The Ghost and the Golem

This game is actually a good Choice of Games game, has a lot of paths to go down, helps translate the highly detailed and researched setting and all that jazz. The company has had a string of games which haven't been that good which is probably why people are hesitant to give this a try, but I would recommend you guys give this a try, as I vouch for it's quality.

I'm really not very good at writing reviews for things, but I just really wanted to leave something positive for something that clearly has a ton of love and effort poured into it. It's been one of those experiences where I was sad to not still be around the characters and story when I was done, wishing there had been even more. The options for customization was wonderful, and I *really* appreciate the inclusion of trans and intersex options, and how they are a part of your character and story rather than just an afterthought. Also, there's a full glossary for terms that I had great fun going back and forth from when I didn't understand something. Definitely scratched a very nerdy part of my brain. As someone who has been playing Choice of Games and Hosted Games stuff since 2012, this is one of the best. Highly recommend.

[b][h1]The Ghost and the Golem[/h1][/b] [b][h2]Summary:[/h2][/b] The Ghost and the Golem has a compelling story, but I wish it were a better game. [b][h2]Complete Thoughts:[/h2][/b] The Ghost and The Golem is not the game I thought it would be. In many ways, it’s better than I could have imagined, but in a few areas, it leaves something to be desired. The Ghost and the Golem is more historical fiction with a touch of fantasy here and there than a fantastical romp or horror-filled adventure. The game takes pains to explain and express Judaism as a culture and a religion through the background of the player character’s village. It’s hard not to get engrossed in the community the author builds, especially as the story has an optional Yiddish element to the narration. Rather than simply being told about the antisemitism present in the Russian Empire, you’ll understand the structural and political advantages of disseminating that type of rhetoric to different communities. Because the danger feels so enclosing, and the humanity of the village is so excellent expressed, the stakes feel high. You need to make alliances OR ELSE. You need to figure out what’s going on or your loved ones are going to be MURDERED. Chapter by chapter the tensions increase until you can feel the last, tenuous strand of peace snap. While the politics, culture, history, and tension-filled plot are the strongest elements of the game, the gameplay can be a real kick in the pants. My first playthrough was incredibly engaging, but the fantasy elements didn’t come into play as much as I wanted. Worse, the stats felt very out of sync with my experience. Despite having a high charisma stat, I would fail almost every single social interaction. I had to do a bit of code diving to even figure out what was going on, and there seemed to be some strange imbalance between the level of the stats and actually passing skill checks. My second playthrough, where I knew to overemphasize my stats (as compared to what I saw in the stat menu) and to choose the fantastical choices, was much better. Choosing the fantasy choices gave me much more of the experience I hoped for, and it showed how the game emphasized player choice more than I expected. The Ghost and The Golem's stats could still work better though! Overall, even with the elements that frustrated me, I couldn’t say that this was a bad game at all. [h1] There’s simply too much heart put into The Ghost and The Golem not to come out of it appreciating or learning something. [/h1] Shout out to the author for including a bibliography. The story made me want to do more research!

