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Each-uisge

by Jac Colvin profile

Fantasy
2019

Web Site

(based on 12 ratings)
4 reviews

About the Story

There is an old adage: When you hear hoofbeats, think horses.

However that particular piece of advice does not always hold true.


Game Details


Awards

28th Place - 25th Annual Interactive Fiction Competition (2019)

Editorial Reviews

Infiction
Viv Dunstan
I also liked the feel of the setting that was evoked, with the mythology and folklore described, and well introduced to both player and central character.
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Comfort Castle
Each-uisge is a short ChoiceScript game based on Scottish folklore. The player plays as a child who becomes entranced by a wild and dangerous horse who the milkman has acquired and yoked.
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The Short Game
Audio review. Starts at 40:16 (15 mins)
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The Gaming Philosopher

I enjoyed Each-uisge; I liked learning this particular piece of mythology; and I went back and played the game a second time to check out what changes and what kinds of endings are possible. There are ways in which both the story and the telling could be more effective; and I feel I’m not quite the intended audience, given the young adult vibes of some of the text.
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Member Reviews

5 star:
(4)
4 star:
(2)
3 star:
(6)
2 star:
(0)
1 star:
(0)
Average Rating:
Number of Reviews: 4
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Most Helpful Member Reviews


4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Sombre take on folklore, August 3, 2020
by verityvirtue (London)
Related reviews: phlegmatic

MacLeod the neighbour has a kelpie - the water horse of yore - the same kind of creature that drowned the PC's aunt.

The story was compact; the writing descriptive and the storyline fairly straightforward. Each decision has realistic moral stakes, and if we're talking about moral decisions in IFComp 2019, this was much more convincing than, say, the Milgram Parable. Overall this was a polished piece of work and very competently done.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
A well written folk horror tale, November 19, 2019

> Sunlight filters through the window, while a cool breeze brings the scent of wildflowers and stirs particles of dust into the air where they shimmer as if made of magic. But that's not all, the wind also carries the approaching sound of hooves as they strike the cobblestone road that runs close by your window.

This is the first paragraph of the game. Consider the ambiental detail transitioning to a more specific event preceding the beginning of the action. Some reviewers have pointed that the the writing is verbose and could be trimmed, but I disagree. This choice of details, told in this order, has a rhythm that a lot of interactive fiction never really gets. This is good writing.

The story is a simple folk horror tale, and perhaps stakes are not too high, but they don't need to. It totally gets the necessary tone.

Some of the interactions and choices could be better thought, but the game offers a sense that choices matter, and clearly points at the ghost paths that you didn't choose.

This is a promising game from a new author.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
A Scottish horror story in the days of horse-drawn carts, October 9, 2019
by MathBrush
Related reviews: 15-30 minutes

This game satisfies my criteria for 5 stars:

Polish: This game has been well-tested, includes achievements and stats, has a pleasing choice structure.

Descriptive: The mother, Macleod, the protagonist, and especially the horse were vivid characters.

Interactivity: I felt like I had real choices that could affect the game, and saw the effect of some of those choices.

Emotional impact: I was drawn into the story and could identify with the protagonist.

Would I play again?: I would definitely revisit this. Lovely game.

In this game, you play a young girl who suspects that there is something unusual about her neighbors new horse. She's drawn into a web of tales and choices, and has to decide whether to obey her mother or follow her own mind.

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See All 4 Member Reviews

Each-uisge on IFDB

Polls

The following polls include votes for Each-uisge:

For your consideration: XYZZY-eligible Best Individual NPCs of 2019 by MathBrush
This is for suggesting games released in 2019 which you think might be worth considering for Best Individual NPC in the XYZZY awards. This is not a zeroth-round nomination.This is not an official list. The point of poll is partly to...

For your consideration: XYZZY-eligible Best Story of 2019 by MathBrush
This is for suggesting games released in 2019 which you think might be worth considering for Best Writing in the XYZZY awards. This is not a zeroth-round nomination.This is not an official list. The point of poll is partly to suggest...




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