Photograph

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs

GAME DESIGNER:Steve Evans
GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware
GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware
Copyright 2002, Steve Evans

My pick for the best story-oriented (a.k.a. Photopia-style) game in the 2002 IF Competition, Photograph is a well-written and thought-provoking short story about – well, someone’s life, but primarily about regret and nostalgia in my opinion.

Each of the photographs in the game serve both as a narrative instrument, and a trigger for flashback sequences that are slightly more interactive than present-day segments. The writing is solid throughout, and there is enough details to spark your interest in the protagonist’s past that he is ruminating upon. One nice feature the game introduces is the CONSIDER verb, which is used similar to THINK in Interplay’s oldie Mindshadow: to ponder memories you associate with a particular object. Similar to Photopia, the interaction is minimal and puzzles virtually nonexistent. It is not as near as good as Photopia, but Photograph did make me pause for a brief moment of self reflection after it was over – and that is much more than the usual entertainment we expect a game to be. If you enjoy reading a good, thought-provoking narrative, Photograph comes highly recommended.