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For Games Ranked 17–14
17.
Asphodelus
by
ChalkFlower
Release Type:
Original Release
Fuzzy Description:
In a fan-game based on Yume Nikki, a young woman who can’t seem to leave her apartment no matter how many times she interacts with the front door goes on a journey through dreams to solve abstract puzzles and explore strange paintings. Fortunately, there’s loot along the way. And birds. In the daytime.
Trippy!
Average Score:
Total Voters:
Highest Rating:
5
Lowest Rating:
2
Achievements
Achievement
Waist Level 3rd Place
-Variation of the staple “Waist Level Champion,” given to games that fail to receive a score higher than 5. This is the third ranked “Waist Level Champion,” according to its higher total average over the lower overall-ranked games that share the award.
Achievement
Screw the WASD
–Asphodelus adopts a control scheme that goes beyond the traditional arrow keys and ESC menus (and WASD, obviously). Along with the Spacebar, keys 1, 4, and 8 are required to play. Not sure why.
Achievement
Obscurest Fan Game
–Asphodelus is a fan-game based on the game series Yume Nikki, which is itself considered obscure. ChalkFlower’s other game, Px, is also a contender for this award.
Achievement
Winner of the Prestigious WTF Award
-A Heart of the OHR staple award given to the most surreal entry of the contest. Asphodelus wins this award for having a ton of abstractions defining its look and gameplay, and for ensuring that the majority of its players have no idea what’s going on or even what to do to move forward. Factoring in the confusing control scheme, and this game truly deserves this prestigious honor, perhaps more than even the award’s previous winners, which include AR-PUH-GUH! (2012), T4R4D1DDL3 (2014), and Grapnes 2: Kepnalcide (2016).
Achievement
Fun with Birds
-When the protagonist isn’t dreaming, she can go outside and watch birds fly.
Achievement
Winner of the Bob Ross Award
-Much of Asphodelus’s story is told in paintings, some of which are pleasant to look at.
Achievement
Waist Level 3rd Place
-Variation of the staple “Waist Level Champion,” given to games that fail to receive a score higher than 5. This is the third ranked “Waist Level Champion,” according to its higher total average over the lower overall-ranked games that share the award.
Achievement
Obscurest Fan Game
–Asphodelus is a fan-game based on the game series Yume Nikki, which is itself considered obscure. ChalkFlower’s other game, Px, is also a contender for this award.
Achievement
Fun with Birds
-When the protagonist isn’t dreaming, she can go outside and watch birds fly.
Achievement
Screw the WASD
–Asphodelus adopts a control scheme that goes beyond the traditional arrow keys and ESC menus (and WASD, obviously). Along with the Spacebar, keys 1, 4, and 8 are required to play. Not sure why.
Achievement
Winner of the Prestigious WTF Award
-A Heart of the OHR staple award given to the most surreal entry of the contest. Asphodelus wins this award for having a ton of abstractions defining its look and gameplay, and for ensuring that the majority of its players have no idea what’s going on or even what to do to move forward. Factoring in the confusing control scheme, and this game truly deserves this prestigious honor, perhaps more than even the award’s previous winners, which include AR-PUH-GUH! (2012), T4R4D1DDL3 (2014), and Grapnes 2: Kepnalcide (2016).
Achievement
Winner of the Bob Ross Award
-Much of Asphodelus’s story is told in paintings, some of which are pleasant to look at.
Audience Consensus:
It looks and sounds nice, but it’s pretty weird and confusing. It’s hard to tell what the player is supposed to do and when. Having an unusual control scheme adds to the confusion. Understanding Yume Nikki may help, or maybe it won’t. It’s hard to say. At least it’s short, but how does the player know when the game is over? With an abstract goal, it’s hard to know what to aim for.
16.
One Pirate: Adventure in Summer Island
by
TheCrimsonDM
Release Type:
Original Release
Fuzzy Description:
After getting into a serious battle that’s left him injured and his little brother unconscious, a pirate sails through a storm, only to shipwreck on a mysterious island. Fortunately, a young woman rescues him, then immediately forces him to do her chores for her.
Based on a true story.
Average Score:
(actually tied for 15th)
Total Voters:
Highest Rating:
6
Lowest Rating:
1
Achievements
Achievement
Double Team, Triple Threat
-Both One Pirate games not only belong to the same franchise and author (a Heart of the OHR first), but both received the same exact score and number of votes as the other, making them the first pair to ever become indistinguishable on the chart from each other. Note: Tales of the New World 1 and 2 were close to sharing space on the chart for Heart of the OHR 2010, but the first game was denied entrance for being a rerelease with no new content, just aesthetic fixes, so the second game was alone for that season.
Achievement
Dance Pirate Victory
-Victory in One Pirate: Adventure in Summer Island leads to an off-kilter dance tune that seems really out of place for this type of game.
