Player Comments on Ruins of Anzar

So I got a score of 500, I'm not sure if that's good or not since I couldn't seem to find some things.
Needless to say, there will be spoilers so if you haven't played this game yet, please do so because I will be giving away several puzzles that pertain to this game.
So first off, I really liked it. I liked the exploration nature of the game where you had to find certain items to open up certain areas of the game, E.G to get one of the keys, you had to catch a fish from the fishing bank, climb the tree, and distract the bird with the fish to get one of the keys.
That one threw me for a loop for a while, but there were many puzzles I, either couldn't figure out, or were not supposed to figure out.
I did end up getting frustrated with it for a bit, but then came back because it was so addicting and fun to play.
I attempted to find all of the puzzles, the 4 keys, and the three tokens to be exact.
I managed to find two of the tokens, and assumed that the third token was the round token that was on the wall of the temple itself, while I did manage to find the square and triangle ones.
I am definitely going to try again, to hopefully find all of the pieces for these puzzles in future.
Over all scoring.
grammar and writing 5/5 all around.
I couldn't seem to find any grammar mistakes and writing was great as well. Mind you, I'm not that great at noticing those types of mistakes, but I didn't see any.
The writing was simple enough to understand, and the storytelling was great.
Over all a fun and engaging game:
The only thing that gave me trouble were the puzzles themselves, but that, in many ways, made it more challenging.
Perhaps there should be some hints for the puzzles themselves, or perhaps I was just too dumb to figure it out, I'm not sure.
I ended up circling back through the different areas multiple times because I either forgot where a certain place I was looking for ", or because I often had to backtrack because I found another puzzle I solved but needed to go back to where the puzzle was.
I would recommend this to my friends, if they were interested, and I am definitely going to try again later to see if I can solve all of the puzzles.

This is a criminally unplayed game in my opinion and definitely deserves the commendation it’s got, though this might just be because I love puzzle games.

Synopsis:
When your friend takes your newly created flying machine to search for the Ruins of Anzar he goes missing: following in his footsteps you are brought down by an enormous bird. Can you find your friend, repair your flying machine and uncover the secrets of the civilisation of Anzar?

Positives:
-You do some amazing foreshadowing that Keirz is still alive even before we find his camp. The recently used water bucket confused me at first but you brought it all together really well.
-What little worldbuilding was included felt unforced and fun. I can’t tell if this is some sort of pseudo-alternate history or an entirely created world by you, but it’s nice either way. Specifically I liked how Anzarian architecture was used to explain the three keyed puzzle, that was a natural to describe a puzzle, and the birds bringing down the orthonocopter-esque flying machines because they’re territorial was cool too.
-Overall your spelling and grammar was great. I only found one instance where something felt off. On the page ‘flyer by the river’ you use ‘any one’ instead of ‘anyone’ which just feels like you’re adding a word in their for the sake of it. This is a just a nitpick but it brought me out of the experience momentarily (also it’s kind of a kettle calling the pot black situation as my spelling is subpar).

Things to improve:
-As others have pointed out I felt like my hatchet could’ve solved almost every problem here without issue. There’s a door I need three keys for? I have one key with a sharp edge. Sometimes I couldn’t use items in ways that felt natural, like the fact I couldn’t create a spear with the arrow heads and the sturdy stick. I know this would break the game, but my first thought when I saw a pool of fish was spear fishing.
-I’m pretty sure I’ve uncovered a way to softlock the game to some extent, though this may be me being foolish. If you don’t take the ball of glass on the base of the statue the first time you see it you can’t go back to it: I had to reset my game to get it again.
-I don’t understand why I couldn’t go the way the statue was pointing till I’d discovered my friend’s camp with the axe.
-While the environment descriptions were decent, they didn’t exactly pop out at me. Obviously the focus should be on the puzzles here, but it’d be really nice to get any form of deeper description: especially since exploration and discovering new things is what drives the player forward here. In addition some of the environment descriptions didn’t change even when I’d changed the environment, such as the hatchet head stuck in the statue.

Overall this is a great game which I thoroughly enjoyed: you clearly have a skill when it comes to puzzle games and that truly shines through here.

As of writing this the green key still eludes me. Although I think I know where it is, so it might be better to say the piece of steel accepted by the game for the flint and steel eludes me.

Although I think I know where THAT is too, I just don't have the item to get it. I've come to the conclusion this game should actually be titled Ruins of Anzar: The Search for Leverage.

It is a bit frustrating when I have items such as a metal knife and hatchet in my inventory which should be enough to render several of these puzzles moot (There is an entire YA novel about how multi purpose and useful hatchets are! It's called Hatchet, you've probably read it!) but I suppose this is all a traditional part of the old school text adventure experience which this game obviously draws heavily from. 'Adventure game logic' being the historical term.

Anyway, I've saved the game for now and will give it another shot at a later time, it runs just a little long to complete in one session perhaps.

