2020 IF Comp: Electric word, “life”
I found the title really weird and off-putting, but maybe it’ll make sense later.
My selection process is specific to me. It feels unfair, but logically I figure that if everyone chooses games they think they’ll like then it works out? Personally I choose choice-based games that are under the 2 hour limit (theoretically I can judge it based on the first two hours of play, but that would feel too weird for me), that have not the slightest whiff of puzzles or problem solving, because I am spectacularly bad at that stuff. So not only do I hate it, but I’m well below the average person skill-wise and that feels unfair to the game.
I also choose games that aren’t too dark or scary, and I try to avoid humour too (I admire humour, but tend not to like too much of it).
The title of this one is so weird it made me think the writer doesn’t speak English well. Either that or there’s something else going on. Since the blurb etc seemed fine I’m hoping there’s a reason the title is so bizarre (or, failing that, that it’s the only bizarre part of this tale).
Onwards…
The very first segment shows considerable mastery over language, and I’m already interested (plus, Sanjay isn’t yet another oh-so-white name, which suggests the writer isn’t completely boring).
This is good. Really good. I don’t think there’s any branching at all, but it drew me in with a surprisingly light touch.
I think this will be my favourite game this year (knowing that I’ll only barely get around to my usual 5 games).
For now I’ll say 4.5 stars. I may change it to 5 later.
I still hate the title 🙂
Felicity Banks 
Lance Nathan said,
November 7, 2020 at 4:50 pm
For what it’s worth, I also hate the title. (It’s from the intro to Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy”: “Electric word, life: It means forever and that’s a mighty long time. But I’m here to tell you there’s something else: the afterworld.”) The working title was “Halloween 1999” and then “The Halloween Party”, and I didn’t like either of them because they felt too generic, but I swung too far in the other direction.
But I’m glad you liked it otherwise!
Felicity Banks said,
November 7, 2020 at 6:45 pm
I’m extremely bad on pop culture, so it’s possible it makes sense to the rest of the world.
Congrats on writing a damn fine story.