little too self-righteous, leading to the ‘ownself check ownself’ phenomenon, with almost surreal results. You become a celebrity overnight- oh no. The meet-the-MP session? It ends there, on a cliffhanger. I am left guessing what happens next. And yes, family issues do get swept under the carpet. Could we also get more of Gloria’s thoughts and words? And maybe her backstory to highlight how she got so kiasu in the first place- ‘social mobility again’?

The Huh: Well, the punch line is: is this the origin of a supervillain? Or the downfall of a hero? Or both? Or neither? Another one of those ‘it’s so wrong, but it feels so right’ kind of pieces. Trying to challenge the existing social order to make it more equitable without directly pointing the finger at anyone in particular. And perhaps an approach would be to revolve the story around the seven deadly vices. Enough said?

Grade: 77.7%

6 Likes
43

The Finders Commission (Deborah Sherwood)

What it is about: You are going to recover some precious jewels, but don’t get caught or let someone else find it first!

The good: There have been a number of escape rooms this year, but this one clearly takes the cake and the epic proportions. The setting is very Indiana Jones-esque and also reminiscent of the Lady Thalia series. The piece is pretty standard for a heist: explore the area, get disguise, create distraction, get some items (cloth, gloves, box, passcode, cylinder, email with map and configurations), get the Holy Grail, escape. What I didn’t do was to adjust the camera (should have done this). Random passwords and random events in each area make it more challenging, but overall it was still doable.

The bad: Where is the romance? Where is the humor? Alas, not much dialogue too. Probably too focused on the puzzle. Why are there other areas in the city that we cannot explore? At the beginning of the game, we can choose from 5 different agents. If this game had a stat system, we could see the advantages and disadvantages of each of the characters, but unfortunately it doesn’t. Having non-balanced characters (like one that has brawn over brain) would make the game more challenging and increase replayability.

The Huh: How do we charge our phone? And are there any other red herrings? And with the jewels in our hands, just where will we end up next?

Grade: 71.8%

6 Likes
44

Noah,

Thank you for playing and reviewing! All your feedback is very helpful.

Cheers!
Deborah

1 Like
45

Please Sign Here (Road)

What it is about: You are a coffee barista (or GrabFood driver), and there is yet another murder mystery (how many already?), that of your best friend, but instead of bloodstains, your signature has been popping up all over your deliveries. Once again, you’ll have to Sherlock your way through.

The good: If this was a murder mystery, I would have expected it to be more Cluedo-style, or comparable to the puzzles seen in the previous pieces. Instead, the narrative takes up the lion’s share, and this novelty is both a strength and a weakness. The strength lies in its slice of life approach, as compared to the fantasy themes that can (and usually are) pulled in. In other words, there’s more that what meets the eye. The graphics are also an asset.

The bad: The aforementioned weakness is that we get a semilinear story and the dark, corrupted past of Jackie being unveiled early on- it would have been better to get the backstory near the end, to make it feel more epic. In fact, this game is the polar opposite of One Knight Stand. To be fair, your friend’s life isn’t that rosy too- and the implicit suicide notes makes me feel that someone is out for revenge- but who, exactly? The endgame simply gives us a list of names to choose from… and then another cliffhanger…

The Huh: What if it was us that was behind it all? And we were the ones who wanted revenge for our parent’s misdeeds? And is this piece too prejudiced against Asian and Hispanic-Americans? We will never know for sure, but are some things better left unsaid?.. And is there a typo error in the final sentence as Casey instead of Jackie, or is it…

Grade: 74.2%

4 Likes
46

Shanidar, Safe Return (Cecilia Dougherty)

What it is about: The many experiences of a group of Neanderthals. From being attacked by a group of Cro-Magnons to the journey to their ancestral homeland. Prehistorical fiction is rare as it’s hard to pull off, thus it’s surprising that we have one here.

