IFReviewed by
Andrew Plotkin on 2006-06-25 09:50
You start this game with a bathing suit, one sock, a keyring, and (optionally) a tattoo. I have nothing to say about that aspect of the game, but it does remind me of a conversation I had several years ago:
Housemate: "And they came out on stage wearing nothing but fedoras and socks."
Me: "Hm. Well, that could actually cover quite a bit, depending on where you wear the fedora."
Housemate: "...or the sock."
Sorry. Back to the game. I started it up, looked at the initial layout, read the about text -- a classic case of "Inform learning experience expanded into comp entry". Oh no. Then I started wandering around a bit, and realized I was enjoying the damn thing.
I bounced around and messed with toys for nearly the full two hours. I wound up looking at the hints frequently; too many of the puzzles were unmotivated or underclued. (Plus, a few bugs.) But it was still fun.
Needs more synonyms and responses. "touch fire" : "You feel nothing unexpected." The author says to examine the scenery, but far too many scenery objects are unimplemented -- this is such a spare environment (and intended for exploration) that everything should be examinable, even if it just gets a "not important".
(Generally needs much more beta-testing.)
Nope, I still don't like conversation menus.