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!