The good: In a fantasy genre, you’ll need plenty of lore. In a prehistoric genre, you’ll need plenty of archeological evidence, and this one has it up front- the author clearly did their homework. Including the Denisovans. The choices are all in simple sentences- direct, to the point. The dialogue, the action are also in simple sentences- for ease of understanding, to make one feel like they’re part of the action, and to reflect the simplicity of life back then, when technology was nonexistent. And animistic myths and legends were used to explain the world.

The bad: The choices here mainly determine what scenes you end up with, and you can actually exhaust all possible scenarios here by going back and tediously exploring- thus making this piece feel more like a collection of short stories weaved, although coherently, into one big one, where the focus of each story is mainly someone doing something, like the hunt, or the ritual- in other words, false linearity. Although accurate, this also means that it would be more appropriate to have it something I am more used to, National Geographic style. That way, I would be sure I’m not missing out on important elements or plot aspects. But like Library of Knowledge, this means that it loses interactivity.

The Huh: Being a sequel, it would be better if this fact was signposted. Examining things from different perspectives is key here- and the different perspectives should be signposted as well. It’s both a strength and a weakness- the strength is that we get a broader worldview, the weakness is that things get complicated quickly- when the era was ironically all about simplicity.

Grade: 65.7%

5 Likes
47

The Long Kill (James Blair)

What it is about: The reflections of a former soldier in the British army, their journey to enlisting, the shooting trauma, the high-stakes operation in Afghanistan, their romantic life (and with colleagues), their challenging adjustments to returning to civilian life, and so on. Expect animal cruelty and PTSD to show up a lot here.

The good: Plenty of action, plenty of chances for self-reflection, plenty of swearing (for a military genre, you have to expect that). You start in training, just like most other games, and you get thrown unfamiliar jargon- for example, measuring wind speed. You also have a shooting game at a funfair with your RO. This clearly sets the table for what’s to come (and more). Then comes the high-stakes mission. Finally, the unexpected plot twist- giving the terrorists a chance to gain the upper hand- clearly unexpected and perhaps more of a…

The bad: It was dark- perhaps too dark. Most games of this genre go for the macro approach with intricate, detailed worldbuilding and geopolitical background- this one simply throws you into the action directly. While it is nice, this piece does it too often, ruining the fun. A balance between the two would have been more cool. And also, the many throwbacks, er I mean time skips, one moment you’re in Kandahar, the next you’re in London, makes it somewhat confusing. Probably reflects the ex-soldier’s mind though. As mentioned, it’s just So. Much. Shooting. Everything revolves around it.

The Huh: Let’s just say the ‘teach me to shoot’ part had no ‘red pill, blue pill, purple pill’ like scene. Well, this isn’t the Matrix, but it would make it even more engaging than it is. Indeed, I would want to have more scenes of moral dilemmas, but not to the sense that it ends up portrayed as rather preachy. The ending also is the perfect ‘Huh’ moment.

Grade: 72.8%

5 Likes
48

Hi there @RockmanX, thanks very much for the time and detail given here! It means a great deal.

If you have a little more time, what sort of options would you have liked by way of a “red/other colour pill moment?”

I certainly can’t fault your assessment of “maybe too dark”, perhaps exploring other options might allow me to add something for readers that feel similarly.

I was going to ask which ending you received ( of the three plus variations)… but then realised they can all be very ‘huh’ and it would only be for my own curiousity’s sake.

2 Likes
49

The Whisperers (Milo van Mesdag)

What it is about: The lives of a group of people in an apartment in Moscow, USSR in the interwar period. No Among Us shenanigans here, but beware of the NKVD!

The good: The Soviet style jokes and other comments make this play so much more realistic. We had political satire before, but this is on another level. This is propaganda, done to the extant that it still has the slice of life elements with the interactivity, and without cannibalizing the political and historical elements. Background information pertaining to these is provided. The romantic cutscenes are also good to balance out the overtly political. And of course you get to direct the play- literally.

