Under the Bed

Under the Bed
by Dan Doyle III profile

Fantasy
2012

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Number of Reviews: 4
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Awesome Game!, December 9, 2013

by Sharpe (Playing Kerkerkruip, the IF Roguelike)

This review started as a question that can be read in the spoiler below and in further comments. Now that I've completed the game, I'm back to write a review. :-)

Despite being short, this game has tons of re-playability. It's basically one big puzzle, the goal of which is to slay the classic monster under the bed. The only problem is, you take the role of a child—no machine guns or proton packs! :-)

Under the Bed is well written. It makes sense. There are no sudden, unexpected deaths or frustrating quandaries that leave one wondering what the author was thinking.

On one hand, none of the non-player characters are interesting and there is next to no communication or interaction with them. However, there doesn't really need to be. It would have been cool, but the game is fun and entertaining without character interaction. Like I say, this game is distilled into a single, multifaceted puzzle. There's very little window dressing to hide that fact and that is clearly the author's intent.

There are several possible endings, but there's only one way to truly accomplish the goal: slay the monster. It can be done and I had a lot of fun figuring out how to do so. I'd recommend fans of any genre of IF give this game a try.

I gave this game four stars because it was fun and well-written. If I could have rated it 4.5 stars, I would have done so. It would easily rate five if it were fleshed out more and if a few minor glitches were fixed (glitches such as (Spoiler - click to show)the monster retreating into the closet while the player and/or the blacklight is in the closet, and being able to apply the detergent to the sword at any physical location in the game).

Great game!

—Richard Sharpe

Here is the question that I posed before writing this review (contains spoilers): (Spoiler - click to show)I found four endings but was unable to slay the monster. Is there a way to do so?

I couldn't find a use for either the sword or detergent, though I tried to leave, pour, spill, and empty it in the closet. Opening it didn't work either. Standing in the closet holding the light didn't work as the game seems to ignore that you're inside the closet when the monster enters. I took the sword, put the sheet under the bed, the detergent and blacklight in the closet, and turned on the blacklight when the monster appeared. It went in the closet and disappeared.

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streever, December 9, 2013 - Reply
There are more endings!
There are:
(Spoiler - click to show)
9

ClubFloyd played this; the closet puzzle is really very tricky, and the final puzzle comes down to a very tight timing thing.

You can read their playthrough here:
http://www.allthingsjacq.com/intfic_clubfloyd_20130303.html

Sharpe, December 9, 2013 - Reply
Thanks for the reply and thanks a lot for the play-though link. I'll try a few more times before I take a look. :)

streever, December 9, 2013 - Reply
which endings did you get, out of curiosity?

Sharpe, December 9, 2013 - Reply
Spoiler: (Spoiler - click to show)The first ending I got, the first time I ever played, I put the sheet under the bed (following Donald's advice) and turned the light on and waited. The monster couldn't come out from under the bed, so I got the "Ounce of Prevention" ending, which I knew wasn't the best. I got that same ending several other ways. Another ending I got just by doing nothing but waiting until the monster came. I just wanted to see what would happen. Danny gets eaten and the player gets put in an asylum, so I imagine that's the worst. The third ending I got, I attacked the monster and was eaten. Forth, I tried throwing the detergent at the monster, but that gave me an undesirable, yet different ending.

I actually tried applying the detergent to the sword early on, but I found out after reading some of the play-through that you must be in the bedroom to do so (which doesn't make sense), so, for a fifth ending (I think still "Ounce of Prevention," though), I went back to the bedroom, dipped the sword in the detergent and attacked the monster with the light in the closet and the sheet under the bed, thinking that would do it. No, despite the light being in the closet, the monster still flees that way. He flees that way even if you're standing in the closet, which doesn't make any sense either.

So, I've yet to slay the monster, but I'm still trying. :-) It's a great game, despite a few quibbles I have. It's so simple in nature, yet it has tons of re-playability. Any game that can not only keep my interest, but keep me coming back for more gets two thumbs up from me!

streever, December 9, 2013 - Reply
It's a fun game; keep plugging away at the endings! I do think there is... maybe not a bug, but a poor implementation for the "best" ending. Don't feel bad if you have to check a walkthrough.

Do you want a hint about getting closer to the good ending? I have consecutive hints below....

(Spoiler - click to show)
You need to keep the monster in the room
(Spoiler - click to show)
Donald doesn't lie; the sheet belongs under the bed.

(Spoiler - click to show)
You need to be on the bed when the monster arrives.

(Spoiler - click to show)
Do you have any items that could make the closet less accessible?

(Spoiler - click to show)
No, there is no inventory item that does that. You'll have to block the closet somehow.

(Spoiler - click to show)
Maybe if you could push something heavy in front of it

(Spoiler - click to show)
Like the crib!
Now, you just have to survive fighting the monster.

Sharpe, December 9, 2013 - Reply
Oh, I just noticed your reply. :-)

Yeah, I figured it out, but thanks! Your hints may help someone else with the game better than reading the bad spoilers above.

As much as I liked this game, I really wasn't a big fan of On Your Back, another of Doyle's short puzzles. I couldn't get anywhere with it, and didn't really feel all that motivated to keep trying, either.

As good as you are at giving hints, Steever, you might want to review that game!

streever, December 16, 2013 - Reply
OK--I built out my hints so it takes you from that part to the finale and wrote a review. Thanks for the motivation to do so :)

Sharpe, January 2, 2014 - Reply
Cool, man! :)

streever, December 10, 2013 - Reply
Awesome, glad it helped! Maybe I'll write a review and include hints.

Sharpe, December 9, 2013 - Reply
Spoiler: (Spoiler - click to show)Okay, I pushed Danny's crib against the closet door and that did the trick. :-) Hero Ending! Yay!

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