Category: Game Review

Most frustrating aspect? I thought the spaces + dice combo was annoying. I felt like I was making progress so slowly. the number of spaces between each butterfly was always one more than the max (3). I felt like it added a sense of predictability: you roll, next turn you get a butterfly, you roll, next turn you get to a butterfly.

Most fun aspect? Answering the question cards

anything you wanted to do but couldn’t? I wish there weren’t card repeats. It makes it less interesting. Oftentimes, when someone reads a card, the group discusses it.

If I had a magic wand to change, add or remove? People shouldn’t begin by choosing to go left or right (people who go left will never win). There should be a couple spaces straight before the first butterfly choice which then directs them left or right.

What should be improved? the card and the boards. Butterfly player pieces would be cute.

Game’s message? to live cleaner and work towards a better world

Game in 3 words? persuasive, revealing, purposeful

What was the most frustrating aspect? People being colorblind

Favorite Moment of the game? People being color blind AND funny, creative, or unhinged descriptions of colors.

was there anything i wanted to do and couldn’t? I really enjoy this game the way it is!

If I had a magic wand to change, add, or remove anything? I think the colors on the card should match the board. I think they also could be more creative with the card designs – what if they were more inspired by pantone swatches? Also, I would’ve liked perhaps a different shape of marker?

Improved for next version? I think this game is functional and fun without any changes! However, I would enjoy the design changes as stated above.

Games message? Training for working at crayola

Game in 3 words? Art-nerd, Group, Creative

For my final game, I really wanted to try to make a video game, so I’ve conducted a little bit of research about various video game making software and applications. I really would like to make a choose-your-own-adventure game, something that is super narrative and text-based. So I started looking up the best platforms to make stuff like this and this is what I came up with. If anyone has any other suggestions for what I could use, I greatly appreciate it! 

• Text Adventures
  • Or I could easily code my own version in HTML (probably)
• https://jams.hackclub.com/jam/story-game
  • This article seems super helpful 
  • It uses https://replit.com/ 
• https://codesandbox.io/p/sandbox/choose-your-own-adventure-game-y9xc0 
• Twine – Interactive Fiction
  • Examples of games I really enjoyed made by this software:
    • https://idrellegames.itch.io/wayfarer
    • https://litrouke.itch.io/a-man-outside – horror game SO GOOD
    • https://artsybarrels.itch.io/goodbye – game about saying goodbye and suicide. so good 
    • https://ghoulnoise.itch.io/thereliefofimpact – game about sleep paralysis 
    • https://yllogique.itch.io/its-a-beautiful-day – a game about self care 
    • https://direkris.itch.io/you-are-jeff-bezos – a game about spending a day as Jeff Bezos and it really makes you realize how much money he really has
• Unity 
• Unreal Engine 

Game Reviews 

As part of my exploration for this game, I also played various interactive fiction type games, specifically ones that were made using Twine. Twine is a big contender for what I will use to make this game, as it is mentioned a lot online and I really like some of the games that people have created using it. I highly recommend playing some!! 