The bad: So much of knowing what we are fighting for, and what we are letting go. So much for ‘don’t let them (NKVD?) know’. So much for the (historically accurate) wretched famine and ‘burn, baby, burn’. You can never be neutral, no matter what the propaganda says. On the other hand, there is no outright negativity or positivity- the characters themselves are neutral, but the player isn’t, so weird stuff happens. And moreover, looks like there is no resolution in the ending- everybody dies, or is it? (unless you chose the hidden ending and challenge the system)

The Huh: Well, if there was a Communist Guidebook, then this would have been set in Maoist China during the Cultural Revolution instead. And what does Marx have to say about romance exactly? And this feels way too much like Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney if you take it far enough.

Grade: 74.7%

4 Likes
50

My Pseudo-Dementia Exhibition (Naomi Norbez)

What it is: An autobiography describing the author’s mental health challenges and how they overcome them. Warning: transgender issues and depression are encountered. A lot.

The good: The novel approach to telling the story in a museum format. The novel genre (for the IFComp). No flashbacks needed. Just a series of rooms with some information and pictures describing the author’s experiences and what they learnt. There is a map so you won’t get lost or find out that you miss something. Again, it’s a case of multiple short stories weaved into one big one. To add depth, photographs of important items are added as virtual feelies, testifying to the actions of the writer. The content is rich, as was to be expected. Each step of the way is clearly described. The ups and the downs, all remembered and reflected. Everybody has a story to tell. This is one good way to tell it. Is this a good example? Mostly. But this was a tough pill to swallow, as …

The bad: I don’t think this would be the most effective medium in explaining the situation faced by the author. Perhaps a parable of some sort would be more captivating. And the nonlinearity was something I wasn’t expecting. Still, I have no idea what the author truly is fighting for, after all those years.

The Huh: What about the author’s relationships with other important people, say their family? And would it be better to end off on a truly reflective note, rather than on a heroic one? ‘Remember that there is love’ - and that’s it?

Grade: 61.5% (am I being too harsh on the writer?)

3 Likes
51

My Brother, The Parasite (qrowscant)

What it is about: Dealing with the ghost of your brother, who has come back and still haunts you. The memories of time spent together. The challenges of a dysfunctional family (sad to say, plenty of entries this year have this).

The good: The flashbacks to when her brother was still alive. The irony of wanting to get rid of him and not wanting to do so. The family tension. The mental health factoids interspersed throughout the narrative. A rather weird and surreal ending where you admit you’re not alone, and then stare into the sky. A cliffhanger, but it’s appropriate.

The bad: The font color for some parts is too light. When combined with the yellow and dark background, the contrast- while relevant to the story at hand, is too much and too hard for me to see properly. ‘The rest of you is just catching up’ adds insult to injury. Could have more elaboration with the relationship with her mother.

The Huh: If it’s not love, then what? If it’s part of a series, then could there be more light shed on said series?

Grade: 68.7%

4 Likes
52

Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head (The Hungry Reader)

What it is about: The Muppets meets Pac-Man meets Pokemon. You are to collect all the puppets while avoiding the so-called ‘monsters’ (no, they are not Team Rocket goons). Yes, it’s very like the Muppets movie. It’s also like Finders Commission with the itemfinding, but a lot harder.

Puppets obtained: 9/14. So no best ending. Found with a lot of trial and error and backtracking, pretty standard for an action platformer like Mega Man X, but unorthodox for IF.

The good: The various references to the abovementioned franchises. At least the humor and horror are more light in tone compared to some other entries. The first puppet is given to you almost for free. It’s difficult to pull this gameplay puzzle mechanic off, but the author did so very nicely. It does one thing and it does it well. It’s basic and parser-like: search, wait, move to room, but there are plenty of things to keep track, including where your opponent will go next, and later on, what puppet to take where. Thus, while some pieces go for breadth, this one goes for depth. Plenty of backstory involving the puppets when you interact with them (clearly a Muppets reference here). They also double up as power-ups. There is a difficulty scale: you can either finish with only the free puppet or do the ‘catch them all’ challenge (at least no gym leaders). Thank goodness there is an undo button. Trial and error is the way to go here.

