Unsupervised

[h3] A strong start that reads more like a prelude to something that could turn out great. If you're starved for more superhero CYOAs, get it, otherwise, wait for the second book to come out. [/h3] [i] Unsupervised [/i] feels like the first half of a two-part season—full of potential but ending just as things get interesting. It's too short to be fully satisfying, yet I can't in good conscience downvote it because what's there is well-written and engaging. The young adult characters feel surprisingly authentic, avoiding the usual cringe, and the powers and mentor choices are great and add variety. While these choices may not drastically change outcomes, everything points to them having a much greater impact later on in the story... a story that is far from over. And this is the core of the issue and why [i] Unsupervised [/i] can't be wholeheartedly recommended: everything feels like it's setting up book two, alas book one is simply too short and doesn't provide enough payoff to stand on its own.

Had fun with it but it's ending made the entire game feel like a Chapter One/Prologue and it's end there

Great game!

I did enjoy it a fair bit, especially the villain, betrayal ending but.. Even with the update, it still feels like a first half of a complete tale. I would still recommend people to [b]buy it on sale[/b] and enjoy the journey you currently have, but [b]temper your expectations with regard to the endings[/b].

[b]TL;DR [/b] Recommended: this is an enjoyable, ambitious and well made game. Note that it's part 1 of a story and written with a sequel in mind, though even so with the recently updated ending the game feels like a relatively complete experience that you can enjoy on its own. Full review below. This game has a lot going for it. Where do I even start? [b]Choices![/b] The name of the game. Unsupervised offer ‘em in spades. Right out of the gate you can take your pick between 3 separate superpowers (2 of which offer an extra 7 powersets within them) which will give you vastly different content in terms of the mentors you can have, the ways you can use your powers, additional exclusive storylines, dialogue options and flavor text, etc. That’s not even getting into the choices in the actual story – the majority of them will leave an impact, big or small. Scenes often will have a surprising amount of variation influenced by both the choices made before and within them. Be prepared for random stuff you did or said to be referenced chapters later, because the game just tracks your decisions that closely. I’m pretty sure a few scenes are larger than entire games COG has published before, due to the branching alone. It runs deep and there are a TON of secret pathways and hidden content you couldn’t begin to guess at even after a 2nd or 3rd playthrough. Also, aside from the average options for roleplaying and customization, a lot of the choices run the gamut of being unexpected, interesting, and just plain fun. Want to talk to an imaginary walrus? Go on an impromptu heist? Run for mayor? Accept that your existence is fictional and break the fourth wall? You can do all that and more. Seriously, you’ll be surprised by the options this game allows you. It’s a delight to replay, because it rewards your sense of curiosity and exploration in a way few other CYOAs do. Also because of the save system, which is a neat rarity for COG games. To get a taste, I recommend trying for some of the achievements after a first playthrough. [b]Story, setting, and secrets.[/b] And of course, what makes those aforementioned choices feel particularly worthwhile is the writing itself. Unsupervised’s story has compelled and engaged me at every turn, thanks to the crisp, snappy prose and the eclectic setting. Taking its cues from the best of superhero and SF tropes (and also subversions thereof), the game crafts a fully developed original world with its own alternate history and a fair share of mysteries, which has been a joy to learn about as the plot unfolds. There’s always a sense that you’re getting glimpses into an epic saga, and it’ll for sure leave you wanting more. The game’s structure and mechanics also add a fascinating layer to the experience of the story in turn. Ludonarrative resonance, and all that. The devs peppered in a lot of intriguing tidbits about the plot and the setting across many different scenes, sometimes in mutually exclusive and even obscure branches. The story doesn’t show its cards right away; instead, much of it is spread out and revealed non-linearly after successive playthroughs. In part because of this, the game makes exploration feel very rewarding as I said above - discovering the hints to the various mysteries that’s been set up is comparable to the thrill of uncovering a grand conspiracy. Trying to connect the dots and come up with theories about the story is pretty fun, as is either finding out you were right, or seeing the pieces satisfactorily click together in ways you didn’t expect later on. I’d even go so far as to say you should take your time exploring the different routes and getting more of the plot before committing to an ending. [b]Characters.[/b] I am admittedly more of a plot guy than a character guy. But I can say that I enjoyed almost all of the characters here (even some that people seem to dislike). The game plays around with a varied bunch of archetypes and concepts, sometimes taking them in quite interesting directions – you’re bound to find at least one character you like. They all bring to the table vivid personalities and agendas, making for some unique dynamics between each other and the MC. Reading through the banter among the characters is always a treat, regardless of whether they like you or hate your guts. MC can be a pretty compelling character in their own right as well, with the secrets surrounding them and the character arcs they can have. (Narration from a high Quipping MC is a 10/10 btw) So there you go. This is one of my favorite Choicescript games – it basically represents my personal ideal in how these games should be designed for the most part. I’m sure when I go to sleep and wake up again tomorrow I’ll think of even more good things to say about Unsupervised. <3

Great game, disappointing ending tho. Authors are cooking up something new for the game tho, so keep an eye out.