Achievement
Newbie Explosion
-One of four games from TheCrimsonDM that were designed in his newbie years but not released until 2018. This game was made in 2011 and shares the award with One Pirate: Adventure in the Crystal Cave, Hero: Adventure in Animal Kingdom, and My Little Pony: Trixie’s Adventure on the Rock Farm.
Achievement
A Fishy Situation
-The opening sequence in One Pirate: Adventure in Summer Island pits the hero against a bunch of flying fish that have somehow gotten loose on the deck of his ship (and below deck in the living quarters), but for some reason they won’t drown from being out of the water. Is it because it’s raining? That doesn’t excuse the fish that are flopping around in the kitchen.
Achievement
Walking on Bookshelves
-Like many “newbie” games, One Pirate: Adventure in Summer Island does a poor job at figuring out where the wallmaps should go.
Achievement
Crimson Fourth Strike
-The fourth in a tide of TheCrimsonDM’s newly surfaced starter games.
Achievement
Die, Tree, Die!
-To advance through the forest, the hero must angrily destroy trees that stand in his way.
Achievement
Double Team, Triple Threat
-Both One Pirate games not only belong to the same franchise and author (a Heart of the OHR first), but both received the same exact score and number of votes as the other, making them the first pair to ever become indistinguishable on the chart from each other. Note: Tales of the New World 1 and 2 were close to sharing space on the chart for Heart of the OHR 2010, but the first game was denied entrance for being a rerelease with no new content, just aesthetic fixes, so the second game was alone for that season.
Achievement
Newbie Explosion
-One of four games from TheCrimsonDM that were designed in his newbie years but not released until 2018. This game was made in 2011 and shares the award with One Pirate: Adventure in the Crystal Cave, Hero: Adventure in Animal Kingdom, and My Little Pony: Trixie’s Adventure on the Rock Farm.
Achievement
Crimson Fourth Strike
-The fourth in a tide of TheCrimsonDM’s newly surfaced starter games.
Achievement
Dance Pirate Victory
-Victory in One Pirate: Adventure in Summer Island leads to an off-kilter dance tune that seems really out of place for this type of game.
Achievement
A Fishy Situation
-The opening sequence in One Pirate: Adventure in Summer Island pits the hero against a bunch of flying fish that have somehow gotten loose on the deck of his ship (and below deck in the living quarters), but for some reason they won’t drown from being out of the water. Is it because it’s raining? That doesn’t excuse the fish that are flopping around in the kitchen.
Achievement
Die, Tree, Die!
-To advance through the forest, the hero must angrily destroy trees that stand in his way.
Achievement
Walking on Bookshelves
-Like many “newbie” games, One Pirate: Adventure in Summer Island does a poor job at figuring out where the wallmaps should go.
Audience Consensus:
An uglier, less whimsical version of Crystal Cave, One Pirate: Adventure in Summer Island still keeps to the One Pirate tradition of featuring funny banter, catchy music (when not also inappropriate), and messy visuals, and fans of the series may find something to enjoy in this sequel, even if it means digging in the dirt a little to get to it.
15.
One Pirate: Adventure in the Crystal Cave
by
TheCrimsonDM
Release Type:
Original Release
Fuzzy Description:
A pirate and his mate hear tales of a vast treasure that lies on a green island, deep inside a crystal cave. They come to the island to retrieve the treasure, but their adventure leads them into a storied battle against bigger, rougher pirates and a secret that none of them expects uncover.
Average Score:
Total Voters:
Highest Rating:
8
Lowest Rating:
1
Achievements
Achievement
Double Team, Triple Threat
-Both One Pirate games not only belong to the same franchise and author (a Heart of the OHR first), but both received the same exact score and number of votes as the other, making them the first pair to ever become indistinguishable on the chart from each other. Note: Tales of the New World 1 and 2 were close to sharing space on the chart for Heart of the OHR 2010, but the first game was denied entrance for being a rerelease with no new content, just aesthetic fixes, so the second game was alone for that season.
Achievement
Branding the Red Witch
–One Pirate: Adventure in the Crystal Cave contains what appears to be the first appearance of The Red Witch, TheCrimsonDM’s recurring character who offers the player behind-the-scenes information about each game, its world, and the decisions made to shape it. It’s also the same character that TheCrimsonDM uses to define himself online. When the Red Witch appears, you know you’ve got a TheCrimsonDM product in hand.
Achievement
The Goonies Award
-Kids, pirates, and a treasure at the bottom of a cave? Do the math.
Achievement
Newbie Explosion
-One of four games from TheCrimsonDM that were designed in his newbie years but not released until 2018. This game was made in 2011 and shares the award with One Pirate: Adventure in Summer Island, Hero: Adventure in Animal Kingdom, and My Little Pony: Trixie’s Adventure on the Rock Farm.
Achievement
Spelling Bee Last Place
-Each of TheCrimsonDM’s games is riddled with spelling and grammar errors, but One Pirate: Adventure in the Crystal Cave is especially egregious, with nearly every textbox containing an error of some kind.