The bad: I would want a map for an easier and more immersive experience. And also perhaps some clues on how many puppets there are in each area. And of course a PuppetDex containing all the facts, well, like a Pokedex. It ends up being like this: survey the area to see what’s inside, all without collecting anything. Do this twice- once for the layout, once to see what key items you need where. then reenter and try to collect the things needed. Rinse and repeat. And try not to get any of your puppets KOed. If you have plenty of time, great! But since the areas are limited and sort of unintuitive, even with the aforementioned itemfinder, it can and does get tedious quickly.

The Huh: Are the layouts of the rooms randomized? The racism and police brutality really is a dampener to an otherwise strong ending. And I was hoping for a guide/walkthrough on this one. And which Muppets correspond to the in-game ones? Since the puppets can talk to you, I was hoping a better balance between the dialogue and puzzle solving as well. I was too often doing more on the latter than the former.

Grade: 85.6%

7 Likes
53

Thanks so much for your generous review! I was kind of sweating because I saw you as very experienced in this field, and thus hard to impress; I’m surprised (and pleased) to have ranked so highly with you, even without seeing everything!

2 Likes
54

Paintball Wizard (Doug Egan)

What it is about: You are part of a magical fraternity, and are invited to participate in a paintball competition. You’ll have to master magic spells and defeat your buddies to win. Sounds easy right?

Players defeated: 5/5, plaques obtained: 10/23

The good: Another one with a pseudo-parser style, only with buttons for action inputs, and a puzzle involving collecting things, and defeating your opponents, only unlike Puppet Head, you collect magic spells and their effects, and your frat friends are your opponents. Not surprisingly, there are plenty of things to collect- both essential and as some extra goodies, presidential plaques, people to SPLORT, power-up spells to master, and so on. The humor was just about the right level too. It was also nice to have special sections where you go into people’s minds and play as them to complete a mission. Fantasy-based, obviously. The story itself was alright, with an important message at the end about overcoming your challenges.

The bad: Too much Harry Potter references. Not familiar with the fraternity system, probably should have just called it an underground sports club instead. The backstories- some involving family abuse and neglect- are outright dampening and these missions sort of run counterproductive to the story. Again, there is a lack of a map. Moreover, having a spell dictionary in addition to the inventory list, for a guide of what spells can be used and their effects, could have been implemented. After all, as mentioned in Puppet Head, a weapon and item select screen enhances gameplay. The spellcasting can be a bit unintuitive- having the abovementioned action screen and a target list would be better.

The Huh: The classic XYZZY shows up again. I think there would be a bonus ending for collecting all plaques (is there?). The endgame was, like what? No complicated final opponent?

Grade: 78.7%

5 Likes
56

Thanks for the review! I’m genuinely curious: how would the story be better told as a parable? I ask because that idea intrigues me, and I’m curious to hear your thought process.
I hope this doesn’t come across as snarky or defensive, because neither is the case. I really am genuinely curious to hear what your have to say.

1 Like
57

Thanks, I love to get your feedback. It makes me curious to hear the details. For example, what darker subjects you have in mind or you felt were missing or underpresented. No question I the topic is to big to be fully epresented, but what came to your mind first?

1 Like
58

Assembly (Ben Kirwin)

What it is about: You’ve moved house, and are busy assembling your furniture when… down the rabbit hole you go and… wait, why are there hooded figures?

This is my first parser game I tried, IFComp and overall. Other than Pick Up the Phone Booth and Aisle, I have never done a parser game before.

The good: The IKEA setting- almost accurately described- really encapsulates (pun intended) the experience. The Alice through the Looking Glass approach may be overused, but using it on something as mundane as IKEA makes it even more hilarious. The main gimmick of assembling and disassembling furniture- sometimes, you have to work backwards. The classic ‘collect x, fiddle around with x, get y from x, use y on z, etc’ formula. (Other games will have this as well.) The surprise plot twist. The slice-of-life mixed with some fantasy elements is just next-level.