A Man Outside – https://litrouke.itch.io/a-man-outside 

• Was it fun? Yes! And very suspenseful at that! I was super impressed with the way the game was made as well. 
• What were the player interactions? As a single player game, the player did have the chance to interact with other “characters”. There was a text conversation going on between you and your friend, regarding the man standing out your window. The friend would check in on you and it helped escalate the game.
• How long did it take to learn? I learned this game almost instantly. With the help of little notes and flashing symbols indicating what to click, it made it very easy to grasp. 
• Would you play it again? Yes, I would, especially to see if there were any other endings that I missed. I also wasn’t able to play with sound for my first playthrough and I think that would really add to the game experience. 
• Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. Act 1: text conversation with your friend begins. You discuss about how you need to study on your vocabulary app, but there is a weird guy who has been standing outside your window for a long time. You complete the first set of vocabulary flashcards on your phone. Act 2: the man is still there, and you move on to work on the second set of vocabulary flashcards. The flashcards start to glitch a little bit and some of the words have creepy definitions, and the tension really starts building. Act 3: the man is still there (at some point he does disappear though). Your friend gets worried and you have to make the decision to either call your mom or ask your friend to drive there. I asked my friend to drive there, but before she got there, the man disappeared and I heard a sound in the house. I thought it was my friend but when I went to go investigate, I presumably died and had the “bad ending”. 
• What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? This is a horror game about trying to do your school homework, but there is something that threatens your safety outside, however you are persistent to finish your homework, but it can lead to your demise. I thought it was super interesting to have the player actually go through the vocabulary flashcards. The glitching moments of that were also super cool and made it very suspenseful. 
• What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? It felt like some of the cards took forever to load up or assess if I was right or wrong, but I’m pretty sure that that was intentional to add to the anxiety and suspense. 
• What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? My favorite aspect of the game was the subtle details in the vocabulary cards. The definitions seemingly reflected the situation that you were in at times and were actually quite challenging to answer. (It also let you pick your vocabulary level and I thought that was a nice touch!)
• Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? I don’t think there was a way to go back to the text conversation without exiting the vocabulary app altogether and losing your progress, so I wish I could have done that. 
•  If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? I think I would have enjoyed more emphasis on the text conversation. 
• What should be improved with the next version? Very little! Maybe more alternate endings?
• What was the game’s message? Homework can wait. Prioritize your safety. 
• Describe the game in 3 words. Suspenseful, educational, dark

Goodbye – https://artsybarrels.itch.io/goodbye (depression and suicide warning)

• Was it fun? I enjoyed the game, but I’m not sure I would call it fun. It’s a little too sad a subject for that. 
• What were the player interactions? The player got to make decisions that determined the actions of their character. The player was also able to interact with other characters, most notably, the mom, as they are on their way to end their life. In certain paths of the game you also have the opportunity to call other characters such as your sister, dad, or friends to say your goodbyes. 
• How long did it take to learn? Games like this are pretty intuitive so I understood it pretty much instantly. 
• Would you play it again? Yes, I would like to go through all of the different storylines and endings. 
• Analyze the game using the 3 act structure. With a game like this, the 3 act structure is going to change based on your actions. The 3rd act in some of the playthroughs ends with your character ending their life, and the others you decide not to. But generally the first act is how are you going to start the day that you intend on ending your life (will you shower, clean your room, etc.) and then the 2nd act is when you go downstairs and have to say something to your mom as you are leaving. This is a pretty pivotal point in the game as your mom notices that something is wrong and here is where you may select a choice that will convince you to not end your life. 
• What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout? The game’s metaphor is about depression, suicidal thoughts, with a big emphasis on saying goodbye to people before you end your life. The mechanics themselves weren’t necessarily anything special, but I really liked the touch of being able to select who to say goodbye to in the one ending. 
• What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? I think the frustration I experienced was mostly out of anxiety of not knowing what was going to happen. It is frustrating because you don’t want to think about someone ending their life and frustration about what your family members have to say in their last conversation with you. It was all intentional. 
• What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? The art style of this game was beautiful, and I think they really portrayed a scenario like this well. It definitely had me in my feelings. 
• Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? 
•  If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Not really!!
• What should be improved with the next version? Maybe slightly more interactivity or choices? But I also don’t want it to become unrealistic for a person who is battling depression. 
• What was the game’s message? Saying goodbye to loved one’s before you end your life. (very well done!!)
• Describe the game in 3 words. Beautiful, heart-wrenching, poetic 

Evelyn’s Around the World in 80 Days

This was a great game and I could see myself playing this with my family! 

1. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? It was frustrating playing with so many people. It took a long time to get to my turn, and we weren’t able to finish the game. But that’s not really an issue with the game’s rules though! 

2. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I like the cards where everyone has the chance to participate, like with naming all the countries that start with a certain letter.

3. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? Not that I can think of. 

4. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Maybe make the board a little more exciting. I feel like for the type of the game it is, a square board just feels a little boring, but I wouldn’t be mad if it wasn’t changed at all! 

5. What should be improved with the next version? I’m not sure how I feel about the blank spaces on the board, part of me wants something to be there but I’m not sure. Maybe some of the trivia cards could have some stuff about capital cities as well?? You could also include some more visual-oriented cards like country flags, fashion, etc. 

6. What was the games message? The game was about culture and geographic education. 

Evan’s Cracking Jokes Game

This was a pretty fun game! I could see myself playing this with friends! 

