Custer's Last Stand

Spoiler-free review (as meaningless as that is for a story that’s technically 150 years old)

Depicting historical events through an interactive story is quite tricky, requiring the author to strike a balance between accuracy and the level of interactivity. Oftentimes one has to be sacrificed for the other’s sake, and while this is also true about Custer’s Last Stand I’m quite happy to say that it masterfully balances the two as it makes the most of the medium in its own unique way.

The core story centers around the titular last stand of Colonel Custer whose brazen attempt to massacre an Indian village ends up backfiring quite tragically. Personally I’m not that well versed in US history, and so I can’t comment much on the story accuracy beyond mentioning that from what I’ve glanced before reading the story it appears to take accuracy quite seriously. This is all the more apparent as the story progresses and we see that despite being offered plenty of choices we don’t get to make much of an impact on the plot beyond picking from where our essentially blank slate protagonists experience the battle, and at which stage of it their story ends.

The two pov characters aren’t completely devoid of personality, but their main purpose is to provide a point of view for the reader. Because of this there is very little time spent on building them up. We do get an occasional bit of characterization, slightly more so for the Indian protagonist, but this lack of definition doesn’t affect the storygame itself. It might, depending on the reader, impact immersion. Especially with how dry the narration tends to be, but at the same time the story itself never really drags, mostly due to solid pacing, decent enough action, and a great and varied cast of characters.

While the protagonists are a bit hit or miss the other characters more than make up for it. There’s a great deal of people to meet throughout the course of the story, many of them based on real historical figures which makes them all the more interesting and also helps with giving them much more depth than their otherwise limited screentime could afford. I cannot attest to their historical accuracy, but they are certainly written well enough to be believable even if they’re not that close to their real world counterparts.

Writing is overall the strongest aspect of this storygame, even if as mentioned earlier the narration tends to lean towards being more matter-of-fact. This means that it’s much easier for the reader to see themselves as a “tourist” of sorts, watching the events unfold around them like a simulation or reenactment, rather than an active participant in said events. There are, however, plenty of choices to make, even if most branches spreading from the two main paths lean on the shorter side. These do allow the reader to explore different points of view and justify the notable for a story this size word count.

Custer’s Last Stand is definitely a niche storygame, but it does an exemplary job of representing that niche and is well worth a read if you’re interested in history. If you’re not, it might end up feeling like a piece of homework at first, but even then there’s a good chance you won’t end up disappointed if you give it a proper chance. And if you end up learning something in the process, that’s a win-win in my book.

Final Score: 7/8

***DISCLAIMER*** to the author, It should first be stated, that you should NOT take anything i say with a grain of salt. Everything i say i mean, and i mean it with my chest puffed out, so, take everything i say to heart. To the readers, this review will contain lots of spoilers, so I suggest you read the storygame first.

This story is a great showing in characterisation and high stakes adrenaline fuelled action, deeply rooted in historical fiction. Each page reads like a chapter from an actual novel, with the events unfolding in a manner that feels both substantial and immersive. The author, Will, handles the depiction of Native Americans with a balance of realism and sensitivity, avoiding the pitfalls of romanticism while staying true to the harsh realities of the time.

One of the story's strongest aspects is how well it explains the reasons behind the Native Americans' decisions not to remain in the reservation camps. This choice is based on true events, and the narrative stays commendably accurate in its portrayal of these historical decisions. Major kudos to the author for grounding the story so firmly in reality.

Characters:

The characters, based on real historical figures like Crazy Horse, Wooden Leg, and Sitting Bull, are exceptionally well-written. The author does an excellent job of keeping them true to their historical selves - so much so that it feels like you're meeting these individuals in real life. They are neither overly fictionalized nor reduced to caricatures, which is a rare feat in historical fiction. Another noteworthy point is the historical accuracy in the spiritual practices depicted, such as Sitting Bull offering his pipe. The fact that the American soldiers wore blue coats, as accurately portrayed, adds to the authenticity of the story.

A bit of a sidenote: nothing enrages more than the depiction of scalping defeated enemies. While it’s a dark and unsettling aspect of the narrative, it’s an important inclusion that reflects the brutal reality of the time. It's likely that this practice created more enemies for Native American tribes and fuelled the justification for their subjugation by those who sought to demonize them.

The story doesn't shy away from vivid and unsettling descriptions of mutilations, revenge, and honour killings. As grim as these scenes are, they fit the narrative well because of their historical accuracy. In a piece of historical fiction like this, it’s crucial to avoid embellishment and romanticism to prevent the spread of misconceptions about the events that transpired. The narrative succeeds in painting a picture of complete and utter terror, violence, and chaos. The stakes feel incredibly real, and the threats like "drinking their blood" are adrenaline-fueled and believable, making them all the more chilling.

The last page of the Native American route, where Sitting Bull explains why the war wasn’t a victory despite their acquisition of "the white man's things," is beautifully written. His assessment feels both poignant and historically accurate.

Overall Assessment:

This story is a high-stakes, gritty, and realistic portrayal of a fight for survival. My only areas for potential improvement would be to add more internal monologuing from the main character. Fleshing him out with some doubts, anger, and personal conflict could add depth. At times, he comes across as an unemotional observer, explaining how others feel but giving us little insight into his own emotions. Additionally, introducing a fictional character closely related to the protagonist, a sister, lover, or brother who dies at the hands of the white man—could have heightened the emotional stakes even more. This would make the action scenes feel even more personal and engaging.

Overall, I loved it. I'd rate this story a solid 7/8 for the Native American route.

This is just my review for the Native American route. I’ll dive into the white soldier route later tonight or tomorrow, but for now, consider me thoroughly impressed.

As a frst time commente but a long time reader of your stories, I will just say this: I LOVE YOUR STORIES! Entertaining and educational at the same time. Thank yoh for your hard work and have a good day🫡

i like history and this was great

I loved it, in all its tragic consequence. As a historical interpretation it's valuable. Some would want more branches and weapon choices and so on, but I think it's good as it is

I like how you can play as either a soilder or a native american

Great job with this, I loved it.

Very nice work, as usual of Will very thorough and detailed. Some of his other stories have suffered from a lack of branching (always a difficulty with historical works about specific real life events) but a battle with two sides offers a natural fix for that.

The use of the items to help keep track of who's who was much appreciated too, although it feels like an oversight not to replace the default images.

I enjoyed this a lot, it really is deserving of more attention.

Are you going to make mother one of these like this

I enjoyed this story a lot, loved the contrast between playing both factions, humanizing both sides in the days before the battle and showing the brutality displayed during the conflict.

The descriptions were fantastic, as i read through the story i could see the tide of horsemen cover the plains and the brutal acts being performed by the characters.

I like that you included many opportunities to leave Custer and have a chance to survive on the American Soldier side, and that if you keep insisting on staying with Custer there is no way for you to survive.

There were some issues with fleshing out most of the characters, but this is to be expected with the number of important people involved and the story's size.

Overall, this feels like a love letter to the battle itself, to the point that I'd recommend anyone interested in the time period to give this one a shot! 7/8