I saw many people saying such good things about The Ghost and the Golem, but ultimately I was left somewhat unsatisfied. The plot may have had a lot of potential, but it also lacked substance and was over just as it was picking up speed. This ended up being another example of the lack of care put into characters. I didn't learn much about any of the people my character surrounded themselves with, and I use the term "surround" loosely because none of them really had much screen time at all. Meeting romance options for the first time and then having to decide then and there if my character is in love with them, and five minutes later if I want to spend the rest of my life with them is just so underwhelming. This, of course, isn't the first time a novel has pushed such an empty romance onto the player but I can never understand the decision to do so; is it just because romance options are expected in these types of interactive fiction books? I honestly couldn't say. All I know is, that even at the end, I still didn't know much about any of the characters - none are going to be memorable for me. The story, although interesting in theory, left a lot of things unanswered. Am I expected to poke through the story in a different way to find out why certain things happened? If so, then my first playthrough didn't leave me interested in doing so. I also couldn't get a solid grasp on roughly how old my character was supposed to be. Some of the bickering made me feel like they should probably be just a child but that would be rather inappropriate for this kind of tale; then again, how the entire town acted upon finding a corpse was also jarring to the point where I had to shrug and go with it. I can appreciate the layout of this novel - having a narrator guide and speak to you throughout was an interesting quirk and something I haven't fully experienced before. The downside of this is that it somewhat felt like I was being told a bedtime story where grandma was pretending I was the princess in a fairytale. I didn't feel any strong emotions throughout but a lot of people are stating otherwise. Why did I not connect with the story and characters at all if others did on a deeper level? Again, I don't know. Maybe I've just become a fussy reader over time. Having said all of that, I do recognise the effort that went into certain aspects; because this game is about a Jewish character and their community, there is an option for Yiddish with a glossary on the stat page. If flicking back and forth deciphering things isn't your cup of tea, you can turn the Yiddish off at the start of the game while conversing with the narrator. It's definitely a neat little touch. Now don't get me wrong, these are just my personal opinions of the novel and I'm glad that everyone else appears to have enjoyed the story and characters - I guess for whatever reason, it just didn't satisfy me like it did for others.

I like this. The dialogue is funny, there's a colorful cast of characters, and it's got an interesting narrator. Neat look into a different time. Give it a go even if you're not acquainted with the cultural stuff like the Yiddish-isms and whatnot; they make it accommodating for everyone.

I've played through this one once so far and really enjoyed it. No glitches that I noticed, and the story and characters were engaging. It's the kind of story you play through and then want to go read about the history related to it. The glossary was useful, and I referenced it often. If that's not something you enjoy, you might want to choose the option at the beginning that translates everything for you.

One of the best IF games I’ve seen in years, both from CoG, HG, and independent writers. It has amazing world building drawing from a source that has been under-explored in IF, characters that feel full and alive, and tons of branching paths that offer real choice. You know how some CoG games are just bad dating simulators with flat characters and a vague fantasy background? This ♥♥♥♥ is downright LITERARY. Gorgeous and so drenched in adoration for Jewish culture; what was, what is, and what might have been. Absolutely adore it. The only gripes I really have are that the stats feel somewhat wonky and sometimes the connection between your actions and the outcome is lenient in how correct you have to be to get the ideal outcome. For example, you might choose to hide in the bushes during a conflict, and it’ll award you courage points. Or you could miss a plot element and still get the best ending. Doesn’t quite track. I also wish the epilogue showed the character’s lives after the story directly as opposed to using an audience insert to TELL us what happened. We don’t get to see the weddings :(. Despite these minor things, this game is one to come back to. It feels homey, alive, and made with so much love and care that it’s impossible not to be charmed by it.

brilliantly written and I am replaying to get every single option of the story uncovered!

I spent years waiting for this game, and it surpassed all of my hopes. This is a gorgeous, heartwrenching story, built so beautifully upon Ashkenazi folklore and history that Tim Burton might try to steal it. It's painful and lovely and full of bleak humor and pessimism and quiet, desperate hope. And the characters! Pious and doubtful, cynical and joyful, modern and traditional. A whole cast brimming with life and classic archetypes from Jewish stories. There's also absolutely [i]wonderful[/i] queer representation, which is written thoughtfully and with great care. This game showcases a classic Jewish struggle, one we know is our history but that is also timeless. Unease with our neighbors beginning to see us as different, the temptation of assimilation and dream of acceptance versus the desire to respect tradition and our ancestors, wanting to do what is best for our family yet wanting what is also best for ourselves - which is not just a Jewish problem, but for every generation learning their place in the world. Oh, but I love this game. What a wonderful thing it is, to have another tie to our history, in such a clever form. What a gift, to see so much remembered.

Excellent story, presented through a crisp historic lens. The commentary towards the end was very insightful as well, and got me interested in Euro Jewish history.