The writing is technically sound with only a few typos, and the descriptions as you explore are all nice enough, although I felt the pacing was a bit leisurely and sense of urgency lacking, considering this is a rescue attempt. But that might be another artifact of the genre. The lost city (sometimes just described as a lame village) feels like it could be a bit more impressive and impactful when you find your way there for sure though.

Certain items that seem like they SHOULD be portable and useable anywhere are stuck in their locations, but I know we've discussed that and you're looking into the way other games have handled that.

Definitely a fun little game for those into puzzles and the like and games in the style of the old school traditional IF. Over the years CYS sort of evolved away from this style and they're not hugely popular with some of the veterans now, nor is extensive use of the item system, but the possibility is certainly there and it's all a matter of the talent and effort put in to change people's minds or attract new interest. Ruins of Anzar stands with the handful of better examples of how to make this sort of game here for sure, it's easy to tell an impressive amount of effort went into this and I hope it finds its intended audience.

Probably the best puzzle game I've played on here yet.

I loved how the writing draws you in immediately. Lost city (and funny explorer friend), vivid descriptions of the jungle and terrain but not so much so that it is boring. Then the adventure starts! So many items! First thing I noticed was how the choices update from north-east-south-west to the things I actually saw there after clicking in, because there are a lot of games who don’t do that, and make it a hassle for the reader to remember in which direction everything is. The puzzles were challenging and rewarding to figure out and the items had good illustrations. The overall organisation of the story was so good. The story went stage by stage and revealed the right information about the background story at the right times. You know, I've kind of gotten attached to Keirz, even. Keirz and the protagonist were not of the same ideals, but you could really see the friendship between them from how the protagonist is so committed to doing all of this to search for him. Maybe the real treasure is really the friends we've made along the way.

A nitpick would be that the puzzles are just too hard! It is really difficult for a reader to know what to use when there are 8 items on hand and probably 20+ different locations if the reader has never read the walkthrough. There were also some bugs, e.g. you would get stuck if you didn’t have the glue while sealing the hatchet. The stone disc also disappeared in my first run when I didn’t use it and I ended up having to search for the walkthrough to finish the game.

But alas, I really enjoyed this storygame. 8/8!

I freakin did it!

Second run, with a couple of cheats. My first run I got the shovel, then lost it somehow before I was able to use it. Second run there were a couple of steps that seemed unnecessarily difficult. Overall though, better than most of the few I've tried.

This was a really fun game! I enjoyed searching for the different keys and it felt like everything made logical sense. I would say at times though, there were things you had to do which didn't make the most sense, and you sort of blundered around until you got to the next step

A solid game that rewards reading the story and narrative items correctly, that being said dont be put off if you cant find a solution, press forwards and return with another item.
That would be the only downside I say, the game could hint better at what kind of thing your looking for (Clearing thorns *ahem*)
For such an unforced world I found myself quite easily immersed in it so will praise the nuts-and-bolts writing style. Also the satisfaction of figuring something out is as enjoyable as it is experimental.
Truly you feel like your character is some academic, even with outdoorsy tendency; which is a nice change from Mr normal, Sgt Special forces or useless wretch :p

This is a pretty good game. It reminded me of the old point and click adventure games I used to play, like Steppenwolf.

I did have an issue though. There are certain areas from which you can acquire new items and the text hints at what you need to do to get these items (Eg. Box has a lead lock). The problem arises when I actually find and use the lead key. At some point the text resets to saying that you need a lead key to open this lock even though I've already opened the lock and used the item within. It gets difficult to keep track of what you have and have not done. Especially if you aren't finishing the game in one sitting.

I'm always up for a puzzle game and this is terribly underrated.

I enjoyed the story very much and the puzzle aspect was awesome. Theses types of games don't get made anymore and I can imagine something of this scale is a tough write. I know off the bat using some items at some places but not at others will be a critique off the bat, but besides the use of the bucket of water - everything else seemed to make sense to me.

As always, Gryphon delivers on quality work and once again shows why they are a respected veteran around here.

Damn it I'm no good at puzzle games after all (╥‸╥)... Either way, I liked the game nonetheless. Unless you are as dumb as a brick like me when it comes to solving puzzles, I'd recommend this one, for first-time puzzle storygame readers.

This is nice storygame that takes me back to the old puzzle adventure games. I like the exploration of environment and, the many varieties of items. Not all the uses of items were intuitive, but most of them were. There were some points where I wish I could have just smashed my way through some puzzles, but I get where the inspiration of this game’s structure comes from. Admittedly, I took the easy route by just rescuing the professor, but I’m going to try again to see if I can find the other keys.

