Which remaining comp games shouldn't I miss?

Playing Game Hints
1

In your opinions, of course. I’ve played a fair number, and I suppose I would have to put the People’s Glorious Revolutionary Text Adventure tops so far. The puzzles are classic style, but there is some ingenuity there, and while I have seen it described at as not as funny as it thinks, I think it’s exactly as funny as it thinks… I think.

Anyway, I found it amusing. I felt at first like I was going to be exposed to a political screed in lampooning caricature form, but I found it didn’t really take itself seriously enough to engage that with any bitterness, and of course in the endgame…

The People’s Glorious Revolutionary Text Adventure…the caricatures are shifted to the other side of the political spectrum.

So I felt it it was a rather consummate execution of the type of adventure and humour that it was setting out to be, which is not a bad type at all. I had fun. It worked on both levels for me of interactive engagement and artifice. I have seen others say that it didn’t work for them on either level, but go figure.

The other main contender was Aotearoa, which I really enjoyed once I finally managed to get off that boat. A friend and I both got hung up on something that I think wasn’t really intended to be a puzzle, but rather…

Aotearoa…a requirement that you read all the introductory information in your inventory in order to trigger the storyline to actually begin. It fazed him a bit more than it did me, and I sort of saw it as a bug or possibly unintentionally stumping. We both enjoyed the first half of the game thereafter, but in the second half it really turned in a certain direction to generate narrative excitement, it seems, but it narrowed the interest of the puzzles for me. And I also prefer the workings of the Graham Nelson’s Rideable Animal extension to the somewhat unwieldy dino-riding verbs that dominated the second half of the game.
But I did love the command line innovations, like just typing dialogue topics to talk to people (at least once conversation is initiated). I so rarely find dialogue systems a comfortable fit but this was a pretty good exception. And just typing the names of things to examine them and leaving out the verb altogether, that was cool too. Where else was that used – was it Blue Lacuna?

So those are probably the top two so far in my books, with honourable mention to The Warbler’s Nest.

Ones I have enjoyed in some ways but haven’t finished enough to really judge yet:
Blindhouse
One Eye Open
Pen and Paint
The 12:54 to Asgard

Ones I have yet to try:
Heated
The Bible Retold: Lost Sheep
Divis Mortis
Following a Star
Gigantomania
Gris et Jaune
Oxygen
Under, In Erebus
The Rogue of the Multiverse
Leadlight

Which of that last group should I definitely check out before the deadline?

Paul.

2

I’ve only made it through a little more than half myself, but of the ones you list that I’ve played, I have a few recommendations.

Play Gris et Jaune, but only until you’ve made it out of the house. Seriously, just consider that the end of the game, and you’ll be happier for it, and you’ll have played a really awesome short game.

And I seem to be in the minority on this, but I really liked Leadlight. Yes, it’s got the Apple II thing going on, but I thought it was a solid game. I recommend reading the manual (it’s short) because you’ll pick up a few things that will make the game easier to play, like learning that you can hit enter to repeat a command, which comes in handy for the battles. It will very likely take you all the way to the 2 hours to finish, though.

I also thought Rogue of the Multiverse was fun. It’s fairly linear, but it was a nice quick story with good funny writing.

-Kevin

3

In my humble opinion :slight_smile: :-
Heated - I really liked this though a lot of reviews seem less keen. I realised straight away it just wanted to screw with me so took it in that spirit and its a short, fun game.

Lost Sheep - short, not so fun game that wasn’t really funny, though not too bad. Time can be better spent elsewhere as you are running short.

Divis Mortis - I liked this one, well written and well made, needed the walkthrough a bit for the end. The end twist was fairly obvious all the way through but definitely worth a go.

Following a Star - I gave up with this after half an hour, it just didn’t grab me one bit. I suspect its better than I think it is.

Gigantomania - I really liked the writing style and the individual scenes are good, but as a game its linear, simplistic and not really any gameplay. Its more something to experience than to play. The last scene has caused confusion to many, FYI its not lots of errors, it is chess moves, if you get that far…

Gris et Jaune - I loved this, easily the best of show. Until I got out of the house and then it just all went to hell. As stated above, escape the house and leave it there, don’t spoil the great experience up to that point. If there is a future update to this that cleans up the 2nd half, I’ll be first in line for it.

Oxygen - well made, well written, really good. But… the damn puzzle annoyed me so much, but I actually scored very well on it due entirely to luck and random meddling. Maybe I was too tired that day for that one :slight_smile: Definitely worth a try though.

Under, in Erebus - After reading a few reviews of this, and the first 5 minutes wandering around in confusion, game over. Not my kind of thing at all.

Rogue of the Multiverse - Quite short and fairly simple, very funny, different and well made. Genuinely good puns and gags here and there, and an IF high speed chase on a rocket bike. What more do you want?

Leadlight - haven’t played this one.

Hope this helps a bit :slight_smile:

4

Agreed with the advice regarding Gris et Jaune, and a very hearty recommendation for Rogue of the Multiverse as well.

5

<Deleted - I thought this was in the Authors’ Forum. Sorry.>

6

Hmm thanks for the tips, peeps.

I’m thinking Gris et Jaune sounds like it’ll get a try first. And thanks for the other recs too, it’s been helpful!

Paul.

7

I’m with Kevin on thinking Leadlight is a great game. I’d highly recommend playing it with the AppleWin emulator. Without AppleWin, I wouldn’t have bothered. Setting it for monochrome green like in my elementary school days was a plus, too.

Out of the others in your to-do list, Divis Mortis and Gris et Jaune are the best in my opinion.

(At some point, there’s no shame in relying on the walkthrough for Gris et Jaune. Like a reviewer who’s name escapes me said, it has a lot of promise in a later and more polished release.)

Edit: The Rogue of the Multiverse was one I also liked, but the deviation from standard compass navigation nearly ruined it for me. Other than that annoying aspect, it’s a well written game.

8

I tried Divis Mortis and it was pretty damn good. I think I would actually rate it about equal with the People’s Glorious Text Adventure, if not higher.

Gris et Jaune I’ve had more trouble with. I also got through Oxygen and Rogue of the Multiverse is planned for my final play session of the comp, tomorrow night.

This thread has really helped me mop up in an efficient manner, thanks folks. 8)

Paul.

P.S. I’m hoping Leadlight will also get a try. Cool that it’s written in the Eamon adventure set — I remember tooling around with that.