PC's personality integrated with the story - an IFDB Poll
by JasonMel
RSS FeedI would like to be able to recommend to someone many examples of interactive fiction in which the player character is far from a cipher or an everyman or everywoman, but is instead a character with a definite personality within a game whose story, structure, or other elements depend as much as possible on that personality. Some PCs are well-characterized, but another persona could be substituted for the one the PC has without changing much of anything about the game. That would not be the kind I'm looking for. Thanks for helping!
| Lost Pig, by Admiral Jota 11 votes "Grunk the orc is..." [+]"Grunk the orc is a protagonist with a unique way of talking and seeing the world. Some of the puzzles concern understanding what he is really seeing in his simplistic object descriptions." ( ) --Emily Short... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Ghalev... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Jim Kaplan... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Joey Jones... "Grunk's personal..." [+]"Grunk's personal take on everything that happens, and the pig and gnome's reactions to random behaviors the player has Grunk do, really make Grunk's personality quite solid, unique, -- and even adorable." () --Cobangrrl... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karl Ove Hufthammer... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --DJ... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) --UmbrellaPie... (No comment) [+](No comment) --cgasquid...  Vote for this game | |
| Rameses, by Stephen Bond 5 votes "It's hard to love this guy, but ..." [+]"It's hard to love this guy, but ...: Loving him certainly isn't the point." ( ) --Ghalev... "All of the action..." [+]"All of the action and narration of this story tightly centers on the problems of a teenaged Irish boy." () --Emily Short... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --DJ... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... Vote for this game | |
| Violet, by Jeremy Freese 4 votes "The plot and..." [+]"The plot and puzzle structure are deeply tied in to the PC's failings at work and in relationships." ( ) --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karl Ove Hufthammer... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Catalina... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --cgasquid... Vote for this game | |
| Death off the Cuff, by Simon Christiansen 4 votes "The game's..." [+]"The game's central premise requires a protagonist who everybody has a high opinion of, and who is willing to exploit that reputation to BS his way through. The story is designed around the narrative requirements of the protagonist." --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --Karl Ove Hufthammer... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --DJ... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... Vote for this game | |
| Six, by Wade Clarke 4 votes "Two twin sister..." [+]"Two twin sister PCs have to play through nearly the same scenario. It is their difference in character (and dress) that makes this repeat play interesting." ( ) --o0pyromancer0o... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karl Ove Hufthammer... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --DJ... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Emily Short... Vote for this game | |
| Varicella, by Adam Cadre 4 votes "The protagonist's..." [+]"The protagonist's motives, methods and personality are all deeply tied into the world; everything about the world is designed to give Primo Varicella his natural habitat." ( ) --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Emily Short... (No comment) [+](No comment) --DJ... (No comment) [+](No comment) --cgasquid... Vote for this game | |
| I-0, by Anonymous 3 votes "A lot of the..." [+]"A lot of the action springs from the ditzy but daring attitude of the protagonist." --Emily Short... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --Jim Kaplan... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Ghalev... Vote for this game | |
| Aisle, by Sam Barlow 3 votes "Revelation is the game" [+]"Revelation is the game: Every time you play Aisle (which is to say, every time you re-play Aisle) you brush a little more dust from the surface of what it really is: a reveal-by-moments characterization of the protagonist." --Ghalev... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --Jim Kaplan... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --DJ... Vote for this game | |
