Hi,
Can anyone recommend some good games written with either Quest (that haven’t been entered in a competition) or Playfic (that wasn’t written by Ryan Veeder)?
Thanks.
Neil
Ouch, Ryan, Neil doesn’t like you!
(Just kidding - I assume this is because Neil has played everything you’ve written.)
Quest: “Cabin Fever” is nicely put together, and “Dream Pieces” very cute. “Where’s Annabel” has a nice taste of oldschool about it.
Playfic: Bit harder. The games that have the line “end the story” in their source are usually playable…
Hey, if I’d played everything I’ve written, I wouldn’t like me either.
Here are some Playfic games I’ve enjoyed:
trappedddddddddd!!!, by billy ogier
The Riddle of the three dead fish, by wesley wafer
Sorry, Ryan, I didn’g mean that I wanted to avoid your games. On the contrary, I’ve played your games, and I just assumed that at least some of them would be on a “best of” list. I guess I shouldn’t have singled you out at all since other people aren’t necessarily familiar with your work, and your games should be mentioned in a thread like this. I’ll try those Playfic games out.
I played Cabin Fever, and I agree that it is fairly good.
Neil
Oh, and I forgot: Dark Mirrors. I haven’t finished it, in fact I didn’t get very far, I don’t think much of the puzzles and think it’s all made more complicated than it should, but there’s something about it I really really like. I think it’s one of those games where you can tell the author put a lot into. There’s a certain level of care. I wish the design were a bit better, and I don’t have particularly good memories of the prose, but even that (the prose) is not at all bad. I was surprised to enjoy it as much as I did.
Just out of curiosity, why Playfic games specifically?
Quest games:
First Times (ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=yqs2uglgj3boo8up) is pretty good horror, though I don’t know anyone who has finished it. I guess it may still be rougher around the edges and less helpful than need be. It’s been released as a standalone app.
Worship the Pig (ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=o789bwjn4zkpsh2u) is small, linear and abstract, but it’s got that artier prose that’s not very common in Quest games to date. That’s why I remember it. (I know you specified ‘That hasn’t been entered in a comp’ but I figured you probably meant IFComp and the like, not the one and only Quest Comp to date.)
- Wade
I’d recommend “Cabin Fever” as a decent Quest game but someone beat me to it. The only other game I remember really liking was “Gathered in Darkness” - ifdb.tads.org/viewgame?id=j737kw3x3j1h8c7e - by the same author. I’m sure there are a few other Quest games I’ve played over the years that were worthwhile, but nothing occurs to me right now.
I’m guessing Playfic is screen-reader friendly?
I’d guess it’s because they’re less mainstream while still having a steady output.
Playfic uses embedded Parchment to play the games, so it’s unlikely that it’d be better than a stand-alone Parchment.
I mentioned Playfic specifically for several reasons:
- The site doesn’t have a rating system beyond “most popular” or “most recent.”
- Related to 1, the games aren’t on IFDB (right?)
- Most of the games on the site that I am interested in are incomplete.
- The source text is always available.
As for screen readers, the one I use (JAWS) can’t play games on Playfic when using IE, but it can when using Firefox. Oddly, I don’t have the same problem using Parchment outside of the Playfic site. That doesn’t usually matter, though. I prefer to play games offline because entering commands is a bit easier that way.
Neil
this guy here sure enjoys fine B-movie stuff
this must be one of the most horrid and short text adventures ever. it’s only salvation is a nod to Zork
a stead output of garbage and halfassed attempts… I know I’ve done just that once 
but so what? people prefer to play any new shit than proven and good old classics (all the IFcomp winners from the last, what?, 20 years?)
Bitter much?
it’s true. go play the one in the link above that guy so much enjoyed. Either he was being sarcastic or expectations for good games have lowered quite a bit around here…
I think a good Quest game is Captain Jumbo. I thought the puzzles were pretty well implemented. The story and the perspective of the PC is pretty interesting too.
I will give it a trigger warning though for:domestic abuse, rape, murder and drugs