The Hunter’s Journals - Tattered Sails
The interactive mechanics are not like other interactive fiction I’ve played. It is much more like a table top game. Combat is actually handled in rounds with randomly generated dice rolls. You can speed this up to just show the final result but it’s still a table top way of handling things and I didn’t like it.
In table top games you can build your character to weight the dice rolls through backgrounds, stats, gear, race, etc. This game’s character creation was so minimal that I felt that the outcome of combat was very random. This was a huge interruption to the story because poor results weren’t injuries or delays. Poor results (at least early on for me) meant death.
– Real player with 0.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Choose Your Own Adventure Interactive Fiction Games.
Interactive Horror Stories
Story-wise, it’s pretty decent. The game offers a variety of stories to read, and I am a fan of CYOAs. For the horror genre, it does an okay job. However, there are a couple issues I have with the game, keeping it from being a great game. There needs to be some serious proof-reading in all the stories. They are littered with mistakes. Then the lack of sound is odd, really odd. There are some random sound effects in the game that feels more jarring than fitting (just because it’s silent for the majority of the game). Why the dev chose not to add any boggles my mind.
– Real player with 6.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Choose Your Own Adventure Interactive Fiction Games.
Stories had quite interesting themes, I really enjoyed reading through all of the endings. They were a bit predictable since I watched too many horror movies but nonetheless I would reccomend it for any horror story lovers! It’s also free so why not give it a try If you are into the genre? I was also glad the experience mostly consisted of just text over an image (except the oujia board story) because It would be a lot more scary If It had jumpscares in the form of popping images according to the way the story had progressed. But It’s safe to say there’s none of that! The text alone is enough to creep anyone out especially If you are reading it at midnight like me haha
– Real player with 4.3 hrs in game
Gloom and Doom
Dude, this is so cutting!
I had so much fun playing this game. Well, that’s not quite a surprise to me, seeing as I was already predisposed to like it as soon as I read the description: “90s outcast movies” quirky, but oh so human, supernatural characters, “a dark coming-of-age story” against the backdrop of looming apocalypse, comicbook style visuals…But beyond that initial hook of 90s nostalgia, loads of pop culture references and familiar tropes I found much more - a careful look at depression, loneliness and alienation, being stuck in a loop with no exit, themes of free will vs destiny, choices and responsibility, and a central heartwarming relationship between two unlikely protagonists.
– Real player with 18.0 hrs in game
I’m not really one for visual novels, but this game has really changed my mind. It was recommended by a friend, and found it amazing with the ton of pop culture references in the dialogue and backgrounds. Simply amazed that this was all done by one guy. It does have some deep themes, but is well paced with its sense of humour. Also loving the art style, its unique and refreshing from the typical anime style. The intro/tutorial has also got to be the most interesting/different (in a good way) that I’ve seen in a long time in any game.
– Real player with 12.6 hrs in game
My Very Own Light
Fun world and the puzzle are nice to solve. Lots of variation in the environment through the level makes the game interesting all along the available levels.
– Real player with 30.9 hrs in game
The Remission of Sins
I gave this one a try here recently, and it only took about 15 minutes to get all the way through. I understand that there are voice actors involved, but for 12 dollars, it should be a bit lengthier. The voice acting was nice, and the story is intriguing, but it is really short, even compared to other visual novels that are lower on price.
– Real player with 1.2 hrs in game
The game is as simple as the description says, so I don’t need to explain much of what happens since the endings are reachable in a short time. There wasn’t much dialogues and the people’s ‘stories’ are somewhat interesting. Audios are definitely disturbing in some cases, however, the horror esthetic is only for show not really all that horrifying. Though if you ask me if it’s worth purchasing, well buy it at your own interest.
– Real player with 0.5 hrs in game
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante — Chapter 1&2
Wonderful experience!
Much depends on how will the plot develop further but what is already seen in the game is incredible.
Advantages:
- Universe. Game world is interesting. I think a lot will be uncovered by further progress of the story, but what’s seen now makes me curious at least. Not sure about how much I like certain details, like miltiple lifes a person is given with (yet it’s well integrated with game mechanics). Overall, the universe provides for very interesting story developments and reflection.
– Real player with 7.6 hrs in game
Never liked interactive fiction, this one seemed interesting though and had me hooked.
One of he good thing is that the choices are very hard sometimes, and that harder choices actually cost attribute points. If you’ve done a series of actions that has taken up all your willpower you might only be able to helplessly watch as some terrible thing happens before your eyes since you can’t muster up the will to act. This gives a new dimension to player choices which I had never thought of and is extremely interesting, especially when thinking of doing another playthrough.