Awesome game. Well designed. Supremely underrated

This game is seriously underrated.
It was incredibly well designed and all the parts fit together and make sense.
I'd suggest writing everything down in a notebook

Good:

1. It's a completed game, with no loose ends, and I did not encounter any game-breaking bugs that would have prevented me from reaching a satisfying conclusion

2. Puzzles were nicely balanced and made sense for the most part, though allowing for alternative solutions would have been nice

3. As others have already mentioned, little things like updated location names after visiting and world-building details were done well

4. Riddle difficulty levels felt just right to me


Bad:

1. Scripting errors: at some locations, I could do and get everything I was supposed to, and then return to that location later and get those old items again, like the flint and red key, but there was no longer a use for those items anymore


Ugly:

1. A lot of awfully convenient items just sitting around in random places in the jungle there lol

2. I could have used a lot of the items to solve future puzzles if they didn't magically disappear from my inventory after using them in ways that should not consume them

3. I had to use the walkthrough to beat the game. Maybe link to the walkthrough on the main description page?

Overall, an enjoyable little puzzle game.

I really liked this, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to get the long rope. Can anyone help me???

Ridiculously difficult in some areas, but fun overall.

Hoo Boy that was challenging! This story really exercises your memory muscles and gives you that nostalgic feeling of a point-and-click adventure game.

I like how you weaved storytelling in with puzzle-solving and it felt rewarding to complete this. I think for me I've always had a hard time with puzzle games because there's so much to keep track of but this one wasn't too bad as far as difficulty is concerned.

I got stuck on my first run after accessing the temple interior but was able to figure it out the second go around. All-in-all a great game and it was lots of fun.

Amazing game, lots of fun. P.S. - Using the glue at the place it should be used, before you have the other item, allows a bit of sequence breaking.

This is a very fun storygame reminiscent of old-school text adventures. There is a lot to expxlore, and a ton of different inventory items to keep track of and use to solve dillemnas.

The storyline of the game is inventive and fits right in to the adventure theme. What starts out as a simple "fix your broken flyer" turns into a rescue mission and an archeological treasure hunt. Generally most of the story would happen on specific pages, after certain puzzles were solved or items were found, while the rest was less story andmore environment desription as you travelled around. This did lead to some slight imbalance on certain longer pages, but the info dumps were explained story wise. I still felt like it would be nice to have the journal have different pages to flip through vs. laid out as one long scroll.

There were a couple week points:

- Sometimes environment text didn't update (I got the text for finding the red key over and over again, for example) - though for the most part it did.

- Sometimes puzzles were not intuitive. As in, I thought I *should* have been able to use an item I had on hand, but the game was waiting for something else. Like why can't I use a hatchet on underbrush, or distract a bird with something shiny or dancing light? This probably wouldn't have stuck out so much, except the response was always "you can't use that item here" rather than a short bit on trying and failing. This also made the game 'stick' in certain areas where I was stuck running around until I noticed the area or description I'd missed to find the correct item.

- Some items disappeared after you used them, others stayed. Much of the time this made sense, but other times it didn't. I was peevishly annoyed at the loss of my bucket, for example.

- Storywise, some items being in certain places made no sense, especially things that had been "just used" by the Professor but now were in far away places (such as keys.) Yet other things were exactly where the professor had left. This was just a minor oddity.

- One puzzle seemed to easy, as the ancient alphabet didn't really need to be "decoded" by the professor for us. Firstly because it was a very simple cypher, and secondly because the game 'solves' it for the player when you get to the right area, rather than having you guess according to the code on what light angle to use.

Back to something that really worked, but was confusing at first - the map! This is one of the coolest items in the game. However, when I first got it I was really confused at how to use it, and kept trying to use the map in each place to map it. A bit more flavor text or something to show that it only maps the "main" sections would be helpful there.

The environment description was also great. I really liked that there were several main, fleshed out areas, and enough to do in each that there was a clear sense of "progress" as I made it to each area.

All in all, well done. It was a good difficulty level where it didn't feel too easy or too hard.

Not a big fan of games like this. Maybe I just hate using my head or something?

Well, although I'm not the biggest fan of these types of works on this site, I do respect the effort that is placed into them. Oh but one thing I appreciated was the end-game link that at least at the time of my writing of this comment, is placed right at the beginning.

How kind of you.

One day certainly, I feel that I'll have to take an hour or maybe even two with my unremarkable skill set, to give this proper attention. But for now, from what of this I've played, well, I'll give it a kudos.

Okay, I don't usually like to review without finishing something first, but for the life of me, I cannot figure out what 'sealant' the game is looking, and I've used all my items on every page. My index finger hurts :(

Aside from that, this is very well-written! I didn't really see any spelling mistakes, though when I was flicking through the item descriptions, the steel arrow head item had a bit about the hatchet page not existing. Fortunately, that wasn't true, but it definitely gave me a scare.

Your descriptions are also lovely! I get a really clear image of the picture you're trying to paint. I just kind of wish it extended to item descriptions; I hadn't realized the water bucket was full of water until I restarted the game and read through it all again very carefully.

I really liked this! I was pretty invested in finding the wayward professor and solving the overarching mystery. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna keep trying to find that damned sealant for my hatchet and flyer.