![]() ![]() Parser-based games make use of what is called a “text parser”, where players type out lines of text to take actions during the game. Most interactive fiction falls into three categories, depending on the control scheme – parser-based, hyperlink-based, or a mix of both. ![]() It was actually my personal introduction to IF!īefore I continue, a little context for the unfamiliar: interactive fiction (IF), broadly, refers to games that are heavily text based (often with little in the way of graphical elements), and usually center around the player reading text and then performing some sort of interaction. Galatea (2000), one of Emily Short’s early works. Both are stellar examples of interactive fiction (IF), a very niche genre of video game that has seen somewhat of a resurgence due to the rise of Twine, a tool that allows creators to easily make hyperlink-based text games, as well as companies such as inkle and Failbetter Games that draw heavily from IF traditions in their games. So far, I’ve played two games that have managed to bridge that disconnect in sublime ways – Emily Short’s Counterfeit Monkey and inkle’s 80 Days. What disappointed me the most, however, was the disconnect between my own imagination and the possibilities on the page. A book can only hold so many physical pages, and can only process player choices in very simple, straightforward ways (mostly mandated by a selection of different pages to proceed to), the promise of agency often fell flat. Of course, the reality was that these stories were much more limited than their grandiose titles would suggest. ![]() It’s right there in the title – Choose Your Own Adventure! No rulers, no masters, only: turn to page 35 if you choose to hide in the trashcan. I remember borrowing these 300-page paperbacks from a tuition centre I used to go to (shout out Morris Allen) and being enticed by the possibility of agency. ![]() Have you ever read a Choose Your Own Adventure book? ![]()
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