Robert DeFord

Andrew mentions in the game blurb that this is his first time using Inform 7 and that he found it a pain in the butt. I've authored a game with I7, and I agree with him to a point. I7 is big, powerful, well documented, and you can get it to do just about anything your IF author's heart wants it to do. But the many quirks of its arcane syntax that were required to elevate sloppy, imprecise English into a programming language, do take their toll on the author's sanity. But that's the subject of another review. Right now, let's get back to reviewing this game.

 

First question is, why say cast disparaging remarks about I7 in his blurb for the game? After playing the game, I realized why he did it. Basically, he was trying to lower my expectations so that I would forgive a few rough edges. Okay, fair enough. I did play the game with a charitable attitude, and I advise you to do the same. For example, you won't be able to guess the verb in a few places and you will have to turn on the in-game hint system. Did anyone beta test the game? There is a trend of doubt in my mind, but there are no Credits so I'll never know.

 

The game is a solve-the-mystery-of-the-haunted-house variety. IMO, if you are going to use this somewhat trite concept for your game, you had better find a way to make it yours. Andrew didn't quite manage it, but he did give it a good try. Maybe if there weren't so many rough edges, he could have pulled it off. I can't say. It's like walking around in an unfinished house that has a foundation and framing complete but nothing else is done. You can wander around in the rooms, and kind of get an idea of what the finished house would be like, but you just don't know if you are going to like it when it's completed.

 

That's my problem with reviewing this game. I liked what I saw, but it wasn't enough. Will Andrew ever finish it? Hard to say, given his implied dislike of I7. Will I like it when it's finished? I think so, and I do encourage him to do it. When I turned away from I7, I gave Alan a try. Glad I did. Maybe that's the solution for Andrew. I dunno. I'm just saying.

 

Oh, and did I mention that the only way to avoid being killed is to not finish the game? I didn't mind dying in the end because it did fit the theme of the game, but you might not agree. You have been warned.