====== Assembly ======

[[IFComp]] 2023

My spouse helped open an IKEA years ago, so I can say secondhand that "Assembly" nails the cosmic horror of that experience.

First of all bonus points for the perfect IKEA-themed status bar.

Second, this line is corny but also *so freaking perfect.*

> You're in a maze of twisty little passages, all showcasing various highlights of the Fall 2023 collection.

The plot has an elegant little hook about mass-produced chaotic geometry thinning the veil between us and the old gods, and therefore there are cultists using the local big-box furniture store to open a gateway to the other realm.

As a player we get to assemble (and disassemble) various furniture to thwart their plans. Huge credit to the implementation of this system: What could have - should have! - been an utter fiddly mess of disambiguation and verb guessing *just worked* 95% of the time for me, both early in the game when I followed the game's guidance exactly, and later as I started abbreviating my intent. The other 5% of the time it might struggle to disambiguate the name of an object and its booklet, easy worked around. I worked through the game's puzzles without ever resorting to the hint system (although there is one!) and for me, everything was balanced just right.

If there's a criticism to leverage it's only that this is a fun diversion, and not necessarily a masterclass in design or storytelling. It executes wonderfully on its rightsized ambition, and left me wanting more. Honestly, I was hoping for an EXTRAS command at the end! I'd have loved some more optional puzzles and easter eggs. Maybe we'll get a director's cut someday?

Bugs: Okay, these might not count as bugs but some little missing implementations I'd love to see. First, given how shockingly smooth the rest of the assembly interactions were, I was hoping taking these plural-named booklets would work:

> **> open cabinet**
>
> You open the upper drawer, revealing two instruction booklets (titled POULSEN and SKATTKISTA, respectively).
>
> **> take booklets**
>
> You can't see any such thing.

Second, and I know this is *way* into wishlist territory, it felt story-appropriate for my character to be losing his/her mind a bit late in the story, and I was disappointed my attempt to roleplay this didn't work.

> Sparks from the damaged lighting have caught in the scraps of cardboard that litter the floor. The splintered wood and fibreboard are ready tinder; within seconds, flames sweep across the breadth of the self-serve furniture area.
>
> **> laugh**
>
> That's not a verb I recognise.

Ben, this was awesome. Thanks for sharing!

{{tag>videogame played "interactive fiction" "played in 2023"}}