> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://rachels-organization-4.gitbook.io/study-of-interactive-fiction/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://rachels-organization-4.gitbook.io/study-of-interactive-fiction/overview/ideas-for-other-games-to-read-closely.md). # Ideas for other games to read closely ## Unit ideas ### AI and Cyberpunk - September [Universal Hologram](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=hwhrl3u783ccxf24) * memorably weird * see also [consciousness hologram](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=gp5q0wgrb2vvdg1c) and [Computerfriend](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=qupd7qqd1cdc8rev) by the same author [Open Sorcery](https://store.steampowered.com/app/585180/Open_Sorcery/) * same author as Absence of Miriam Lane [Sense of Harmony ](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=c6wevflgpdlpwg6n) * 10th place in 2020 IFComp * cyberpunk sex work ### Occult/magic and bodily transformation - October The [Absence of Miriam Lane](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=2glbsr1n5uevrnhs) * "puzzles" in Twine; also free range of movement * "feminine" topics in videogames (could go in a unit with Space to Grow and Creatures Such As We) [With Those We Love Alive](https://xrafstar.monster/games/twine/wtwla/) * game that engages player in physical ritual of drawing on their arm [SABBAT](https://ohnoproblems.itch.io/sabbat-directors-kvt) * make sacrifices, get weird body [Removed](https://mammonmachine.itch.io/removed) and *We Know the Devil* by Aevee Bee * accompanying essay * about lacking body parts * chapter in *Videogames for Humans* * [interview with Aevee Bee](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1894MnhP0zHdgXKgKyi4Ead9a4Z-sH-Gr/view?usp=drive_link) from a book called *The Queer Games Avant-Garde: How LGBTQ Game Makers Are Reimagining the Medium of Video Games* General horror (I can't remember if it deals with corporality): [My Father's Long, Long Legs](https://ztul.itch.io/mflll); five paragraphs [on familial memory in the game](https://web.archive.org/web/20190118040050/https://www.capsulecrit.com/familial-memory-in-my-fathers-long-long-legs-by-kevin-snow/) by Kevin Snow [Mama Possum](https://bravemule.itch.io/mamapossum) by Kevin Snow ### Nature/environmentalism - use as interludes/intermissions? *Alba* (adventure game - not just text-based) [*Free bird* ](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=f3ya6tn6u705xpuq)(and other games on [this list of games about birds](https://ifdb.org/poll?id=1ugoid3bos0m90ct); also [You Bird](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=fvb4ctk81yfzx22d) and ([Birdland](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=ap1651hvjldbuugj)--kinda long and drawn out)) ### Adaptations of literary works - November [80 Days ](https://www.inklestudios.com/80days/) * game that re-imagines the 80 days book * lots of criticism of 80 Days, including "Around a more diverse world in 80 days" in the [Offworld game journalism PDF ](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bSR9zTHC0S-R5WOIqfZkPNCau3LsJnY-/view?usp=drive_link)on diversity and an entry in IF50 * this game got a LOT of attention from news outlets and stuff * [Ethics and Adaptations in 80 Days](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cypbfw6D9GKdyntVAj5xqR6KMCxuPNzv/view?usp=drive_link) from Writing for Games: Theory and Practice by Hannah Nicklin [Animal Farm](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1398100/Orwells_Animal_Farm/) - VN [The Cherry Orchard ](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1109490/The_Cherry_Orchard/)- VN [Omen Exitio: Plague ](https://store.steampowered.com/app/668590/Omen_Exitio_Plague/)is "Lovecraftian", has a gamebook "feel" [The 39 Steps](https://store.steampowered.com/app/234940/The_39_Steps/) - based on a novel, is a visual novel [The Whisperer in Darkness](https://nqn.itch.io/the-whisperer-in-darkness) - based on a Lovecraft story; a visual novel [Dagon, One Summer Night, and the Tell-Tale Heart](https://tj-stoker.itch.io/horror-tales) in one VN bundle ### Humor - December [You Are Spamzapper 3.1](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=2znd1z72jweue7nt) * humor, playfulness, examples of non-human characters [FISH & DAGGER](http://www.springthing.net/2021/play_online/FishAndDagger/index.html) * won an XYZZY award for best use of media, it is really cool-looking * it gets a bit silly, I guess