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One of my favorite games, Blue Chairs is surreal at its best. It's not surreal for its own sake, but to underpin the emotional state of the protagonist. You are Dante Hicks (no, not the one from Clerks), and you begin the game by drinking a bottle of unknown liquid from a strange man. From there you drift from reality to dream to nightmare to who-knows-what state you're in and back again, but it is all amazingly cohesive. Dancing in the Dance Like an interactive fiction version of a David Lynch movie, Blue Chairs manages to be confusing, provocative, beautiful, and in the end packs a surprising emotional punch. Ben's rating:
————————————————————————— A really solid game, full of logical puzzles and mysteries to ponder. Plenty of exploration, but not so huge as to be too confusing. Extremely well-written. The thing to remember about this game is that, although the mystery is slowly revealed, you may or may not get all the explanations you've been waiting for when you reach the end. So, despite being a "tutorial game", you still have to pay attention to what's happening, what your character remembers, and what is slowly revealed. Otherwise you may end up frustrated in the end. Ben's rating:
————————————————————————— In this third installment of the Earth and Sky series, you play the duo of siblings Austin and Emily, also named (you guessed it) Earth and Sky. They are so named because of the suits they don that provide them superpowers: Austin has super-human strength and near invulnerability. Emily has the power to "zap" by sending electric bolts or to "fog", which casts a fog either over the entire area or a particular object. The plot of the series, briefly, is that Austin and Emily are in search of their missing parents. As the series progresses, you find out that nefarious alien forces are involved (as would be expected!) In the earlier two episodes of the series, you play first Emily and then Austin. Here, you play both. Teamwork is essential, and you can "change" between the two characters at will. This is executed flawlessly. I found myself switching not just to try to solve some of the puzzles, but to see the world from the other's perspective. The tone of the game is lighthearted and fun, with the personalities of Austin and Emily shining through. Their quibbling is well written and enjoyable. The plot and the villians are preposterous, but that's the way it should be with a game like this. Anything less than over the top would have been boring. Ben's Rating:
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Playing Galatea is a most memorable experience. Playing the game is "merely" carrying on a conversation with the animated statue Galatea, created by Pymalion. But where will this lead? That's up to you. The conversation branches in a multitude of different ways depending on what you ask, how you ask it, how you approach her, and how you act towards her. Her mood vascillates wildly, so be careful ("Galatea is horribly Protean", as Emily Short has noted). Ben's rating:
————————————————————————— You can find kaged at the IF Archive, Baf's Guide, or a registered version that includes extensive in-game hints and bundled music at: The Underdogs Ben's rating:
————————————————————————— Not so much a game as an experience. You continuously shift perspectives - first, a passenger in a speeding car being driven by a drunk. Then, intrepid explorer Wendy Mackeye, "first girl on the red planet", on a Martian salvage mission. Later, ex bank-teller Linda and accounts manager Jim. From each perspective you glean a little more of the story, until in the end it all fits together like a beautiful tapestry. This is definitely one of the best games for beginning IF players. There are few real "puzzles" and no way to lose the game. Normally this is a killer for IF games, but Photopia pulls it off. It's also reasonably short, but you'll want to play it again when you finish. Ben's rating:
————————————————————————— "A one-room game set in your apartment." You are almost all set to head off to Death Valley for the "Om Festival". Thirsty, you get yourself a drink of water and then set about looking for your plane tickets. One can't say much more about this game without giving anything away, but suffice to say it is well worth an hour of your time. Mr. Plotkin is a very bad man. Ben's rating: Back |