The Philosopher's Stoned by Benjamin1

Comment Benjamin1

Here are some hints for the first few rooms: password, verdant, revenge...ask if you need.

Comment Benjamin1

Thanks Xanmag, all comments are heartening. I shall have a look at one of your games. Thanks...

Comment XanMag

Ah, SOB!!! I had a clever comment about the odd writing style (RW Emerson and Yoda had a child and that child wrote this game) and how I'm interested in exploring this game further but I accidentally pasted a previous copy over my witty response to this game. Anyway, give it a try. I think it will be interesting - if I can get used to the writing style. Seems thorough and well designed. Will be back to review later!

Comment Marzipan

I haven't run across any music yet playing the offline version. The file's only 242 kb so it seems unlikely they're included.

Comment Benjamin1

Hello everyone, thanks for playing my game. I'm just wondering if the music is working in certain rooms. I loaded it up, but the music doesn't play on my computer, which makes me think I may have uploaded a music-free version. It takes a while to load on my computer, which makes me think this might be cos of the music files, or cos the computer's looking for them, but not finding them. Bit confused, so if anyone could let me know, that would be great. It can be played without the music, though, no problem, so it doesn't affect the playability of the game. There should be music, for example, in the Wuthering Tea Rooms, so if you get there, please let me know if the music is playing. Thanks guys...

Review Marzipan

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.

Comment Marzipan

@BeggerStager Did you...try going north?
(Actually, scratch that. Rereading your comment the question I want to ask instead is: do you know what interactive fiction is? I'm guessing not. The next time you load up a game try typing 'help'.)

Comment BeggerStager

First, the title; haha, it sounds like the "philosopher is stoned" not the "philosopher's stone."

Second, it's probably just me but I couldn't go anywhere from the first page. There were some colored words but no actual links. I don't know, must be me.