A Green Mushroom

Lately I've been spending a bunch of time with interactive fiction.  It's had a modern resurgence and it's kind of what I always wanted from choose your own adventure books. iOS is a great format to read and interact with these pieces of fiction.  I've already recommended 80 days a few times, but I've also played/read a bunch of the "Choice of" games that are all published by the same company.  They vary in quality but generally they're fun. This one, Choice of Robots, is about AI and robotics and what choices you would make if you were one of the first AI inventors.  It has big concepts about consciences and responsibility.  Not to mention some cool looks at future technology and what it could do to the world. I really liked it. I highly recommend checking out the "Choice of" series of interactive novels on iOS if you've ever liked choose your own adventure stuff at all.  They have a ton of different interactive fiction avail...

Sorcery! (the exclamation mark is actually part of it's official name) is an interactive fiction game that I played awhile ago on iOS.  Scorcery! 2 picks up where it left off. These games are basically a choose your own adventure book brought to life with combat, gear, and pieces moving around on a map.  It's a pretty cool format. In Sorcery! 2 you're immediately thrown into a city of thieves and untrustworthy types and are tasked with getting through this massive city to the other side.  Your true objective lies beyond the city and this is an interesting detour that you have no choice but to take. Quickly you realize that the different sections of the city and different factions within all have a variety of motives and goals.  You can choose who to help and who to hinder.  And occasionally you'll stumble on a really cool diversion. I loved my time with Sorcery! 2 and was considering replaying it until I saw that Sorcery! 3 had also been released. ...

I played 80 Days when it first came out on iOS but a recent update to the game put it in the news again and inspired me to replay it. I still love this game.  It's half way between a game and interactive fiction.  You are the valet for an English gentleman who has accepted a wager to go around the world in 80 days.  He essentially leaves all the decisions to you. You are in charge of picking the route, discovering new routes, handling money, and dealing with key decisions. It starts out as a race out of London but quickly turns into more of an adventure than a race.  The first time I finished the game I completed it in 85 days and failed the wager... but it didn't matter, I had a ton of fun.  And you always have the option to go around the world again. I heard they had patched in the North Pole, the Moon, and the Center of the Earth since I last played.  I set my sights on the North Pole and.... wow.  I was amazed with the narrative I got. ...

These video game trailers and screenshots aren't cutting it marketing departments.  They just don't work for me.  Take some notes.  Here we go: New screenshots and trailers are released all the time for upcoming games, but they are not compelling.  I'm not buying it anymore.  As a gamer, all I want are hands-on impressions and videos with actual gameplay.  Think of all the trailers and videos that are released which are entirely CG cutscenes or quick cuts of in-game footage that only last for 2 seconds each.  This is entirely the wrong approach. Games are not movies!  Marketing departments forget this.  Games are interactive !  Show me how I will be interacting with this game.  Don't show me the introductory video.  Don't show me a "badass" CG clip.  Don't show me a video that was made entirely for marketing purposes!  I want to know what the experience will be like once I get to the gameplay.  The meat of ...