Tag Archives: 2021 IF Competition

2021 Interactive Fiction Competition Reveiew: extraordinary_fandoms.exe (2021, Storysinger Presents)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

extraordinary_fandoms.exe is an entrant in 2021 Interactive Fiction competition.  Browse and experience all of the games by clicking here.

This game is about a non binary teenager who gets on Discord, discovers a group of friends, and also discovers a love of coding while helping them design of wiki for their Japanese virtual idol group.  Things take a serious turn when the teenager’s friend realize that the teenager is in an abusive situation.  The friends come together to help them escape from their horrific home life.

This game is a tribute to the friendships that are made online and how they can change a life forever.  It’s mostly made up of a combination of Discord chats and DMs and it carefully charts the path to discovering that the main character is being abused by their parents.  Like many Twine games, it’s more of a short story than a traditional IF game.  You do get options but mostly it’s just two different ways to phrase the same sentence.  Do you say “hi” or do you say “hello?”  I would have liked more choices but that’s not really what extraordinary_fandoms.exe is all about.  Instead, it’s a celebration of friendship and changing lives and, as far as that’s concerned, it succeeds.  Most importantly, if it’s help out anyone who is in a similar situation as the game’s main character, that’s all that really matters.

Play extraordinary_fandoms.exe.

Game Review: Taste of Fingers (2021, V Dobranov)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Taste of Fingers is an entrant in 2021 Interactive Fiction competition.  Browse and experience all of the games by clicking here.

You are in a city that you do not know, a stranger in a strange land. You are hiding behind the counter of a small cafe while, outside, the world comes to an end. Whether it’s due to a plague or just people finally being driven mad by the stress of every day life, going outside is not recommended. The cafe is your only sanctuary. Behind the counter, you experience memories of the way the world was in the days leading up to whatever has happened. When an intruder enters the cafe, it is time for action!

Like a lot of Twine games, Taste of Fingers is more of a short story with choices than an actual game. You really don’t have much control over how the game progresses or how it ends. The main choice you get to make is which memories to explore while you hid behind the counter. It’s not possible to explore every memory over the course of just one play through, which does give this game a high replay value. The descriptions of the cafe and the memories are vivid enough that you’ll want to explore them, even if it would have been nice to have had more options. Realistically, though, there aren’t that many options available when the world is ending around you. Taste of Fingers captures the feel of a world spinning out of control. It’s not a happy game but it does what it does well.

Play Taste of Fingers.

IF Comp Review: The Daughter (2021, Giovanni Rubino)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

The Daughter is an entrant in 2021 Interactive Fiction competition.  Browse and experience all of the games by clicking here.

The time is the distant future. In a world where everyone is practically immortal, there’s been a death. A girl, who were told is the first daughter to have been born in thousands of year, has been found at the bottom of a cliff. Did she commit suicide or was she pushed? You take the role of Agura. You’re investigating but, because you live in utopia, you don’t have much experience investigating crimes. You listen to what the ancient ones used to call a podcast. The name of it is Serial.

This was a strange one. Like a lot of Twine-designed works of Interactive Fiction, it’s more of a short story with choices than an actual game. It’s like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. With the exception of choosing your prononus, the choices you make don’t make that much of a difference in the story’s that told. Clicking on a choice will often lead to a large bulk of writing, detailing the future world but not really moving the investigation forward. The game ends up abruptly without really seeming to come to a conclusion.

I suspect that the author’s intentions may have been satirical but it’s hard to say. I’m not sure what to make of The Daughter but I did appreciate the effort that it went to describe it’s futuristic society. I just wish there had been more for me, as the one in charge of interacting, to do in this work of interactive fiction.

Play The Daughter.

Game Review: The House on Highfield Lane (2021, Andy Joel)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

The House on Highfield Lane is an entrant in 2021 Interactive Fiction competition.  Browse and experience all of the games by clicking here.

Mandy has always been frightened by the forboding house that sits on Highfield Lane but, when she’s walking home from school one day and comes across a letter that’s been addresses to the house’s owner, she decides to finally conquer her fear. What starts as a simple quest to deliver the mail turns into a long adventure as Mandy explores the house, solves puzzles, and even helps to reanimate the dead.