– Real player with 6.4 hrs in game
Campfire Tales
*Note that this is a review for version 1.0.2
Playing status: 3x playthroughs, bad endings
Intro
Campfire Tales is a GB Studio game about three people that tell their stories on a camping trip. Three stories will be told by each person to make your camping trip worthwhile.
Pros:
- Different endings on each story
Cons:
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Clues for getting a good ending are too hard to find
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Game over by choosing certain options in dialogues
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Your save will be wiped right before you finished the game
– Real player with 2.4 hrs in game
Werewolf: The Apocalypse — Heart of the Forest
Visual novel in the World of Darkness setting with a focus on the werewolves. Good art and music with often well written and good mechanic concepts, while also rushed in every sense when it comes to learning about other characters and the setting and is over so quickly that like a lot of games that try to use stats or health they end up being pointless.
The five personality assessment options just end with the highest pushing you into a style for the last 1/3 of the game, werewolf form changes is a great idea barely used, and glory/honor/wisdom that takes over for your personality type after you become a werewolf are entirely pointless. It’s all a good system to have for a game about learning that you are a werewolf, finding a tribe, looking at situations differently based on the personality you built and characters responding differently based on what they think of you, and using your abilities in a visual novel form but you never really get to enjoy any of it. Your amount of current rage can change how your character responds to situations and willpower can be used often but I haven’t seen health be as useless in a game since Disco Elysium, it is rarely required and even if used it is easy to get back before it is needed again. You spend so little time with most characters and depending on your route some of the likes and dislikes really just won’t matter at all and the way in which your actions can completely change police and journalists views is particularly ridiculous. With all the minor changes that can happen there is the usual few events or dialogue lines that don’t really make sense and some being quite impossible when it seemed to imply a dead guy showed up. It’s kind of strange in some series of events that it still seems to consider the main human guy to be a friend of yours.
– Real player with 23.1 hrs in game
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest is a creepy and dark visual-novel adventure with choice-based consequences that allow for multiple branching paths and outcomes. The story is quite well written and the flow works pretty well. The many situations that develop differently based on the player’s actions and also accrued statistics will give this game the replay value that it needs despite having a relatively short story that will vary on your reading speed and choices. My first run through took around 3 hours, and I imagine that replaying some sections I might be speeding through some sections trying to see all of the possible paths and endings. I have yet to do that kind of exploration to know just how dramatic the outcomes will be of course.
– Real player with 9.1 hrs in game
A Salem Witch Trial - Murder Mystery
A Salem Witch Trial is a somewhat good visual novel, but it is not awesome in the slightest. Firstly, to clarify, this game has nothing to do with the Salem witch trials of 1692. It does involve a double homicide taking place in Salem in 1692 where the culprit is thought to be a witch. Although the game’s store page states that the player has to go through the evidence to find the murderer, there is little to no evidence directly linking anyone to the murder. Everything is taken from eyewitness accounts. From hearing their testimonies, any number of the story’s suspicious characters could’ve been responsible.
– Real player with 9.3 hrs in game
Witch Trial is a gothic murder mystery visual novel. And I really liked that eerie atmosphere which was skilfully created there due to pretty art and quite fitting music.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1545477940
Unfortunately, the game has a number of issues. I totally understand why it has so many negative reviews. For me personally immersion in that creepy atmosphere, strong emotions I experienced outweighed any negative moments but you should take into consideration all those flaws before buying it.
– Real player with 3.0 hrs in game
Naudrion: Fall of The Empire
Very fun game. Exploration galore. Big world. Needs better quest notes. Needs more detail in buildings. (reminds me of Gorgon decor). Leveling is nice, but didn’t notice much progression with power on spells. Ice magic was okay, but a sword seemed more efficient. Need to have increased damage as you level or as you add mana…or just some progression spells. Love the skill books that can be bought since I like to craft too. Crafting seems not in. Couldn’t make an ingot, or make leather. Didn’t seen any Alchemy recipes or cooking etc. Runes sometimes didn’t work, found that dropping them and picking up helped.
– Real player with 25.2 hrs in game
Naudrion: Fall of The Empire is an excellent dark fantasy with an open, seamless world, with multiple crafting and interesting tasks.
I like this game that it was created by one person and is constantly updated, it is very cool on the part of the developer that he did not just put the game out and forget but continues to develop it!
– Real player with 8.4 hrs in game