Some games I've enjoyed
I've been playing some games via the Internets lately, and thought I'd share some links!
Echo Bazaar
Yes, I know Felicia Day mentioned this in her flog the other week. I've been playing it for a while, though--at least a year. (My own hipsterism here makes me cringe.) It's a strange, steampunk-esque journey through a Victorian London that's been literally pulled underground by a shadowy and ambiguous group called The Masters. Very little is explicitly explained, which makes for a bit of a learning curve. Once you get past that, the vagueness means you can create your own story entirely. You build skills through cards and storylets, pursuing anything and everything that strikes your fancy. You will need either a Twitter or Facebook account linked to this, though. (FYI, you can find me on Twitter as @atouchofyou.) It takes very little time to play, and your limited actions refresh with the passing of time, encouraging you to come back throughout the day.
Don't take it personally, babe, it just ain't your story
This is a free indie game made by Christine Love. It's a quick download and has very low system requirements. It's an intersection of privacy, the internet, metafiction, LGBT relationships and teenage drama with a touch of dating sim and a dash of the supernatural. It has about my level of subtlety. (That is to say, it bashes you in the face with a brick.) You take on the role of a high school English teacher at a prestigious international school in the year 2027. It's ridiculous in parts, in a good way, and gave me a 10-minute laughing fit at one point. The ending is...interesting and really makes you think about the issues raised in the game, even if you've decided to ignore them all along. Love has made several other games, and you can find them at her blog.
Choice of Games
This one is actually a website with several games on it. They're choose-your-own-adventure style. Unlike those shitty books you read as a kid, though, these are cleverly written and make you want to play them again and again. My two favorites are Choice of Broadsides, a Patrick O'Brien inspired naval adventure, and Choice of Romance, a retelling of Anne Boleyn's story with magic. Romance has a sequel, as well. They make their code freely available, and encourage you to make your own game. They have quite a few user-submitted games for your perusal. Some are better than others. Everything on the site is free, but you can also buy them for your phone/iPad/Kindle. I'm in the process of writing and coding a game using their script and I will be sure to post it once it's done. (Hopefully, at the end of the month.)
If you've played any of these let me know what you think! And please suggest any free indie and/or browser games you've been playing.
Echo Bazaar
Yes, I know Felicia Day mentioned this in her flog the other week. I've been playing it for a while, though--at least a year. (My own hipsterism here makes me cringe.) It's a strange, steampunk-esque journey through a Victorian London that's been literally pulled underground by a shadowy and ambiguous group called The Masters. Very little is explicitly explained, which makes for a bit of a learning curve. Once you get past that, the vagueness means you can create your own story entirely. You build skills through cards and storylets, pursuing anything and everything that strikes your fancy. You will need either a Twitter or Facebook account linked to this, though. (FYI, you can find me on Twitter as @atouchofyou.) It takes very little time to play, and your limited actions refresh with the passing of time, encouraging you to come back throughout the day.
Don't take it personally, babe, it just ain't your story
This is a free indie game made by Christine Love. It's a quick download and has very low system requirements. It's an intersection of privacy, the internet, metafiction, LGBT relationships and teenage drama with a touch of dating sim and a dash of the supernatural. It has about my level of subtlety. (That is to say, it bashes you in the face with a brick.) You take on the role of a high school English teacher at a prestigious international school in the year 2027. It's ridiculous in parts, in a good way, and gave me a 10-minute laughing fit at one point. The ending is...interesting and really makes you think about the issues raised in the game, even if you've decided to ignore them all along. Love has made several other games, and you can find them at her blog.
Choice of Games
This one is actually a website with several games on it. They're choose-your-own-adventure style. Unlike those shitty books you read as a kid, though, these are cleverly written and make you want to play them again and again. My two favorites are Choice of Broadsides, a Patrick O'Brien inspired naval adventure, and Choice of Romance, a retelling of Anne Boleyn's story with magic. Romance has a sequel, as well. They make their code freely available, and encourage you to make your own game. They have quite a few user-submitted games for your perusal. Some are better than others. Everything on the site is free, but you can also buy them for your phone/iPad/Kindle. I'm in the process of writing and coding a game using their script and I will be sure to post it once it's done. (Hopefully, at the end of the month.)
If you've played any of these let me know what you think! And please suggest any free indie and/or browser games you've been playing.