The Philosopher's Stoned by Benjamin1

I think this game might fairly be considered challenging and quirky, but please do play it. I am here for hints and clues if you wish. Just leave a question in the comments bit...

King Etheldrad's philosopher is missing - can you find him, and get him into rehab? The first few rooms contain do-able cryptic clues, and then, once past the Siren, the entire realm is yours. Once a respected sage that King Etheldrad would frequently consult, the philosopher's advice became obtuse. Some feared he'd fallen prey to the bark of the Capstick tree, an addictive sap, much chewed upon by the curious and careless alike. You are assigned to find this much-missed wiseman, and get him to rehab, over the chasm in the Hazy Hills.

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Review by Marzipan
20 Dec 2014
I haven't completed this yet, but I've played enough to say with confidence that this is a game people really ought to try. The writing is great, but...strange in a lot of ways. Good ways, mostly. It's an odd combination of 'serious' descriptions dense with imagery and out of place references and humor. Here's an example of a room I came across early on:
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You are in the high branches of a sycamore.
There is a blue egg here.
You can go down.
Beneath a squally sky, you sway amid the leaves, through which the wind whispers melancholy tidings. West, treetops stretch for many a league, or thereabouts. Beyond, a pale grey temple, spired and curvaceous, stands like a monument to good mental health. North, dense treetops resemble broccoli. East is the town, awash with drizzle, windows gleaming. Yes, quite a view from the top of this sycamore.
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I suspect this approach may turn out to be one of those love it or hate it kind of things, but I've really enjoyed myself so far. It's hard to judge exactly without having finished it yet, but so far the writing quality has remained consistent, and it's a sizable game with lots of places to explore.

My only complaint is that there are a lot of ways to die, and (like many Quest games, for whatever reason) once you die the 'undo' command no longer works so you're forced to reload an old save. Usually this is a big pet peeve of mind, though in this case its tempered somewhat by the fact that the deaths are pretty creative and fun to read.
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Average rating
(4)
Written by
Benjamin1

Plays
1919
Downloads
1702
Download file
Written for Quest 4.1
Published 17 Dec 2014
Updated 16 Jun 2017


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