IFComp 2008: A Martian Odyssey

An author known only by the name “Horatio” gives us an adaptation of the 1934 sci-fi story by Stanley G. Weinbaum. (A seeming violation of Rule 1, but apparently it’s in the public domain! Project Gutenberg has a copy.) Spoilers follow the break.
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IFComp 2008: Lair of the Cyber-Cow

Spoilers follow the break.
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IFComp 2008: Project Delta

Spoilers follow the break.
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IFComp 2008: The Ngah Angah School of Forbidden Wisdom

A game by Anssi Räisänen written in the Alan adventure language. Spoilers follow the break.
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IFComp 2008: Afflicted

Doug Egan brings us an investigation set in a restaurant in a seedy part of town. Spoilers follow the break.
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IFComp 2008: The Absolute Worst IF Game in History

Yes, that’s actually the next game’s title. My initial reaction, before even opening it, is skepticism — I’ve seen games that extol their own badness before, and they’re never as bad as the ones that are convinced that they’re brilliant. Well, let’s find out if it lives up to its claim, shall we? Spoilers follow the break.
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IFComp 2008: When Machines Attack

Next up: a sci-fi grotesque by Mark Jones. Spoilers follow the break.
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IFComp 2008: A Date With Death

A bit of déjà vu here: like last year, the first game on my docket is an Adrift game about the Grim Reaper. Only this time he’s the antagonist. Spoilers follow the break.

[ADDENDUM: It turns out that I’m mistaken about A Fine Day for Reaping being the first game I played for last year’s comp. It was the third.]
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IFComp 2008

So, let’s get down to it finally. There are 35 games in this year’s comp. I see a few familiar names among the authors, but, unless he’s finally decided to start writing under a pseudonym, no Panks. This is encouraging!

Last year, at comp’s end, dismayed by the excessive bugginess of too many of the entries, I made a promise to be a beta-tester for as many games as I could — I set a goal of “at least ten” games. I did not meet this goal, despite an honest effort: I only found eight authors who were looking for testers. Shamefully, I only submitted feedback to seven of them, although I played enough of the eighth that I can’t honorably vote on it. Also, with one exception (which I will not name here), the games I tested lacked the really egregious completely-broken-gameplay bugs that so irritated me last year. Maybe this is a sign that things will be better this year, but more likely it means that the authors of the really broken games never bothered looking for testers. Ah well, I’ve done what I can.

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