that's the point [SPY INTRIGUE](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=zz6i7irfr70nvp7a) ### Unusual choice-based designs [Theory: Form-led Design](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NKjEvqEYme99O7zCM_LwSfgE0ZU2dD2H/view?usp=drive_link) from Writing for Games [Tarot as procedural storytelling](https://drive.google.com/file/d/10n7D5c52kPOA8_04mrhWV66Vi9P6cPF2/view?usp=sharing) by Cat Manning mentions Emily Short's project to create a procedurally-created tarot: Text here Update [First Draft of the Revolution](https://lizadaly.com/first-draft/content/) * [dev thoughts ](https://lizadaly.com/pages/first-draft/statement.html)from Liza Daly * games about writing, how can we make the player feel that they have a choice, but also how to show a character's personality through their writing * sidenote: I want to play [Harmonia](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=bkyia4k48od1ila) (also by Liza) for its utopian connections? Penrose - [in-browser demo](https://penrose.doublespeakgames.com/) and on the [App store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/penrose/id1516904436)/[Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.doublespeakgames.penrose\&hl=en_US\&gl=US) * experimental form with changes to the story based on "choices" to change things in the text * [hints](https://intfiction.org/t/penrose-2020-invisiclues-hints/57699) [Solarium](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=b6ljg2m07tmc2ffv) - still need to play this Cold War nonlinear story [The Domovoi](https://bravemule.itch.io/domovoi) and the author's [chapter on Uncanny Text](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PwJ5MbRTgC9momwgGroSkFZptDMx9ybJ/view?usp=sharing) from Procedural Storytelling in Game Design ### Slice-of-Life -Concierge game \- ### Beyond text * Disco Elysium * The Sea Will Claim Everything - point-and-click text adventure, I am just a big fan of Jonas's work (also it's interesting how he includes his political ideas about Greece) * [Her Story](https://store.steampowered.com/app/368370/Her_Story/) * not IF, video and keyword-search adventure/mystery * check out that [GA Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Story_\(video_game\)) ## Lists to look at Overview of 2010s in Aaron's book has lots of choice-based games on it Mathbrush's list of Twine games on IFDB {% embed url="" %} IFDB Top 100 (includes a lot of parser-based games) {% embed url="" %} Horror recommendations: {% embed url="" %} ## List of other games I'm thinking about * I highly recommend that we each judge 5 games in this year's IFComp in October * [Fallen London](https://www.fallenlondon.com/login) * horror, browser-based, freemium * * [reProgram](https://philome.la/pixiemania/reprogram/play/index.html) * it is nsfw. not a lot of choices. A really good example of Twine as a personal game though (a new iteration of the perzine?). * offworld [article by the author](https://boingboing.net/2015/03/26/games-that-heal.html) * also has a chapter in *Videogames for Humans* * [A Long Way to the Nearest Star](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=6cjbax7d0to42vof) also from IFComp2022, also appears to have free range of movement * [Book of Mormon Adventures](https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=ul65atoi84anqgg8) * use Nephi's Journey in Twine Tutorials to do two things: 1) figure out how to download and look at a game and 2) examine the branch-and-bottleneck setup/code * [*Your Lover Has Turned Into a Flock of Birds*](http://whoops.undo.it/twine/birds.html#4) * poem, short * chapter in VfH * [Eden](https://gamingpixie.com/twine/eden/) * there's an alien in it, but actually it's not as weird as I hoped * chapter in VfH * short, "action" game. example of player-chosen gender and sexual identity ## Games with articles about them [Offworld games journalism collection](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bSR9zTHC0S-R5WOIqfZkPNCau3LsJnY-/view?usp=drive_link) * "The new mistress of horror" by Leigh Alexander looks at the games of [Kitty Horrorshow](https://kittyhorrorshow.itch.io/): CHYRZA, Hornets, and Rain, House, Eternity. [Hornets](https://kittyhorrorshow.itch.io/hornets) is a Twine game. ## Notes on outside readings IF Theory Reader * craft-centric chapters on map management in games with large locations and puzzle design * "Landscape and Character in IF" will go well with a location-based game (actually, maybe for Absence of Miram Lane) ##