| 5 star: | | (121) | | 4 star: | | (162) | | 3 star: | | (91) | | 2 star: | | (23) | | 1 star: | | (12) |
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Number of Ratings: 409
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3 people found the following review helpful:
mesmerising, surreal horror that doesn't overstay its welcome, March 13, 2021one of my favourite short IF pieces. despite (or perhaps because of) its relatively short length, plotkin manages to create a vividly realised setting that absorbs the player and doesn't let go.
the game's central plot mechanic makes it very hard to discuss what makes it so effective, but here's some of my spoilery thoughts for those who've already played it:
(Spoiler - click to show)i found myself reaching a point where i knew exactly what was going to happen whenever i interacted with another object. knowing that any actions i took would just make it worse, but also knowing that i had to take actions to advance the plot, created a beautiful tension that toys with the idea of agency in IF. it's a simple choice, but within IF, (a medium entirely based on player input) it's pretty genius to tie the worsening of the fear in a horror game directly to the player's own actions like that.
also, it helps that the pacing is just slow enough for the player to wallow in that dread, but never quick enough to diminish its impact.
the prose is evocative but suitably sparse given the game's subtle, psychological approach to horror. and the decision not to flesh out the protagonist's character really helps to place yourself into the setting.
overall, this game is a wonderful way to spend an evening if you enjoy a slow-burn linear experience that holds your attention plot-wise but doesn't demand too much of anything puzzle-wise. perhaps it wears its heart too much on its sleeve to merit replays, but i'd argue a game like this sticks with you enough that replays aren't strictly necessary.
- knockupwood, February 12, 2021
- Hazel-Rah, November 23, 2020
- JimB, October 16, 2020
- mifga (Brooklyn, NY), October 14, 2020
- C4rd1n4l, September 24, 2020
- Rainbow Fire , August 27, 2020
- bazbike, August 3, 2020
- Virix, August 2, 2020
- William Chet (Michigan), July 19, 2020
- Arrowhead12 (Edmonton, Alberta), June 11, 2020
- quackoquack, June 10, 2020
- kierlani, May 20, 2020
- Edo, April 29, 2020
- Zape, April 28, 2020
- Sammel, April 2, 2020
- Elizabeth DeCoste (Canada), April 2, 2020
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3 people found the following review helpful:
Good Story, Eh Execution, March 1, 2020It's a unique experience, but the game is not very friendly. Help and Menu available on most IF's don't exist here (well, it does, but it's not helpful). Players are left to fend for themselves when verbs don't work. With the constant changing scenes, it isn't always completely intuitive what needs to happen next. Sometimes a player knows what to do, but doesn't hit the right word to make it happen, which leads to more frustration than anything. Great concept overshadowed by a frustrating lack of attention to the gameplay itself.
- _firexe, December 5, 2019
- Tropical Gothic (Asia), December 2, 2019
- ImaginaryTalkingRabbit, October 2, 2019
- erzulie, September 24, 2019
- beecadee, September 15, 2019
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4 people found the following review helpful:
Innovative creative writing experiment. Boring interactive fiction., August 23, 2019This isn't anything you haven't read in a college student's creative writing workshop. Or a no budget student film. The game itself is considered innovative. But there really isn't much to talk about. In general I'm not a fan of this kind of game. It leaves me going, "Huh. Okay." The author himself admits that he rushed to get it to a competition.
Often showing up in top 20 game lists. Frankly, I believe this is due to accessibility, and little to do with the quality of the title. Yes, you don't have to bang your head against this one for long to beat it, but are you left feeling fulfilled? I wasn't. Still, there isn't anything objectively bad about the title. Even if I consider it overrated. It's just not to my taste.
- jjsonick, August 17, 2019
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