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About the StoryThe curtain lifts to a torrent of applause, as the city's gents and ladies lose their decorum for a just few moments in anticipation of something magical. The spotlights drown the glitter of sequins and pearls, the metal cane-tops and the shining buttons on the waistcoats. From where you are, centre of the boards, behind nothing but a baize table with nothing but the clothes you stand in, you are quite alone in the blinding white light.The Act of Misdirection is a short horror story about magic both fake and real, on the stage of Victorian England. It was nominated for a XYZZY for Best Story of 2004. Game Details
Language: English (en)
Current Version: 6 License: Freeware Development System: Inform 6 Baf's Guide ID: 2244 IFID: ZCODE-6-060304-E496 TUID: 0f4x5i2elojxez6l |
Awards
Nominee, Best Story - 2004 XYZZY Awards
Editorial Reviews
Play This Thing!
Improv Fiction
This piece feels narrated. It begins with a riveting set piece scene; then it jumps back in time to explain how you got to this point; then it revisits the present, giving the same events new meaning; then -- but I'll avoid the spoilers. The result is quite effective: It's hard to imagine this story told in any other order.
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Member Reviews
| Average Rating:  Number of Reviews: 2 Write a review |
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1 people found the following review helpful:
Revising my opinion, May 7, 2008by Emily Short
The first scene of this game is a favorite of mine: the player is called on to do a magic trick in front of an audience, though (of course) as player he does not know how the trick is done. But there's more to the scene than simply getting the trick right and solving the puzzle: on a replay, it's possible to turn the scene into a real performance, by hamming things up, tantalizing the audience, and making the most out of each stage. This allows for expressive play -- getting into the character of the PC and making the most of it -- to a degree I have seen in few other games. When I first played, I found the pacing broke down a bit in the later scenes, and the writing became more overwrought. Replaying later, I found the later pieces of the game much more successful. I'm not sure whether this is because I was playing a later version of the game (these notes are based on version 6) or whether I was just luckier with my subsequent play-through. But on review, this piece impressed me quite a bit more than it did the first time around.
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4 people found the following review helpful:
Evocative but Linear, October 23, 2007One of the effects interactive fiction generates a strong feeling of "being there", due to the description of your environs and your interaction with them. The Act of Misdirection features stunningly evocative prose; you never doubt that you are in turn-of-the-century London, seen through the veil of Victorian horror. The game also features a flashback, which is a rarity in IF. However, there are no choices in this game. It is more like you fumble around where interaction is required until you discover "the" answer, which allows the plot to continue. The ending is satisfying in a cathartic way, but still feels hollow. It's like someone is reading you an engrossing story where you have to guess what comes next at certain junctures. Fiction it is; interactive, it is not.
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This is version 4 of this page, edited by Emily Short on 20 June 2008 at 8:33am. - View Update History - Edit This Page - Add a News Item