This is a review of Berrost’s Challenge, by Mark Hatfield, a TADS2 game entered in the 2008 Interactive Fiction Competition.  Spoilers after the cut.

Here are some other reviews of this game:

Emily Short
Peter Nepstad (includes other reviews)
Genna Bristow
Michael Martin
ralphmerridew (includes other reviews)
Another Mr. Lizard
Wesley Osam
‘Nitku’
Sarah Morayati
Merk
Imrihamun
Dan Shiovitz (includes other reviews)
Jake Wildstrom (includes other reviews)

Hey, I was wondering when one of these games would show up!  Someone inevitably decides to mix their generic D&D RPG in with everyone else’s snooty interactive fiction, with never particularly good results.  There’s a hunger timer, a sleep timer, instant death, TIMED death, restricted undo, and more than one place where you realize, all too late, that you’re in an unwinnable situation.

I’m not averse to generic D&D worlds.  I like trashy fantasy, I grew up with it.  I just don’t understand why the old restrictions, for some reason, have to be included.  They don’t add anything to the game except pad the playtime.

Well, let me clarify.  You’re a wizard-in-training, sent out to solve puzzles for your wizard master.  However you’re not allowed to use magic.  Right off the bat I felt like someone bought me a new car and told me I could have it ONLY AFTER walking to work for a month.  You CAN use magic, but your master disapproves and you lose points.  What is the point of this?  What kind of cheap fantasy story is it where the fantasy elements are bad?  You could have just as easily skipped the wizard thing and made the PC a squire, or an apprentice blacksmith.

Technical: Much of it made sense, but then, much of it was really clunky.  A lot of guess-the-syntax, even on simple stuff.

There’s a part where you use a tank spigot to get lamp oil, and the container for the oil must be ON the tray underneath, but not IN.  You also need this oil to lubricate your thumb (don’t ask).  Even the hint file makes mention that it’s annoying that you can’t just put your thumb under the spigot; you need another container.  Why?  It’s just a spigot.  I’ve figured it out, game author, just let me put the oil on my thumb so I can go ‘wrestle’ the barkeeper!

Writing: A lot of awkward moments; I kept wondering if the author was paying attention while writing.  A lot of its/it’s errors, missing words, stuff like that.  Much of it is serviceable, and fortunately, a lot of nouns are implemented, which was nice after the last few games.  NPCs, unfortunately, are rather forgettable, and are really only interacted with during menu-driven conversation.

Fun: I admit it, I did play to the end, and needed the walkthrough.  I’m pretty sure I went over my two hours, but I had decided on a score long before.  I received equal doses of suck and fun.  This was an ambitious project, and while some stuff works, if the remaining 50% doesn’t, it’s going to irritate players.  My score really took a hit from the numerous unwinnable situations (inevitably requiring you to restore).

Do I hope that the author writes more IF? If this is his thing, that’s fine.  But it really does need more testing.  And for the author to listen to his players – did people say the hunger timer was fun?  Did they enjoy constant reminders of concentration decreases for spellcasting which they are probably avoiding anyway?  Did people enjoy being told that they just ruined something they picked up because their hands were dirty?  No?  Then take them out!

If there is an evolution in game design from when these games were the norm, it’s this: Instead of punishing your player, empower your player.