The bad: Looks like we just triggered the destruction of IKEA. Oh no. What is more, it’s Night At The Museum style. Couldn’t a black hole just suck all the furniture boxes and their contents in? Also, the ending feels strangely the same as the beginning- both ended with taking the table- why is this, exactly? Another Looking Glass reference? If so, I expected more such references. Could we also have more information on what the cultists are up to and why they want to destroy the portal?

The Huh: What is the strange structure near the check-out counter for? What’s at the other end of the portal? Why can’t we explore what’s on the other end?

Grade: 81.3%

6 Likes
59

The Vambrace of Destiny (Arthur DiBianca)

What it is about: You are taking part in a challenge where you have to find your way in an old castle and defeat whatever monstrosity is inside there, and get as many treasures as you can.

I completed the main mission and found all but three optional treasures.

The good: Although this is a parser game, there are relatively few instructions, inputs are restricted to one letter. As stated on the cover, it’s a classic dungeon crawler. With slightly less than 100 rooms and 15 different copy abilities to be found, it’s simple enough, yet with substantial content and things to keep you playing. The classic formula: find copy essence, trial and error to see which copy abilities work against which monster, rinse and repeat. The final wizard is obviously unintuitive, curveball throwing!

The bad: I don’t feel that there is substantial storyline. It really feels like a budget airlines version of Kirby without the bells and whistles. Moreover, only two of the 15 abilities can be powered up, so what happened to the others?

The Huh: What will the sequel look like (if there is even one)?

Grade: 67.8%

5 Likes
60

Thank you for your thoughtful review of “Paintball Wizard”.

1 Like
61

The Little Match Girl 4: The Crown of Pearls (Ryan Veeder)

What it is about: You are Sonic the Hedgehog, er I mean Ebenezabeth Scrooge, and you have to find the seven Chaos Emeralds, er I mean the six Pearls of Virtue, and keep them out of the hands of Dr Eggman, er I mean, the Fairy Queen? If Puppet Head had elements of Muppets, Pac-Man and Pokemon, this one has elements from Hans Christian Andersen’s 1854 story “The Last Pearl” (the setting), Metroid Prime (the level layouts), Steve Jackson’s Sorcery series (I think), and a bit of a stretch, Mega Man X. In A Few of My Favourite Things, I mentioned that Mega Man X is my best non-IF game. Just like in The Ship, there are two ships.

The good: Plenty. The disguises we can wear- like the pirate disguise- and the associated transformations all remind me of the Mega Man X powerups: itemfinder, light, minimize. The fact that we have a revolver-like buster, and we can charge it up is clearly a homage to Metroid and Mega Man. Plenty of things we can obtain, plenty of areas in seven main stages to explore, plenty of things to do. Stages are connected Metroidvania-style, which means revisiting will be needed. Also, stages are in different time periods, so the familiar time travel mechanic via teleportation by fire is really fun. The nice pacing and eclectic mix of both fairy tale fantasy and modern sci-fi. There are two ships- one pirate, one space station, which ties into this year’s ‘theme’. Also the sidequests that you can do.

The bad: Not enough people to talk to and get information out of. The fairy tale realm and Copenhagen stages are a little too short. Where is the hub world or base? Also, no map. I didn’t know there were sidequests! Ebenezabeth’s personality is too much like Mega Man X’s- this is a fairy tale- sci-fi hybrid, so it’s odd.

The Huh: Why are there not seven pearls? Where is my final boss fight against the Fairy Queen where you have to use some of your items and powerups carried along the way? This feels more like a series than a standalone, and the fact that I have no idea about 1 to 3 makes me going in more ‘huh’, I guess. Peace between the human and fairy (tale) realms sounds like the peace between humans and Reploids- a clear Mega Man X reference here!

Grade: 89.6%

5 Likes