George Shannon's weblog

This is a review of ‘zork, buried chaos’ by Mr. Blood Bath, a z-code game entered in the 2009 Interactive Fiction Competition.

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This is a review of ‘Star Hunter’ by Chris K., a z-code game entered in the 2009 Interactive Fiction Competition.

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Only three games reviewed!  That is unacceptable.  I am up to 15 played, I think.

This is a review of ‘Grounded in Space’ by Matt Wigdahl, a glulx game entered in the 2009 Interactive Fiction Competition.

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Updated the Google Doc so it has a partial list of the games from this year (noted under the 2009 tab at the bottom).  Only the ones I’ve played through so far, actually.  Each entry is a link, even if it isn’t blue and underlined.  Just select the cell, and click the icon that appears next to it.  Italicized entries take you to spoiler-ridden pages that also talk about other games than the one you’re after.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AgHncBxQ5mj4dGdEZTMzTkZ1a0tDQlp4a21nWDlTRFE&hl=en

Incidentally, I am playing the games that do not mention any beta-testing, if only because:

1) A lack of beta-testing – or more particularly, a lack of any mention of beta-testing – is not a guarantee of poor quality (even if current evidence is batting pretty well).  I want these people to earn their 1’s.  Someone needs to say that yes, you should have beta-tested this.

2) I want to say something for an author who’s submitted an entry.  I thought this last year, the Comp is a chance for a lot of people to just finish something and get it out there, even if it’s bad.  That’s at least a few words, and even if they’re harsh, a writer has to have thick skin.

This is a review of Snowquest, by Eric Eve, a z-code game in the 2009 Interactive Fiction Competition. Spoilers after the break.

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This is a review of Gleaming the Verb, by Kevin Jackson-Mead, a z-code game in the 2009 Interactive Fiction Competition.  Spoilers after the break.

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This is a review of GATOR-ON, Friend to Wetlands! by Dave Horlick, a z-code game in the 2009 Interactive Fiction Competition.  Spoilers after the break.

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I said I’d do it, and I finally did. This Google Spreadsheet doc has a matrix of links to reviews from all the people I heard reviewed games from last year… I didn’t search for any, I think, they were all ones I found from looking at other people’s reviews and the Usenet groups. If you ought to be on here, let me know! Similarly, some people had reviews (Genna Bristow, I’m typing in your direction) but they have since faded away from the Internet.

IF Comp 2008 Review Matrix

And yes, I’m hoping to do it again for this year, oh god I gotta get reviewing, hurf durf…

EDIT: Sorry.  I should have said that italicized links are ones that will take you to a page that contains spoilers about other games in the competition.  Your fragile psyches are now spared.