My 1997 Interactive Fiction Competition ratings and Reviews

Christine's 1997 Interactive Fiction Competition Ratings and Reviews

Here are my ratings and reviews of some of the entries from the 1997 Interactive Fiction Competition. At the time of writing, I had read only one other review (the first one posted on the rec.games.int-fiction newsgroup, I believe) so I believe I was unaffected by other people's thoughts about these games. Please note that I don't mind getting comments on what I write here but I truly did attempt to be fair-minded.

I rated each game based on several factors, including:

1) how much fun the game was;

2) how playable it was ( I may have taken a point or more away from games with extremely hard puzzles, esp. when no walkthrough or hint system was available; also games with bad bugs and similar problems of course lost points);

3) how well written the game was (this includes spelling and grammatical errors, esp. very obvious and distracting ones). Also extra points were awarded to those I felt were very clever and original. I have to admit it, I like funny games, but I did award high points to quite a few that were very serious but extremely well-written.

REVIEWS

I've posted here only reviews of games I rated 7 or higher.
Below you can find a list of all my ratings for the competition.

The Frenetic Five vs. Sturm und Drang, by Neil deMause (7)

This was an interesting -- and to me, new -- concept for an interactive fiction game: superheroes attempting to stop a couple of villains. I had problems with a few of the puzzles, especially getting the keys to lock the door. I also wasn't sure for most of the game just what the other superheroes should be to be doing, and how to maneuver them to do what was necessary. I wish the author had explored the superheroes' powers a bit more.

I saw some major problems with the ending; I'd appreciate being told exactly what happened. I wasn't sure what to do with the box the villains were working on…and I wasn't sure if the game actually ended. I wish I understood the ending -- especially concerning the pellet (how were we to know what it was when it was picked up?). If it weren't for the hints/walkthrough (I forget which this had) I would never have known what to do at the end.

I noticed no obvious grammatical or spelling errors.

Friday Afternoon, by Mischa Schweitzer (7)

I thought this game was a little funny. I also think I could really relate to it, having worked in a cubicle for 3 years. Some of the puzzles were difficult (I could not figure out how to distract William, and couldn't find the two phone numbers until I looked at the hints/walkthrough). I probably would have scored this game higher had it been a little more involved, though I don't mind short games on principle. This game just didn't "call" to me very much (didn't keep my interest and just wasn't very exciting).

Virtuatech, by David S. Glaser (7)

This was another story with an innovative concept-this time I had to go inside my computer to fix things in order to print out a report. Unfortunately, I had to struggle to keep interested. The game was sometimes difficult, though most of the puzzles weren't too bad. There weren't really that many puzzles; in fact the action was rather limited. Examples of more difficult puzzles are getting the door open, and plugging in the scanner.

I noticed no spelling or grammatical errors. The hint system needs improvement -- it is not very easy to use. (The author can write to me for clarification.)

Madame L'Estrange and the Troubled Spirit, by Ian Ball (7)

I did not like the format of this game -- the way the player had very little to do but read and visit places, and I never finished the game because of a bug. The writer did suggest I try the zip version of the game but I had no desire to start over again to see if this version was bug-free. Perhaps as a result I should have rated this game lower than I did, but I thought the writing style was good and the idea of the clairvoyant as detective interesting. I wasn't too happy with one or two problems at Madame's house -- in particular how Jones stayed in the room even after he should have been gone. Also it might have been more realistic if when Madame visited sites, time actually ran down. I had problems knowing when to channel the spirits.

I think I found several spelling/grammatical errors, but I didn't write them down. There were also a few tense problems. These were very distracting and cost a point or two.

The writer obviously put a lot of work into his characters and the storyline, and the conversations between Madame and the others were well written and helpful to the mystery. I only wish I could have finished the game, because I really did get drawn into the story!

The Obscene Quest of Dr. Aardvarkbarf, by Gary Roggin (7)

I had a very difficult time deciding whether to rank this 7 or 8. This game was interesting, but not that much fun. I noticed some errors that may have been from typing or writing the code. For instance, Sheri's desk had a problem with the drawer being closed - I don't recall the exact nature of this, but the author may want to look it over. I noticed one spelling error ("potpurri" instead of "potpourri," unless this is an alternate spelling of which I was unaware).

The action was fairly limited in this game. My notes also indicate another mistake: no south door in Babblebard's office. Since my notes are limited, I don't remember exactly what the problem is, and I don't know if I spelled the name correctly -- sorry! (Again I will look this over if requested.) There were a lot of very annoying red herrings in this game (roof of Anthropology building, egg in tree, etc.).

I don't remember noticing any obvious grammatical errors.

A Bear's Night Out, by David Dyte (8)

I can't help it; this story made me smile. I thought the writing was excellent -especially the descriptions which made me feel like I was a cuddly little teddy bear. The game was lots of fun to play, with no obvious errors. The puzzles were clever, but not too hard, though I have to admit to cheating to get in the hole in the bathroom . Lots of fun!

A New Day, by Jonathan Fry (8)

This story was clever (interactive fiction character gone mad!), but the ending sequence was very confusing. I also noticed one mistake in the hint system, which wouldn't have bothered me too much except had I had very little idea what to do at this point! I really enjoyed the concept of this game.

I noticed no obvious spelling/grammatical errors.

Sins Against Mimesis, by One of the Bruces, a.k.a. Adam Thornton (8)

Committing the seven deadly sins against a plant? Geez who would have thought of that! Not many, I'm sure. Very original, and mostly enjoyable, once I figured what the heck I should do. The game seems to have a few odd red herrings (the bathroom, the Chinese food) but they didn't detract too much from the game. Most of the puzzles weren't too hard. I did have a problem with a bug in the beginning of the game…if the author wants more info. I can look for it (I think it was when I first approached the plant).