1. What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? It was just a little too unstructured for me. I feel like I need a timer or a way to keep track of who is “winning”. 

2. What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I enjoyed cracking the glowsticks, telling jokes, and listening to what everyone came up with. 

3. Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? I wanted some of the jokes to be something where the whole group had to tell a joke with that category. 

4. If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Just adding things to switch up the turns so it’s not just pick up a card, tell a joke, and repeat. 

5. What should be improved with the next version? You could consider adding the idea of having a spinner or something that determines if the whole group was gonna tell a joke, if it would just be one person, or maybe their is a “duel” with two people? I think that something like that could help make the game a little more exciting (don’t get me wrong I love this game though!) I also wonder if there is an alternative to the glowsticks that you could use so that it isn’t as wasteful?

 6. What was the games message? Telling jokes, making others smile?

I played this game with Amber while we were on break!

Most Frustrating Aspect?

I will say only this: The NPCs are way better and harder than they were before. But Amber ended up winning, so I was happy Rosalina LOST.

Favorite Moment or Aspect?

As a fan of the Mario Party Games, it was nice to “come back” to a game that was familiar in the basis of its mechanics, but exciting to see what is new as well. I enjoyed being able to know what I was doing, but also be pleasantly surprised by new features. I think my favorite new feature is the graphics and how Nintendo tries to keep it fresh, but also spice it up a bit. For instance, in the first few games, Bowser was pretty awful and difficult to deal with. Now he rarely shows up for the whole game, and his “Negative Prizes” are never that bad.

Anything I wanted to do that I couldn’t?

In the game, it seemed like it was easy for everyone else to get a lot of coins, and it didn’t feel like it was just luck. (I’m not good with money anyways..)

Magic want to set, control, or change anything?

Now I don’t know if this is controversial, but I believe the price of the game overall is the first step of playing it. (Obviously) but I played this game with Amber, who got it for christmas, and I really wanted the game, but I don’t have a spare $60 to drop on a game, especially now that I know someone with the game.

Improved in the next version?

I want more chaos, and I really want the game to feel super engaging in terms of fighting over things. Yes, we can fight the NPCs, but I want the game to be just as questionable of who really won as it was in the older games.

Games Message?

It’s like monopoly, but less capitalism…maybe..

Describe the game in three words:

Party, Stars, Minigames.

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?

While there are a lot of moving parts to getting the game started and getting into the meat of the gameplay, besides considering that, I think the most frustrating thing about the playtest was trying to understand the consistency between players. It felt like “two steps forward, one step back” kind of deal, as when I would purchase a vehicle, someone else would blow it up (thanks Collin >:P) I think that is more an inconsistency with not establishing a sense of the goals at the get go, but other than that I didn’t find any serious frustrations.

• What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? 
• I enjoyed that the concept really dives deep into the idea of the complications behind fleeing a country. It seems straight forward on paper, and then when you sit down and play you start to realize “shoot, I can’t do this because ___ stopped me!” Which really made me stop and think about what I was doing while playing.
• Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? I want to do a playthrough of this game where everyone is genuine and serious about the playthrough, focusing on “finishing” the game. I think if we gathered a bunch of people to play and made a podcast while playing it, that would be fun!
• If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? Set the goals from the beginning and write them down so we all know what is going on. That way there isn’t any overlap like I mentioned.
• What should be improved with the next version? I want more ways to attack others, and I think a really neat feature would be to have spontaneous events, like if you roll a die, bombs can be dropped, or supply crates!
• What was the game’s message?: ESCAPE! Basically, haha! This game’s message was about awareness of what power people can give depending on what role they play. In the real-world execution of this, the concept of power is truly a terrifying ability, especially in a war-torn country.
• Describe the game in 3 words: ESCAPE, TEXTURES (WowWee), and BOMBS!

I would like to also say that this is my second playtest of this game. I played it maybe a year ago, and the tiles were cardboard, and a lot of the features in the game were not yet implemented. I would say looking back in comparison, I had a lot of fun being able to do more! I hope I can play it again!