The author of this game described its genre as being “horror without the horror,” because, even though the game is about exploring a creepy old house, there aren’t any of the elements that usually come with a haunted house game. (There is a mad scientist but he’s not such a bad fellow.) This is actually kind of an old-fashioned game, where the emphasis is on exploring and solving puzzles. There’s a lot of puzzles. Solving puzzles has always been my weak spot when it comes to playing IF games. I’m the type of player who always ends up asking for hints or looking at a walk-through. The House on Highfield Lane does come with hints. It wasn’t long after I started playing that I started to use them but again, I’m terrible at puzzles. I think most experienced IF players will be able to solve the majority of the game’s puzzles without having to ask for help.

This is an enjoyable and engaging game. The descriptions of each room were so well-written that I could easily picture them in my head as I played, This game was partially designed to show off the new Quest 6 engine and it does a good job of doing just that. Content-wise, it feels like a throwback to the old text adventures that you would play for hours, experimenting with different verbs and seeing what you could do in each room of the house. If you like exploration-centered games and don’t mind having to figure out several puzzles, this is a game you should enjoy.

Play The House on Highfield Lane.

Game Review: RetroCON 2021 (2021, Sir Slice)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

RetroCon 2021 is an entrant in 2021 Interactive Fiction competition.  Browse and experience all of the games by clicking here.

Welcome to RetroCon 2021!  You’ve just arrived in Las Vegas and now that you’ve unpacked, it’s time to decide what to do.  You can go down to the hotel’s casino to gamble and try to add to the amount of money that you already have.  Or you can head to the convention hall and check out Retrocon, where you can play three other unique games.

That’s pretty much the entire game.  It’s simple but it’s also very addictive.  Will you play poker?  Will you bet on a horse race?  Or will you save your money and play an old football game or maybe the zombie killing card game?  There are several games to choose from and, what makes it even better, is that you can switch from one game to another.  If you’re not winning any money, head on down to the convention hall and blow off some steam by playing Last Will and Testament.  And when you’ve played enough for the day, head back to your hotel room and get ready to to play against then next day.

Retrocon 2021 is six games in one and they’re all enjoyable.  It’s almost as good as going to Vegas yourself!

Play Retrocon 2021.

 

Game Review: an Aside about Everything (2021, Sasha)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

An Aside About Everything is an entrant in 2021 Interactive Fiction competition.  Browse and experience all of the games by clicking here.

There are some games out there that are so surreal and borderline obscure that you’re either going to love them or you’re going to hate them but at least you won’t be bored. That was my reaction to An Aside About Everything, a surreal game that will either leave you feeling very frustrated or very intrigued. You are Him. You exist in a void that appears to be your office. You are searching for a girl whose flyer you have hanging in your office. At first, you only know that her name begins with a K. When you leave the Void, you walk around a strange city and you talk to the strange people within. Some of them seem to know you. Some of them seem to know the girl.

It’s not always an easy game to figure out and it’s easy to get trapped in a loop so I would suggest saving the game every chance that you get. Playing the game, I got the feeling that it wasn’t meant to be totally understood by the person experiencing it. The author, though, seems to know what she was trying to say, even if it wasn’t always clear to the player. As a result, this game is surreal but it’s not random. It’s leading somewhere but where is a question that you may have to answer for yourself. The game was well-written, with brief but memorable descriptions of each location and character and, for a Twine game, you had a lot of options for what you wanted to say or do. It’s not an easy game to figure out and definitely not for everyone but I enjoyed it.

Play An Aside About Everything.

Game Review: The Last Doctor (2021, Quirky Bones)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

The Last Doctor is an entrant in 2021 Interactive Fiction competition.  Browse and experience all of the games by clicking here.

You are a doctor, working in a dystopian hellscape. You and your clinic are the last stop for many desperate people. Supplies are running low. You are frequently tired and discouraged. But the needy keep coming. One night, a very important patient shows up unannounced at your clinic. He needs your help but does he deserve it? That’s your decision to make.

