My first completed game!

Only kidding, it's a tester.

What it tells me, though, is that with some perseverance I can probably do what I want. Making it gamebook style makes things much easier and is, in fact, closer to what I was hoping to achieve.

So, can you survive A Harsh Winter?
https://textadventures.co.uk/games/view/ve1xoccwbeikosokg7jz5w/a-harsh-winter

All right! That definitely looks like a start. Piece of advice: be flexible. For example, if you can't do timed actions, just have players grind by clicking a link repeatedly. Use random messages or something to add variety and make it fun. Anything, just don't fight the authoring system. That way lies madness. :P

Thanks for playing, felixp7. Can I take it you survived and there was no confusion as to what you were supposed to do?

I'm hoping I can do what I want with Ifs and Flags, but we'll have to see. The idea for the proper game is that avenues and activities will open up as you progress.

Formats very poorly on mobile. I never understand why people don't ensure their games are mobile compatible. Gamebook formats like this are perfectly suited to mobile devices, so well worth getting sorted.

Other than that there's not really much to say. You get some firewood and light a fire. Would have been nice if the background colour had changed to orange or something when the fire was lit.

But it's hard to give advice on what has been provided.

I wouldn't even know where to start getting it formatted for mobiles. If I had my way I'd make it unavailable for mobiles, but there's not a lot I can do about people accessing an internet game via their various devices.

Thanks for playing, but as I say it's merely a tester and I'm not really seeking a serious critique.

It's all about mobile nowadays. I'm typing this on a mobile. Wasn't a particular criticism of your game, but I do get frustrated that so few games on here work properly on mobile. I love reading in bed, and I can't do that with a laptop or PC.

But you are right, you need at least some familiarity with CSS and HTML to fix it.

I like the concept of a survival game. It would be amazing if there were a few other survivors and your decisions impacted on them as much as you. Could create some powerful moral dilemmas. I'd highly recommend scripting the thing before you starting putting it together. There's nothing worse than trying to develop the story and code it at the same time...

Yeah, I'm a real MIUAIGA* when it comes to storytelling. I'm fairly confident with CSS and have a small understanding of html, but still wouldn't know where to start getting it mobile compatible.

The proper game will indeed have many more elements as you progress. It will comprise a series of small goals which in turn unlock more of the game world. In other words you can't hunt for food until you've figured out how to light a fire, but you can't explore the forest until you've eaten, and so on and so on.

It's going to be a nightmare of IFS, ELSES and FLAGS that I don't even want to think about.

* Make It Up As I Go Along

Thanks for playing, felixp7. Can I take it you survived and there was no confusion as to what you were supposed to do?

You're welcome. And sure, hard to become confused with such a small game. Later, we'll see.

Yeah, I'm a real MIUAIGA* when it comes to storytelling.

That's not a bad thing. You want to let the story write itself up to a point. In my experience, a good premise and strong theme are more important than a detailed outline. A meaningful title helps, too.

It's going to be a nightmare of IFS, ELSES and FLAGS that I don't even want to think about.

That's programming for you. It can't be helped. Even if you were using Texture, doing absolutely everything by ticking checkboxes rather than writing code, you'd still have to think in terms of huge if-else mazes. Heck, do it on paper. You'll see. And maybe it will provide some insights.

Thanks :)