IFComp 2024 Impressions is a series where must-play entries from the aforementioned jam are showcased for your convenience. Final Arc would like to give a disclaimer that it does not encourage readers to vote for any particular game mentioned in this series.
IFComp 2024 is known for featuring entries from talented hobbyist interactive fiction (IF) authors. But every year or so it also gets entries from games professionals; they need to have fun too! Today we'll look at a game by Mandy Benanav, a writer and narrative designer.
Benanav has an impressive portfolio with work for IP’s such as Crash Bandicoot, Minecraft: Story Mode, and Slime Rancher. She’s also done work for companies such as Zynga, Disney, and Telltale games. It's no surprise, then, that she submitted a polished and well-written entry to the competition.
What is An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There?
An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There is a light-hearted and puzzle-light Twine game where you investigate a magical house. Your character, whose friends all moved away, receives an anonymous letter in the mail one day. In it, they're invited to visit the home of their "Friend".
"Your Friend"
How long has it been since someone had called themselves that? Everyone took turns moving until suddenly you found yourself alone.
Is that what you find so comforting? Or the idea of an escape?
- Text by Mandy Benanav.
Upon arriving there, you explore the house while getting to know its eccentric and diverse inhabitants. Navigating the house is accomplished through clicking links to access different rooms in the house. Rummaging through each room lets you find items which help you travel further into the house.
Around the environment there are characters to interact with. You can talk with them in addition to solving their problems. Gain their trust and they'll help you meet the mysterious owner of the house. Without spoiling anything I knew the cast was going to be fun to befriend upon meeting Misha the cat. He's a fierce little guy who's loyal to the owner, whom he affectionately calls "Mistress". And like many cats, he's an adorable handful.
The cat fixes you with a wary eye.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Each syllable is an accusation, his voice tensing like a coil wound too tight.
"Mistress said nothing to Misha about a visitor. What business do you claim? What trickery? I warn you, Misha can smell deceit like rat smells tasty little crumblies on kitchen floor!"
- Text by Mandy Benanav.
IFComp's site gives An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There the "Choice-based" label but I'd argue it's more of a parser-like. There's a persistent world-model and accompanying navigation scheme, objects to interact with, an inventory system for tracking everything you find, and embedded puzzles.
The gameplay focuses on said puzzles in a fetch quest style. Each character has something they want that needs some problem-solving to obtain. This is no surprise since An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There is reminiscent of the classic adventure game design that influenced it.
"Mistress has not been seen in some time... and Misha grows ever so hungry," his voice takes on a piteous waver, his small frame contorting this way and that as though stretched and compressed by the seesaw of its pitch.
"Perhaps if you... fetched fish for Misha. Yes... that would prove trustworthiness, loyalty in defending Mistress' most faithful servant!"
- Text by Mandy Benanav.
In the credits section, Benanav lists some games which made an impression on her growing up. We see adventure game classics such as Lucasfilm's Maniac Mansion and Sierra On-Line's The Colonel's Bequest. Both of these games, as well as the others, involve the player going through strange houses that have more to them than meets the eye. It's clear that An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There is a love letter to gaming's creepy and magical houses.
Before I move on from describing An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There, I want to shout out to its presentation. The UI, while minimalist, contributes to a terrific user experience thanks to its simple and consistent mental model. Hypertext games imitating the complex interactions of parser games can easily fall short with their interfaces. But Benanav's work makes each interaction unambiguous. Any author looking to make a parser-like can learn a thing or two from this game.
Oh, and there's cool ASCII art sprinkled throughout. It's a nice touch and appropriate given An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There's retro inspirations.
One big thing An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There does well
When he senses you've digested the existence of a talking skull, he begins again. His words float down gently now, insistent rains turned to light showers.
"Pleased to meetcha. Name's... well, can't really remember."
He grins, as if possible for a skull to do elsewise.
***
"So a guest, huh?" he raises his brow, bone stretching with the elasticity of skin and muscle.
"Always nice to see a new face. Especially when they've still got skin on."
- Text by Mandy Benanav.
As expected of a two-hour game, there's a lot going on. The part of An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There I noticed the most was how well the characters were handled. Misha and the others all have distinct personalities and motivations that make them memorable NPC's. For example, the Skull is a funny and affable talking head who still takes his job seriously. He's not just comedic relief, but an important member of the household who's dedicated to assisting the owner.
"Heh. He can be a handful, that's for sure. But you should see the way he and The Mess play together. Warms even the stoniest heart. Or no heart at all, in my case.
The Lady set up that little cat bed for him by the window, but he tends to prefer her lap."
- Text by Mandy Benanav.
But the characters' relationships are how the writing gets an additional dimension of realism. Like with all groups, as you get to know more of the housemates you learn about their opinions of the others. For the most part they all get along with each other. Yet despite the overall peace, they still have their differences, some of which must be addressed as part of the gameplay. They're a lively ol' bunch with strong personalities, so conflict is inevitable. This web of interpersonal entanglements makes navigating the politics governing the house all the more interesting to play through.
Who should play An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There?
Twine game enthusiasts will love playing An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There. It's a high-quality piece with great writing and an excellent companion to the more choice-based offerings out there.
Fans of parser games who are skeptical of the hypertext format for IF games may end up changing their minds should they play An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There. Most of the familiar elements of an old-school adventure game are present. Their inclusion serves as a good introduction for how the parser format can be kept alive for the modern age while still embracing its roots.
A stainless steel stove is set in an alcove, dark cabinetry hedging in its brick backsplash - perhaps the remains of an old fireplace. Great bundles of dried herbs hang from the upper cabinets, their attendant fragrances imbuing the space with musty sweetness.
A large stockpot (you resist the urge to think of it as a cauldron) rests on the range. On the adjacent counter sit a basket of eggs, an empty cookbook stand (the question comes unbidden - for cookbooks or grimoires?), and a record player with an empty platter.
- Text by Mandy Benanav.
And of course, those of you who love witchy aesthetics will have a fun time with this one. There's all sorts of magical and fantasy elements going on. One of its labels on the IFComp site even says "Games for Spooky B*tches". And minor spoilers ahead, there's more than one occasion in An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There where you engage in witchy activities.
Before you go check out the house…
The house is a small two story Victorian, remarkably well kept, with dark siding and darker trim. It stretches toward the sky unevenly, like a cat arching its shoulders - cordial, but cautious.
Forest surrounds the house on three sides, the low croaking of frogs floating from somewhere beyond the trees. To the south, pines have been cleared away to make way for what looks like a vegetable garden. A lone goat munches grass in his pen, eyes glossy with pleasure.
- Text by Mandy Benanav.
As I was writing this, a tentacle slithered through my window screen and plopped a little letter on my desk. Pushing aside my concern for how much it'd cost to replace said screen, I found a message from Mandy Benanav which I'd like to share with you:
“I have a great affection for the ‘spooky house’ games of my youth, but they're difficult to go back to as an adult - those sparse worlds were rendered richer by a child's imagination. I wanted to take that classic premise and do my spin on it, with fleshed out, almost novelistic writing and some meaning to your adventure.”
Well, there's no point in just loitering around. It's time to get to the house of your new "Friend" and see what this invitation is all about. You can play An Account of Your Visit to the Enchanted House & What You Found There through itch.io or IFDB.
Justin's many things: Memer, designer, developer, game maker, Tarot reader, writer, and more. Now he's a keyboard monkey for Final Arc (don't tell them he said that). Website: heyjustinkim.com