• What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? I think the most frustrating aspect of this game was the learning curve to understand what exactly my character’s goals were and the best ways to go about that. Maybe this could be reduced by providing some examples of how the player could go about achieving those goals? This also could have just been as a result of being very tired so it took me longer to grasp the concept 
• What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I really enjoyed the pieces and how the gameboard fit together nicely. The pieces had a satisfying texture and I think simplistically and effectively communicated what they represented. 
• Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? I think that I would have enjoyed having an actual designated “graveyard” to display the pieces that I had blown up and taken out of the game. 
• If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? I would add more diagrams, pictures, and examples to make learning it easier for first time players, especially those who just need to rely on the rules. Just really dumbing it out down more than anything. 
• What should be improved with the next version? Like i said before, diagrams and pictures would definitely be helpful and also think that the “goals and objectives” section for each of the different roles should be in the order of the turn order, because it is off by like one and I kept trying to refer to that as the turn order. 
• What was the game’s message? We determined that the game’s message was partially about rebuilding society, but there were also other roles and factors at play such as war and the rebels who were opposing some of the other players. It presented a complex view of war and society in my opinion. 
• Describe the game in 3 words. Strategic, competitive, challenging 

What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?

When you couldn’t remember some thing as soon as it got to your turn

What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?

The challenging questions

Was there anything that you wanted to do but couldn’t?

Answer all the questions by myself….lol

If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be?

Add more questions to the cards

What should be improved with the next version?

More phrase cards

What was the game’s message?

It is educational in terms of global culture and geography.

Describe the game in three words.

Educational, culture, and humbling.

I loved loved loved this game. I had too much fun engaging with the characters and the game as a whole.
The thought put into props, storyline, twists and turns is very good and helps bring the story to life.
Also, the level of interactivity that is carved out by the game is really interesting. Forcing players to talk and work together.
I would love for the game to see more versions and more intricate stories.

• What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? Just learning all of the specifics with the rules. The concept wasn’t hard to grasp but there were a lot of little exceptions in the rules that made it difficult to not have to constantly refer to. The game was really well put together though. 
• What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played? I loved the 3D printed pieces and tiles. The game looked and felt really put together. 
• Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t? I kind of wanted the first connecting settlement to the original settlement to allow me to get a new pawn because it just made more sense to me that way. I also wanted the mountains to be worth trying to conquer, but they were just too hard to roll for. 
• If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything from the experience, what would it be? I think just simplifying it to make the game more easy to understand off the bat. I think that placemats/reference cards could help with that. 
• What should be improved with the next version? I think more cards could potentially be added, but mostly just simplification of some of the rules to make it easier for first time players to understand. 
• What was the game’s message? The game was about colonization vs native peoples. I feel like it was a commentary on colonizers taking over natural land and indigenous settlements and the game could have leaned into that even more. 

Describe the game in 3 words. Strategic, thoughtful, interesting

Full Spectrum Warrior: As a person who doesn’t play shooter games, I think for its time, FSW is a really interesting and involved way to resolve a need for team cooperation and basic army tasks, such as how they move from different spaces and focus on the whole teams lives, rather than the comparison of (at least what I know) about games like Call of Duty, where it’s every man for himself. Giving a whole review on graphics and implications seems a bit unfair due to the judgment of time and what we have in terms of quality today. However, for 2004, the graphics and mechanics are top tier. I hope those who were made to play it enjoyed the experience, even though a realistic game about war isn’t exactly what I would consider fun.

SIMULATION GAMES: (Personal)

Stardew Valley: Though many wouldn’t first consider Stardew Valley to be a simulation game, this game has a super special place in my literal SOUL. I can NOT recommend this game enough for anyone, because it just brings so much comfort and joy in a way games like Animal Crossing and Sims could otherwise not. To explain the game briefly, players begin the game as a worker in a corporate office job, they are feeling really dissatisfied with life and want to experience something more. SO (skipping a lot of details) players inherit their grandfather’s farm and must begin bringing life back to what the farm once was. This game goes on luck, income, spending, and other factors like farming, fishing, mining, and combat. It is a really sweet game, and a lot of hardcore fans will go into depth on how to play and what to do, but really the game just takes a little googling, and some relaxing!

Surgeon Simulator: I think for many of us, this was our first experience with a straightforward “Simulation Game” as many Youtubers at the time tried the game out, long before many of us could play it. The game wasn’t so much focused on being a “perfect surgeon” but more a humorous view on how poorly things can go so quickly.