The Duke of Winslow

So where a lot of writers err is that when they use metaphoric or intellectual language, they end up going too far and end up detracting from the story by either confusing the reader or causing them to lose interest. This story, however, manages to do so in a way that draws you into the story, forming pictures in the imagination that can only be described as a work of art. An intellectual pugilist who likes to quote latin would often come off as unlikable, but the Duke of Winslow is often easy to empathize with, especially following the revelations of his past.

While he is definitely, as the description says, prickly and elitist in the beginning, his interactions with his childhood friend Elena and the miner's daughter show a softer side. It makes me wonder how much of the hostility towards the town is actually just misplaced resentment towards his father.

Speaking of resentment, while his anger towards his dad I often saw as childish and petty through most of the story, actually meeting the bastard I began to realize Noel was understating how awful the guy really was.

The puzzles I navigated were interesting and went a long way into keeping me engaged in the story. The math questions seemed a little complicated, but our protagonist is an intellectual, and a little bit of trial and error saw me through that one too.

The combat scenes also did a marvelous job of increasing suspense, and while it may be tempting to shoot and slash your way through everything, I very much recommend the unorthodox solutions, such as feeding a bag of chocolate to a dog beast. They were rewarding readthroughs, really drive home the idea that our characters is skilled at intellectual problem solving, and are further testament to the creativity that went into this story.

All in all, a fantastic story that deserves much more recognition.

The prose in this story was sparkling and vivid, which is a strange way to praise a story that is so deeply interested in describing visceral, gritty, nasty things, but it's true. The writing is interesting, witty, and almost always written with obvious attention to interesting structures and turns of phrase.

Off-handed bits of Latin; dynamic descriptions of setting and battle; small, quiet character moments and body language--all this, in a narrative that absolutely lavishes the reader with a multiple hub-based adventure. Did I have the patience to finish? I did not. That's on me and my own usual impatience with hub structures in IF. I don't blame the game for that--that's its whole deal.

But what I liked the most here was the way the story evoked an emotional tone the whole way through without ever really being in-your-face about it, right from the start. The word choice, the perspective, and the haze-and-darkness filled setting all told the story.

When I find a story where the author spends so much time thinking about language, I want to call it out: this is a really great and fun piece of IF.

Even if you didn't get the interaction of quotation marks and punctuation right. (“Please, leave.” You hissed.)

This story was absolutely phenomenal, I adored the characters and loved the character growth that could be caused by certain choices. The atmosphere was also delightful and wonderfully fit the more metaphorical or thematic elements in the writing. Overall, the game was not only interesting and memorable but also a fantastic experience that encapsulates why this specific genre of horror is so mesmerising.

I enjoyed it

This was an entire book. Not only did it have the aspects of a game, but it also had tons of fantastic reading. I would definitely recommend someone to read this.

Another really well written story by Darius.

This story was very entertaining, and I enjoyed exploring this interesting world. I will have to return for more and play through the different choices.

Great story! I loved it. Lots of options, lots of branches, well written. Good job.

I loved the amount of details that went into this well-crafted story. It is an original and very interesting read and game, with plenty of characters, clues and backstory to uncover. Well done!

This story-game really made me feel like the Duke of Winslow. Also, insight as a mechanic? Is this Bloodborne now? I have to give this another viewing later. The multiple endings usually do inspire that.

Wow, had to fix some bugs I had caught. If you find any other weird bugs, feel free to message me!