Crimson Room
Initially, the concept of being locked in but not being in any immediate danger made me appreciate this game. It seemed pretty simple, and it was gratifying to find keys for the drawers, electric cord, etc. However, there was a point when I couldn’t find anything new, and eventually Googled the solution, which didn’t actually work. The number combination wasn’t correct, so I couldn’t get into the safe. Anyway, I think it is a good puzzle for patience building. Since I’ve seen the solution though (which is my own fault), I don’t have much desire to click through it again.
The intensification isn’t so high, but the setting (and name) in general does build intrigue. The game is compressed I think – not much extra going on. The closure wasn’t there for me, but I’m sure it was for other gamers. It didn’t use too many senses, but it’s a simple online application, so my expectations weren’t too high.
Façade
The download was problematic for me, but I was pretty excited to play after reading the article about it and the several others about game play in general. I have only had a chance to play through once, but I don’t think I was much help to the characters. I felt like I didn’t have enough time to speak/respond thoughtfully in order to get a satisfying outcome. The outcome was probably realistic though, because my awkward speech and actions caused the Grace and Trip to say “uhh…” on more than one occasion, and eventually, they didn’t respond to me at all. I look forward to playing this game again to witness various outcomes.
Intensification, magnitude, and meaningfulness were all strong. Façade didn’t use many senses, but I think this component of game design would be very difficult to incorporate. The idea of having a real effect on a realistic situation does attract me to this title, but I need to play more to decide if the unity of action or closure are developed enough in my opinion.