I was gonna try to finish by the voting deadline but I guess that’s not happening. Sorry to you late-alphabet submissions—I’ll get through as many as I have time for, but after the 15th I probably won’t continue this.
3 Likes
String Theory by W Pzinski
Content warning: Some profanity, body image/weight issues, a few mildly suggestive passages, racism, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues, and indirect descriptions of a car accident.
Romance, humor, drama • One hour • Choice-based • Twine
String theory goes very much over my head but it seems to argue that the building blocks of the universe are not points (particles) but one-dimensional strings that vibrate in multiple dimensions of space, with different vibrations corresponding to different particles and forces.
Metaphorically, it seems like to a vast, interconnected web of “stuff”, which, in turn, can easily symbolize a person’s life experiences. The title suggests that everything in this game is related, with different events influencing each other in different ways.
The tags promise a light-hearted, fluffy little rom-com, but the content warnings suggest something much deeper. The game itself revolves around a same-sex relationship, which (unfortunately) can, in some eyes, be an issue in and of itself. It seems that homophobia, plus racism, body images, and substance abuse surround the central romantic plot.
TLDR: knots of ups and downs
2 Likes
Traffic: An adventure at five miles an hour by D. S. Yu
One hour • Parser-based • Z-code
A long-ish but fairly simple game about traffic. Specifically, stop-and-go traffic, such as that on the cover. Very relatable. In the cover, it is equally disappointing (and relatable) that the other side is perfectly clear. The worst part of slow lines is watching other people go by more quickly than you and wishing you were them.
TLDR: you get really excited when you move five feet forward
2 Likes
The Triskelion Affair by Clyde Falsoon
Content warning: None
Sword & sorcery • Two hours • Parser-based • Web-based
Based on the content warnings, this must not be a very heavy game, and is (hopefully) family-friendly and appropriate for everyone.
A triskelion (triskeles) is an ancient motif of either a triple spiral with rotational symmetry or other triplicate patterns emerging from a center. The design is often of interlocking Archimedean spirals or human limbs. This fantasy game doesn’t have a clear connection to these designs, but it could have significance as, perhaps, a country’s flag or a runic symbol.
“Swords and sorcery” suggest a typical high fantasy setting, mostly set in medieval times but with a magical twist.
TDLR: spiraling and spiraling and spiraling
1 Like
Turn Right by Dee Cooke
Slice-of-life • 15 minutes or less • Parser-based • Adventuron
I have played this game before.
The title very clearly reflects the end goal: turn right. Turn right, that is, from a left-driving road. Not the far-right to far-right turn that is easy enough that you can do it legally at a red light as I initially imagined it. It’s the far turn, the hard turn. An unprotected right, no less. It is truly a slice-of-life game: very relatable, and very much a slice of countless people’s lives.
TLDR: when the cars keep coming
4 Likes
Under the Cognomen of Edgar Allan Poe by Jim Nelson
Mystery • Longer than two hours • Parser-based • TADS
A cognomen was the third name of three of a citizen of ancient Rome. Today, it refers more to a distinguishing nickname or epithet, which “Edgar Allan Poe” definitely qualifies as. So the game may center around uncovering the secrets of this writer and poet. What does his name entail? And what isn’t being revealed about him?
In a sense, I suppose, the game could also revolve around learning more about the “Poe” part of “Edgar Allan Poe”, as that is his “third name”.
TLDR: great murder mystery or just onomastics
2 Likes