Savoir-Faire

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs

GAME DESIGNER:Emily Short
GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware
GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware
Copyright 2002, Emily Short

Yet another excellent IF title from Emily Short, Savoir-Faire is an absorbing and innovative game that brings the word “old skool” to new level. The brief summary at Baf’s IF Guide says it all:

“In 18 century France, a young man in urgent need of money visits his aristocratic adoptive father’s house, only to find the inhabitants mysteriously vanished. Fortunately, he is not without resources: he is a student of the “lavori d’Aracne”, an interesting form of magic based on weaving links between similar objects, so that anything that happens to one happens to both.

This is in many ways an old-school treasure hunt, full of locked doors and no NPC’s, but with rich detail (you’ll have to look very hard to find a noun that isn’t implemented), an impressive degree of simulation (especially in the handling of liquids), and many puzzles with alternate solutions. A real joy to play, and the kind of game that you’ll keep toying with after you’ve finished it. Some bugs (as of version 6, at least). It is possible to lock yourself out of victory without realizing it.”

If you love Zork but are tired of the same old treasure hunting games, Savoir-Faire will be a refreshing experience. It is a masterfully coded, thoroughly enjoyable, and challenging game (save often!) that will occupy you for many days or weeks. If you are feeling really nostalgic for the good old days of Infocom “feelies”, you can buy the feelies for this game for only $4 from feelies.org. Two thumbs up, way up!