Violet (computer game)
Encyclopedia
Violet is a work of interactive fiction
by Jeremy Freese. It is a one-room puzzle game. It took first place in the 2008 Interactive Fiction Competition
with an average score of 8.53.
That score is the highest of any Interactive Fiction Competition entry from 1999 through 2008.
Violet was selected as the best interactive fiction game for 2008 by both the Jay Is Games
staff and audience. Violet took 35.1% of the vote in the Jay Is Games audience award, compared to 18.7% for the second place winner, Lost Pig
.
Violet won four awards in the 2008 XYZZY Award
s: Best game, writing, individual puzzle ("Disconnecting the Internet in Violet/Getting rid of the key in Violet"), and individual NPC (Violet, the eponymous character).
The protagonist of Violet is a graduate student trying to write 1,000 words for his dissertation. The protagonist's girlfriend, Violet, threatens to leave otherwise. The protagonist faces a stream of distractions, including a window with a view of the campus, and a computer with access to blog
s and webcomic
s.
In the course of the game, the protagonist must "reconsider—and risk wrecking—" his career and relationship.
A reviewer for The A.V. Club
described the puzzles as "smart but logical" and "fit[ting] thematically into the story." The reviewer also called out the ability to disable "'heteronormativity,' so you can play as Violet’s girlfriend" as something that makes the game "Worth playing for". A second review also observes this option, noting that at least one puzzle changes based on the choice.
A writer for Jay Is Games
called out Violet for "succeed[ing] in the difficult task of capturing the intricacies of a dynamic relationship." The writer also praised the game for succeeding at engaging the player at "the core emotional level", again noting how difficult this is. Emily Short
, in a review on Jay Is Games, noted the strength of the implementation, pointing to the breadth of "interesting responses even to silly or unexpected actions." Short felt that the characters were "seemingly-real" and "their problem is plausible and serious."
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
by Jeremy Freese. It is a one-room puzzle game. It took first place in the 2008 Interactive Fiction Competition
Interactive Fiction Competition
The Interactive Fiction Competition is one of the best known of several annual competitions for works of interactive fiction. It has been held since 1995. It is intended for fairly short games, as judges are only allowed to spend two hours playing a game before deciding how many points to award it...
with an average score of 8.53.
That score is the highest of any Interactive Fiction Competition entry from 1999 through 2008.
Violet was selected as the best interactive fiction game for 2008 by both the Jay Is Games
Jay Is Games
Jay Is Games is a game review website that features daily updates and links to casual games, browser games and flash games of wide interest to casual gamers...
staff and audience. Violet took 35.1% of the vote in the Jay Is Games audience award, compared to 18.7% for the second place winner, Lost Pig
Lost Pig
Lost Pig is a comedic work of interactive fiction about an orc retrieving a pig that escaped from a pig farm. It was written by "Admiral Jota." It took first place in the 2007 Interactive Fiction Competition with an average score of 8.27....
.
Violet won four awards in the 2008 XYZZY Award
XYZZY Award
The XYZZY Awards are an event to recognize extraordinary interactive fiction, serving a similar role to the Academy Awards or Grammy Awards but for a far smaller community. The XYZZY Awards have been presented yearly in the early spring since 1996 by Eileen Mullin, the editor of XYZZYnews...
s: Best game, writing, individual puzzle ("Disconnecting the Internet in Violet/Getting rid of the key in Violet"), and individual NPC (Violet, the eponymous character).
The protagonist of Violet is a graduate student trying to write 1,000 words for his dissertation. The protagonist's girlfriend, Violet, threatens to leave otherwise. The protagonist faces a stream of distractions, including a window with a view of the campus, and a computer with access to blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s and webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
s.
In the course of the game, the protagonist must "reconsider—and risk wrecking—" his career and relationship.
A reviewer for The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
described the puzzles as "smart but logical" and "fit[ting] thematically into the story." The reviewer also called out the ability to disable "'heteronormativity,' so you can play as Violet’s girlfriend" as something that makes the game "Worth playing for". A second review also observes this option, noting that at least one puzzle changes based on the choice.
A writer for Jay Is Games
Jay Is Games
Jay Is Games is a game review website that features daily updates and links to casual games, browser games and flash games of wide interest to casual gamers...
called out Violet for "succeed[ing] in the difficult task of capturing the intricacies of a dynamic relationship." The writer also praised the game for succeeding at engaging the player at "the core emotional level", again noting how difficult this is. Emily Short
Emily Short
Emily Short is the pseudonym of an interactive fiction writer, perhaps best known for her debut game Galatea and her use of psychologically complex NPCs, or non-player game characters...
, in a review on Jay Is Games, noted the strength of the implementation, pointing to the breadth of "interesting responses even to silly or unexpected actions." Short felt that the characters were "seemingly-real" and "their problem is plausible and serious."
External links
- Violet entry at the Interactive Fiction DataBase — includes link to download the game, walkthrough, and reviews
- IPlayIF — Play online with Parchment.
- Violet — Play online at Jay Is Games (requires Adobe FlashAdobe FlashAdobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
)