| Taco Fiction, by Ryan Veeder 2 votes "The game's situations come from the type of person the PC is." [+]"The game's situations come from the type of person the PC is." ( ) --DJ... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --cgasquid... Vote for this game | |
| Child's Play, by Stephen Granade 2 votes "Goals, puzzles, and story are all based on who the PC is and how she thinks." [+]"Goals, puzzles, and story are all based on who the PC is and how she thinks." --DJ... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --Sobol... Vote for this game | |
| Treasures of a Slaver's Kingdom, by S. John Ross 2 votes "Silent but deadly." [+]"Silent but deadly.: The barbarian is characterized almost entirely through situation and perspective (he never utters a word) but I did my level best to characterize him clearly." --Ghalev... "The protagonist..." [+]"The protagonist is a dumb-as-rocks barbarian who falls into various scrapes a smarter character would have avoided in the first place." ( ) --Emily Short... Vote for this game | |
| Narcolepsy, by Adam Cadre 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --o0pyromancer0o... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Kinetic Mouse Car... Vote for this game | |
| Coloratura, by Lynnea Glasser 2 votes "Alien PC with..." [+]"Alien PC with unique goals and abilities" --Chin Kee Yong... "The protagonist's..." [+]"The protagonist's descriptions of human items highlight its alien perspective on humans and their existence. These descriptions evolve as the protagonist learns more about the ship's environment." ( ) --Kinetic Mouse Car... Vote for this game | |
| Speculative Fiction, by Diane Christoforo and Thomas Mack 2 votes "A strong PC whose character (or lack thereof) is the basis of some puzzles." [+]"A strong PC whose character (or lack thereof) is the basis of some puzzles." ( ) --DJ... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Lance Cirone... Vote for this game | |
| Broken Legs, by Sarah Morayati 2 votes "A bratty teenage..." [+]"A bratty teenage girl with a distinctive inner voice" --Chin Kee Yong... "Lottie's..." [+]"Lottie's personality is interlaced with EVERYTHING." ( ) --Kinetic Mouse Car... Vote for this game | |
| Make It Good, by Jon Ingold 2 votes "ultimately it's all about who the player character is" [+]"ultimately it's all about who the player character is" --cgasquid... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --Meredith... Vote for this game | |
| The Tale of the Kissing Bandit, by J. Robinson Wheeler (as 'Cary Valentino') 2 votes "Memorable protagonist for sure." [+]"Memorable protagonist for sure.: Charming game in large part because of the charming perspective." --Ghalev... "The protagonist..." [+]"The protagonist has a goofy, unique perspective on what they're trying to do." ( ) --Emily Short... Vote for this game | |
| Sand-dancer, by Aaron Reed and Alexei Othenin-Girard 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --Edward Lacey... "The player..." [+]"The player character has to regard his heritage to make progress, and the story is told in his own language." () --Simon Deimel... Vote for this game | |
| Eric the Unready, by Bob Bates 1 vote "Eric's bad luck..." [+]"Eric's bad luck and general incompetence are among the driving forces of the story." ( ) --o0pyromancer0o... Vote for this game | |
| The Roscovian Palladium, by Ryan Veeder 1 vote "The rat protagonist has so much to say about human art." [+]"The rat protagonist has so much to say about human art." ( ) --Kinetic Mouse Car... Vote for this game | |
| If I Wasn't Shy, by Joey Jones 1 vote "A game about personality " [+]"A game about personality : If I Wasn't Shy (as well as its secret companion game) is all about how the personality of the character holds them back." --Joey Jones... Vote for this game | |
| Bronze, by Emily Short 1 vote "Engaging character with no substitute." [+]"Engaging character with no substitute.: Bronze pulls you into the world of the PC. You care about her and become invested in her quest. You get to know her as the story unfolds, and you keep playing because you want her to succeed. At least, I did." ( ) --danyadsmith... Vote for this game | |
| Erstwhile, by Aster (formally Maddie) Fialla, Marijke Perry 1 vote "Mort has a..." [+]"Mort has a hilarious and surprising personality. He is also somewhat of an unreliable narrator, and that shows." ( ) --Kinetic Mouse Car... Vote for this game | |