Achievement
Crimson First Strike
-The first in a tide of TheCrimsonDM’s newly surfaced starter games. It’s unknown when this game was actually made, but its lack of polish suggests that it’s an early member of TheCrimsonDM’s library. It may have come after Hero: Adventure in the Animal Kingdom, but comparing it to the quality of TheCrimsonDM’s other three Heart of the OHR 2018 entries suggests that it predates each of them.
Achievement
Parenthetical Adventure
-As is a staple used in many tell-don’t-show games, One Pirate: Adventure in the Crystal Cave uses parenthetical direction to mask actions within dialogue, even though showing-not-telling is a much better narrative convention.
Achievement
Indecisive Title Award
-The game page lists it as One Pirate: Adventure in the Crystal Cave, but the in-game title calls it One Pirate: Mystery of the Crystal Caves. Seems that’s a theme among this year’s lower-ranking titles.
Achievement
Double Team, Triple Threat
-Both One Pirate games not only belong to the same franchise and author (a Heart of the OHR first), but both received the same exact score and number of votes as the other, making them the first pair to ever become indistinguishable on the chart from each other. Note: Tales of the New World 1 and 2 were close to sharing space on the chart for Heart of the OHR 2010, but the first game was denied entrance for being a rerelease with no new content, just aesthetic fixes, so the second game was alone for that season.
Achievement
Newbie Explosion
-One of four games from TheCrimsonDM that were designed in his newbie years but not released until 2018. This game was made in 2011 and shares the award with One Pirate: Adventure in Summer Island, Hero: Adventure in Animal Kingdom, and My Little Pony: Trixie’s Adventure on the Rock Farm.
Achievement
Crimson First Strike
-The first in a tide of TheCrimsonDM’s newly surfaced starter games. It’s unknown when this game was actually made, but its lack of polish suggests that it’s an early member of TheCrimsonDM’s library. It may have come after Hero: Adventure in the Animal Kingdom, but comparing it to the quality of TheCrimsonDM’s other three Heart of the OHR 2018 entries suggests that it predates each of them.
Achievement
Branding the Red Witch
–One Pirate: Adventure in the Crystal Cave contains what appears to be the first appearance of The Red Witch, TheCrimsonDM’s recurring character who offers the player behind-the-scenes information about each game, its world, and the decisions made to shape it. It’s also the same character that TheCrimsonDM uses to define himself online. When the Red Witch appears, you know you’ve got a TheCrimsonDM product in hand.
Achievement
Spelling Bee Last Place
-Each of TheCrimsonDM’s games is riddled with spelling and grammar errors, but One Pirate: Adventure in the Crystal Cave is especially egregious, with nearly every textbox containing an error of some kind.
Achievement
Parenthetical Adventure
-As is a staple used in many tell-don’t-show games, One Pirate: Adventure in the Crystal Cave uses parenthetical direction to mask actions within dialogue, even though showing-not-telling is a much better narrative convention.
Achievement
The Goonies Award
-Kids, pirates, and a treasure at the bottom of a cave? Do the math.
Achievement
Indecisive Title Award
-The game page lists it as One Pirate: Adventure in the Crystal Cave, but the in-game title calls it One Pirate: Mystery of the Crystal Caves. Seems that’s a theme among this year’s lower-ranking titles.
Audience Consensus:
Sloppy but charming, One Pirate: Adventure in the Crystal Cave clearly doesn’t take itself seriously as it attempts to turn an otherwise poor presentation into a fun, silly game. The graphics are bad and the spelling is downright atrocious, but the characters and story fill in the gaps, and the music, while too high quality for such a messy game, is a toe-tapper.
14.
Dreamwalkers
by
Gaplan
Release Type:
Original Release
Fuzzy Description:
An Internet chatroom actually has a good idea when it tells a young man to invite his friends into his dreams to help him defeat terrible shadow monsters. Somehow, that works. For reasons.
Average Score:
Total Voters:
Highest Rating:
7
Lowest Rating:
4
Achievements
Achievement
Perfectly Average
-In spite of the variance of scores that Dreamwalkers received, they all averaged to an even 5 (no decimal), the dead middle (or average) of the voter scale.
Achievement
The Wisest NPCs
-In the Book of Proverbs, it is said that the wise man holds his tongue to keep from speaking folly. The NPCs in Dreamwalkers all hold their tongues. Literally, no one talks except for in cutscenes.
Achievement
The Best Virtual Chatroom Award
-Part of the story takes place in a virtual chatroom that is actually quite impressively displayed onscreen.
Achievement
Wait, What’s Happening Here?
-The story’s plot is a bit hazy on how the dream team mechanic works or why monsters are infesting the protagonist’s dreams. Reasons are given, but it’s questionable whether those reasons are sound.
Audience Consensus:
Looks great, sounds great, probably could’ve been great. But, there isn’t much here yet. And, it’s unnecessarily difficult at the start. And, how does this gimmick work again? It’s a good attempt, but nowhere near ready for game time. NPCs should talk more. Battles should be a bit more winnable. So empty.
