Collecting as many responses to Esther’s, our IFComp 2022 entry, as I can find.
See also our comp postmortem, “Building Esther’s Cafe.”
Some neat places we show up outside of written reviews:
- ferkung plays Esther’s on Twitch, October 2022.
I’m going to cry. That was so lovely. - The Short Game Podcast talks about Esther’s, October 2022.
Overall: It was cute. I enjoyed it. - Adventure Snack promotes Esther’s in their newsletter (Substack), October 2022.
Esther’s is slyly written… adults will get more than a few laughs playing this with their kids.
Written impressions. I’ve starred some of the more extensive criticism.
- 2022-10-01 Rachel Helps.
I didn’t like that my choices didn’t matter that much. - 2022-10-02 Josh Grams.
Well worth the 5-15 minutes you’ll spend with it. - 2022-10-03 Manonamora.
I would play the heck out of 5min stories with those two. - 2022-10-07 Viv Dunstan.
This is quite charming! - 2022-10-08 Arlo Elm, 5 out of 5.
The humor is clever, gentle, and exactly the kind of thing to delight a young child. - 2022-10-10 JJ McC*, 6 out of 10.
Esther’s stands shoulder to shoulder with its paper inspirations. - 2022-10-11 RadioactiveCrow, 3 out of 5.
The epitome of a children’s book in IF form, but doesn’t offer much for adults. - 2022-10-12 Ann Hugo, 9 out of 10.
Absolutely lovely. - 2022-10-12 “Toast!” Rovarsson, 4 out of 5.
I was grinning ear to ear the whole time. - 2022-10-13 Doug Egan.
A good introduction for the youngest audience, and an entertaining diversion for the rest of us. - 2022-10-13 Mike Russo*.
From stem to stern, it’s adorable. - 2022-10-15 Groggydog.
Is it going to win many awards? Probably not. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. - 2022-10-16 Andrew Schultz*.
It does not address any big issues, but it leaves you more recharged to deal with them than, well, pretty much any other way you can stare at a computer screen. Including, likely, your old favorites. - 2022-10-19 Victor Gijsbers*.
Still, I’m not convinced that Esther’s was as successful as it could have been. - 2022-10-28 Mathbrush, 4 out of 5.
It’s almost like a language puzzle, and had surprising depth for such a small game. - 2022-10-30 Tito Valenz.
It would be a nice introduction to IF for younger players. - 2022-11-01 Kit Riemer.
Basically perfect for what it is. - 2022-11-04 Hecuba.
Devastatingly cute. - 2022-11-05 rabbit.
It’s charming and it’s cute as buttons. - 2022-11-08 Chubby Henparty.
Very cute. - 2022-11-12 Kinetic Mouse Car, 5 out of 5.
It mixes relatability with imagination.