Babel, by Ian Finley (8)

I really enjoyed playing this game. It was great to be out in the middle of nowhere, having to figure out who I am and what happened to me, and wondering about the state of my mind in the recent past. This story had an excellent concept (esp. the bit about touching glowing objects to find out what happened in the past). The writing was terrific as well (I actually felt scared out in the cold, even though I was just sitting at a keyboard playing a game). Unfortunately, there were several times during the game where I just didn't know what to do. I had to play way over the two hour time limit to solve some of the problems without using the hints. I especially had a hard time getting the darn formula together and making it work…Still a very good game, and pretty eerie!

Glowgrass, by Nate Cull (9)

I felt this was a very good game, though it wasn't especially exciting. The most interesting concept was the images that were more than holograms - especially those of the little girl. The story involved the fascinating idea of an old civilization that had been destroyed out of necessity. I don't understand, however, why this house was still intact, and in fact in very good condition after presumably much time had elapsed (I presume we are to think the radiation or disease has only now dropped to low enough levels to allow exploration?). Most of the puzzles were challenging but not too difficult.

The Lost Spellmaker, by Neil James Brown (9)

This game was funny, and enjoyable to play. I like a bit of a challenge in a puzzle, but some were a bit obscure (such as knowing what to do with Daisy), but the humor and occasional silliness helped keep my interest piqued and the rating up. The author surprised me by making the main character a lesbian - kinda added to the humor because it was unexpected. Her lovestruck gazes at the librarian were great.

She's Got a Thing for a Spring, by Brent VanFossen (9)

I really liked the concept of this game -- especially that it took place on a camping trip. The writing was clever, funny, and well done. I must confess to enjoying conversing with Bob so much that I stayed for what was probably way past my welcome.

I did have some difficulty with a few of the puzzles: namely, getting the stick out of the bush, getting rid of the wasps (or were they bees?), and taking the darn bath correctly (boy was that frustrating!)... otherwise I really enjoyed the story! Thanks for the helpful hints! I was a little too dense to figure out a few things on my own. I would have been happier if one or two of the puzzles weren't quite so obscure. If I hadn't used hints a few times, this game would definitely have taken much longer than the two hour time limit (not that that matters to me too much). Otherwise, an excellent, fun game!

Zombie!, by Scott W. Starkey (9)

I had a lot of fun with this game. I enjoyed the storyline, the characters, the writing, the humor -- well, everything! I did find two errors: a small bug, and a problem with the walkthrough. Some of the puzzles were a little tough for me without the walkthrough (e.g., knowing to get dryer lint, and getting the key from the zombie room). This game came very close to a 10 in my book.

Sunset Over Savannah, by Ivan Cockrum (9)

As with "Spring," above, I felt this game was fun, clever, etc. I enjoyed the storyline and the interaction with the characters (OK, so I liked undressing in front of the old man ). The writing was excellent -- no obvious spelling/grammatical errors.

I did have problems with a few of the puzzles. For instance, I never would have thought of jumping off the pier with a brick without the hint system, and I still don't understand about the shingle on the roof -- I just did not see a shingle up there (I only knew to "get" it because of the hints). Without the hints, this game definitely would have taken me more than 2 hours to complete, but I don't think that detracted from it too much. This game really made me want to go explore the beach, and appreciate life a little more!

Poor Zefron's Almanac, by Carl W. Klutzke (10)

I'm relying on memory here as I can't find my notes for this one! Anyway, I liked this game a lot -- very funny and clever. Some of the puzzles were a bit difficult, but once I got the hang of turning into a fly, it wasn't too bad. Learning what to do in the dragon was the most difficult puzzle for me. Also I have to tell you I was getting a little sick of watching the alien repeat the same actions over and over again (looking at the picture of the loved one, etc.) -- but that might be a function of the game system so I didn't deduct for it.

I don't recall any obvious spelling or grammatical errors... An all around good game!

Zero Sum Game, by Cody Sandifer (10)

Probably my favorite (it's hard to choose). This game was very, very clever, and loads of fun. The author has already received most of my comments but I'll include them here anyway. I enjoyed all the humor he must have spent a lot of effort including here --especially little things such as hugging Chippy as a dragon, watching Darlene go on a rampage (I played the girl part), and looking through the keyhole at my mother.

I liked the fact that I got to play a woman in a game, but it was especially clever to write the game for women or men! Some of the puzzles were a bit difficult -- such as getting the scroll, and getting on the boat, resurrecting the dragon, and getting rid of Chippy at the end. However, the game was so good that even these problems could not ruin my enjoyment! Please write another game soon!

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RATINGS
(in the order in which I played the games)

1. A New Day - 8
2. Zombie! - 9
3. (The Edifice - NR)
4. She's Got a Thing for a Spring - 9
5. The Lost Spellmaker - 9
6. Phred Phontious and the Quest for Pizza - 5
7. Poor Zefron's Almanac - 10
8. A Good Breakfast - 6
9. A Bear's Night Out - 8
10. Glowgrass - 9
11. Cask - 4
12. (The Family Legacy - WD)
13. Sins Against Mimesis - 8
14. Pintown - 5
15. Travels in the Land of Erden - 6
16. ZERO SUM GAME - 10
17. Coming Home - 4
18. The Frenetic Five vs. Sturm und Drang - 7
19. Babel - 8
20. Madame L'Estrange and the Troubled Spirit - 7
21. Sunset Over Savannah - 9
22. The Town Dragon - 6
23. VIRTUATECH - 7
24. SYMETRY - 5
25. (The Tempest - NR)

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This page was created July 21, 1998.
It was last updated November 9, 2000.