| Legion, by Jason Devlin 1 vote "I don't know if you'd quite call it "personality," but much of the game is figuring out who the PC is and how he (it?) thinks." [+]"I don't know if you'd quite call it "personality," but much of the game is figuring out who the PC is and how he (it?) thinks." ( ) --DJ... Vote for this game | |
| Infidel, by Michael Berlyn 1 vote "Without the PC's..." [+]"Without the PC's lack of moral character, the plot of this classic would never even exist." --Bloodsong... Vote for this game | |
| Plundered Hearts, by Amy Briggs 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --DJ... Vote for this game | |
| Repeat the Ending, by Drew Cook 1 vote "All personality, all the time" [+]"All personality, all the time" --Drew Cook... Vote for this game | |
| Whom The Telling Changed, by Aaron A. Reed 1 vote "The main..." [+]"The main character must sway the tribe over to his/her point of view as dictated by the player." ( - Full review) --Jim Kaplan... Vote for this game | |
| Brain Guzzlers from Beyond!, by Steph Cherrywell 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --unWinnable State... Vote for this game | |
| Venus Meets Venus, by kaleidofish 1 vote "Overwhelmingly the story of particular people and a particular relationship." [+]"Overwhelmingly the story of particular people and a particular relationship." --Emily Short... Vote for this game | |
| Sequitur, by Nigel Jayne (as Tin Foil Jenny) 1 vote "The game suggests that the PC is a distinct character from the player." [+]"The game suggests that the PC is a distinct character from the player." --NJ... Vote for this game | |
| Jacks or Better to Murder, Aces to Win, by J. D. Berry 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --DJ... Vote for this game | |
| Heroes, by Sean Barrett 1 vote "The PCs are stereotyped, but this might still qualify" [+]"The PCs are stereotyped, but this might still qualify: The game is based on the differences between various members of an adventuring party. A lot of the differences are matters of equipment and training rather than personality, but some of the challenges are caused by who the characters are." ( ) --DJ... Vote for this game | |
| Fallacy of Dawn, by Robb Sherwin 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --Robb Sherwin... Vote for this game | |
| Muggle Studies, by M. Flourish Klink 1 vote "In Muggle Studies..." [+]"In Muggle Studies a large part of the appeal is exploring a familiar environment through the lens of a unique protagonist, replete with flashbacks!" ( - Full review) --Joey Jones... Vote for this game | |
| Sunset Over Savannah, by Ivan Cockrum 1 vote "A man mulling over the direction his life is going. Existential angst examined in the minutiae of his holiday environment. " [+]"A man mulling over the direction his life is going. Existential angst examined in the minutiae of his holiday environment. : A man takes a holiday to help to decide whether to leave his job. The seaside around him is his mental laboratory." --Canalboy... Vote for this game | |
| Being Andrew Plotkin, by J. Robinson Wheeler 1 vote "*Someone* had to list it." [+]"*Someone* had to list it." ( ) --DJ... Vote for this game | |
| Walker & Silhouette, by C.E.J. Pacian 1 vote "Many of the puzzles and situations are directly related to the PCs' character." [+]"Many of the puzzles and situations are directly related to the PCs' character." ( ) --DJ... Vote for this game | |
| The Resident, by Mike DeSanto 1 vote "The story revolves around not only your skills but your circumstances." [+]"The story revolves around not only your skills but your circumstances.: You are a hacker whose body was recently destroyed by assassination, yet your consciousness remains intact in a virtual world that dominates the future society where the story takes place." ( - Full review) --mjhayes... Vote for this game | |
| Fish Bowl, by Ethan Rupp and Joshua Rupp 1 vote "The game depends on what's going on in the PC's head." [+]"The game depends on what's going on in the PC's head." ( ) --DJ... Vote for this game | |
| Snack Time!, by Hardy the Bulldog and Renee Choba 1 vote "The game just wouldn't be the same with a grumpy mongoose." [+]"The game just wouldn't be the same with a grumpy mongoose." ( ) --DJ... Vote for this game | |
| Masquerade, by Kathleen M. Fischer 1 vote "Your classic..." [+]"Your classic romantic novel with a strong-minded heroine - multiple endings relating to her personality." --DustyCypress... Vote for this game | |