IFDB page: Hello Sword Final placement: 30th place (of 36) in the 2005 Interactive Fiction Competition There are two separate Hello Sword games in the...| >INVENTORY
[This review appeared in issue #45 of SPAG. The issue was published on July 17, 2006.] I’ve barely begun to explore the capabilities of Inform 7 (I7), partly because its appearance has rekindled my interest in actually playing IF. In that vein, I continue to explore the games that were released with I7 as “Worked … Continue reading "Glass by Emily Short [misc]"| | >INVENTORY
[This review appeared in issue #45 of SPAG. The issue was published on July 17, 2006.] In an era of bite-sized IF, Finding Martin is a 12-course meal. Actually, it’s more like one of those progressive dinners, where you go from one house to the next, a different course at each house, for a total … Continue reading "Finding Martin by G.K. Wennstrom [misc]"| | >INVENTORY
[This review appeared in issue #47 of SPAG, in the “SPAG Specifics” sections. Note: that means there are SPOILERS AHEAD. The issue was published on January 16, 2007.] Damnatio Memoriae is a tiny game, but it’s got plenty of quality. There are a few multiple-solution puzzles and the skeleton of a story built around an … Continue reading "Damnatio Memoriae by Emily Short [misc]"| | >INVENTORY
[I was invited to review the games nominated for Best Individual PC in the 2013 XYZZY Awards. As it turned out, there was only one game nominated.] Lynnea Glasser’s Coloratura has made XYZZY Award history. It is the first nominee ever to win its category before the second round of voting, by being the sole … Continue reading "Coloratura by Lynnea Glasser [XYZZY]"| | >INVENTORY
[I originally published this over on my main blog, >SUPERVERBOSE, before >INVENTORY existed. In the spirit of getting all my IF stuff in one place, I’m republishing it here.] The Interactive Fiction Competition (IFComp) started in 1995, and for its first ten years, I was a very active participant. I entered the comp 4 different … Continue reading "Thoughts on the 2015 Interactive Fiction Competition [Comp15]"| | >INVENTORY
[I originally published this over on my main blog, >SUPERVERBOSE, before >INVENTORY existed. In the spirit of getting all my IF stuff in one place, I’m republishing it here.] In 2019, Steph Cherrywell became only the second person in the 25-year history of the Interactive Fiction (IF) Competition to win it twice. The other person … Continue reading "Three Games by Steph Cherrywell [misc]"| | >INVENTORY
[I wrote a few reviews of graphic adventure games in 2001, and Stephen Granade hosted them on the About.| >INVENTORY
IFDB page: The Sword of Malice Final placement: 28th place (of 36) in the 2005 Interactive Fiction Competition The Sword of Malice is not a good game, but it is instructive, in that it provides several excellent examples of potential pitfalls that designers can and should avoid. So in the spirit of making these reviews … Continue reading "The Sword of Malice by Anthony Panuccio [Comp05]"| | >INVENTORY
IFDB page: Tough Beans Final placement: 5th place (of 36) in the 2005 Interactive Fiction Competition Tough Beans has, hands down, the most powerful opening of any Comp05 game I’ve played yet. Here’s the first screen: Lambkin. Babydoll. Princess. In the large oval mirror above your dresser you watch a pale hand drag a bubblegum-pink … Continue reading "Tough Beans by Sara Dee [Comp05]"| | >INVENTORY