This is a pretty simple Twine game. It took me less than ten minutes to play it and I get the feeling that it’s actually a part of a bigger story. That’s not really a problem, though. The IF Comp is a good place for writers to show off their work and test whether there’s an audience for a full or more detailed version of their game. The Last Doctor is short and I would have liked more options but it was also well-written. From the opening lines, I could visualize the game’s world and, as I played, I felt like I was in the middle of that clinic, making life and death decisions. It’s easy to see how the game could be expanded and hopefully, it will be. If The Last Doctor were expanded into a bigger game, I would definitely play it.

Play The Last Doctor.

Game Review: How The Monsters Appeared In The Wasteland (2021, V. Dobranov)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

How The Monsters Appeared In The Wasteland is an entrant in 2021 Interactive Fiction competition.  Browse and experience all of the games by clicking here.

The world has ended. Chaos reigns. Only savagery remains. At the start of this game, you and your partner are in your hovercraft, making your away across the wasteland, when you’re attacked by a crew straight out of a Mad Max film. From the start, there’s more to do than to just sit down in gunner’s seat and open fire. The hovercraft has been damaged and it’s up to you to make the repairs as quickly as possible. Once you do start shooting, the game’s not over. Ammo is limited and your pursuers are relentless.

How The Monsters Appeared In The Wasteland is a game devoted to the best part of any action movie, the chase. Though the game sounds simple, some of the puzzles do require some attention to detail. There’s more to winning than just being a good shot. This is a well-written Twine game that puts your right at the heart of the action.

Play How The Monsters Appeared In The Wasteland.

Game Review: Codex Sadistica (2021, grave snail games)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Codex Sadistica is an entrant in 2021 Interactive Fiction competition.  Browse and experience all of the games by clicking here.

Finally!  You and your heavy mental band are scheduled to perform at Blood Furnace!  But what’s this!?  The Infurnal Stage (as it’s called) has been taken over by a glam metal band and they’re playing over their allotted time!  They’re not only eating into your set but they’re spreading glam!  Can you track down the other members of your band, pull them away from their distractions, and save metal?  You can if you try and if you remember that there’s no problem that can’t be solved by jamming!

Codex Sadistica is an enjoyable text adventure.  The Blood Furnace was a memorable location and the members of your band were all well-developed.  Some of the puzzles took some effort but none of them were impossible and the game comes with a walk-through in case you get stuck.  Not surprisingly, this game will be most enjoyed by people who know about the metal scene and are familiar with all of the different subsets but the writing is clever and witty enough that I think even people who cover their ears whenever they hear a screech guitar will be able to enjoy it.  Be sure to jam with every member of your band.  As the game goes on, you find new ways to jam and each style that you play will have a different effect on the people listening.

Play Codex Sadistica.

Game Review: Smart Theory (2021, AKheon)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Smart Theory is an entrant in the 2021 Interactive Fiction Competition.  All of the entries can be browsed and experienced here.

In Smart Theory, you’re a college student who is woken up one morning by Paul “Big” Brother, who is excited to have the chance to teach you about Smart Theory, the new academic theory that is sweeping the campus.  Whether you go willingly or not, you will eventually end up at the assembly and you will discover what Smart Theory is all about.  (Personally, it’s more enjoyable and morally more rewarding to go unwillingly.)

Originated by a Texas fertilizer salesman who was trying to win a bet, Smart Theory may seem like a bunch of movie quotes but it’s actually the new way that you are going to be expected to view the world.  And while some of it may sound dumb, it can’t actually be dumb because then it wouldn’t be a smart theory!  Get it?

Designed with the Twine operating system, this is less of a game than a satirical short story about the current culture of conformity on campus.  The more Smart Theory is explained, the more obvious it becomes that no one is willing to point out that the emperor is wearing no clothes.  The game has something important to say about being weary of any ideology that doesn’t allow its followers to question it.  To enjoy this game, it probably helps if you already agree with the point that it’s making but that doesn’t make that point any less relevant.

Play Smart Theory.