Penrose

I first played Penrose several years ago when it was released as a mobile game, and it is quite possibly the best narrative I have ever read. It is nothing short of a masterpiece in the world of interactive fiction, and I can confidently say that it has redefined the way I experience narratives. It is genius in every aspect of its design and execution, captivating you with every line, and I believe it has potential to completely revolutionize the genre. I've never been more entranced by a writer's style than that of Michael Townsend - the creator of Penrose and the founder of doublespeak games. His ability to evolve the story in such a unique and engaging way is truly remarkable, and is second to none. When reading any of his works, you’ll be hooked from start to finish - completely drawn into a web of intrigue and emotion from the moment you begin. Put simply, his writing style is on a level far above anything I’ve ever come across. I was first introduced to both his work and doublespeak games many years ago when I played A Dark Room - a simple text-based role-playing mobile game of his. It was an absolutely incredible experience, and I've never encountered a game similar to it in any way. I was completely enthralled by Michael’s ability to create a perfect story that can be enjoyed by any type of reader. Penrose, however, takes his unparalleled storytelling ability to a peak I had never thought possible. It's a testament to his unbelievable talent for creating outstanding narratives from seemingly straightforward concepts. Penrose is also a game best played not knowing what to expect, having as little knowledge about it as possible before starting. This will certainly allow you to experience a game that is the culmination of years of hard work and immeasurable talent to the fullest. The only negative comment I could possibly give is that it is tragic how little it is talked about for something that has left such an impact on me. Without a doubt, Penrose is a 10/10 and one of my favorite games of all time. [b]“The way is open, so please. Come through.”[/b]

Appraising this game is difficult. Understanding it, even more so. A game dealing with heavy abstractions and particularly weird concepts of time, reality and diverging universes, is almost bound to do so, and not really understanding it, I feel almost fraudulent trying to express myself on the game. But, despite my layman mind racking itself in attempts to understand what I'm reading, and moving a million miles a second trying to see what meaning there may be hidden within words, the game is amazing. Despite failing to fully comprehend the game, every movement forward, every unrealized revelation my mind shoots into existence, and every undeserved feeling of genius as I see the connections between numbers and believed obsolete choices, feels important. I think every writer should play this game. I think every person should play this game. Attention, at the least, it needs. Because this story is too intelligent to be celebrated by someone who simply absorbs it, as opposed to understanding it. TL;DR: Amazing game, I am aching to see what Doublespeak makes next.

You know how everyone has that game in the back of their mind? The one they think about sometimes and wish they could get everyone to play it? Penrose is one of those for me. Criminally underappreciated game. It's short, and you'll probably only play it through once or twice, but the writing is captivating. There are a few little puzzles, but they're not hard if you take a minute to pay attention to details. Everything in the game is there for a reason. 100% worth the five bucks.

poetry from beginning to end. felt lost and at home at the same time. will probably revisit again and again and again. the music is TRANSPORTING

This game is... fiiiiiiiiiiiiine? It's got some neat mechanics and an interesting hook, but to me the plot just disintegrated in the back quarter. There's a ton left unexplained, and while that can be read as it being up to interpretation, to me it reads like they had really cool ideas for scenes, and just didn't connect them coherently.

Played the demo online, and was able to continue my save on Steam. At first I didn't get it, then I did! Then I didn't again! Dropdown menus will never be the same.

I am a profound consumer of literature and narrative-driven games, including textual ones, and I must flunk this one. First of all, despite what the entry screen says, the headphones are NOT recommended. Nothing interesting going on with the sound, just a few mediocre instrumental compositions, which you will tire of after about 30 minutes. Thus, better not to play in one seating. The writing is obnoxious. In some places, the writer's approach to branching left the text tattered into short sentences, often devoid of meaning. In others, they are overexerted into bloated paragraphs, which I would call "purple prose", should they not have been so blunt in their descriptions – the writer tries, but they are simply not up to the task. The puzzles are OK. The overall plot is OK as well, though hindered by the aforementioned lack of skill.

Captivating

Pretentious BS with no ending. Interesting concept, too vague to take seriously.

A fun read. Drew me in enough to finish it. I am sad I didn't find the last hidden achievement. Thumbs up overall.