HIVESWAP: Act 1

ok so I know there's a tendency to make fun of Homestuck and anything related to it. but this game is lovingly crafted, a delight to play, and requires no previous Homestuck knowledge to enjoy. it's a quirky, fun, and gorgeous adventure game. can't wait for new episodes!

This may be a good Homestuck game (I wouldn't know) but it is not a very satisfying adventure game. Thematically, it takes the quirky, self-refential route, which may or may not click with you, depending on your sensibilities. I found its goofy humor and drawn-out conversations rather uninspired. The story and characters are pretty lighthearted to the point of being childish and the exhaustingly uninteresting conversations they have truly tested my patience. Mechanically, it's a pretty straightforward affair. There are some very simple puzzles to get through, plus a handful of lame "battles", that are again solved with inventory items and character abilities (which effectively work as items, from a gameplay persepective). Each scene is packed with points of interest, which come with lengty commentary by the main character. There is a lot of worldbuilding hidden in there, and it helps flesh out the story and characters quite a bit. Alas, I found them quite boring to read, since the story never really captured my interest. This is labeled as Act 1, so naturally there is no real conclusion to the adventure but I can't see myself bothering with subequent acts, unless the reviews are really, really glowing.

Got it from Humble, so not owning it on GOG. I'm not a big fan of quests, with complex mechanics and insane puzzles, but this one promised interesting art style and rich story so i decided to give it a try. I cant say i was much impressed at start - game just puts you in distress without telling any pre-history or giving details what is going on. Another annoying thing came later - for example incredibly stupid looking "fights" with monsters, which cannot be lost and need correct order of action to be performed to win. Oh my, how boring! Game constantly referencing to facts you probably supposed to know as "Homestuck" fan but you dont know at all. Characters, like Babysitter, referenced to be never revealed. Still, once you finally "got on another planet" thing finally starting to get interesting. This is where game shines at last - otherworldl design isnt "gorgeous", but its eye-catchy and promise much to explore and learn. Alien characters interesting. Gameplay finally get understandable goal. It was good part, yes. Still, some complains follows. For example, along gameplay you pickup a lot of items which have NO use at all. Some of them even mandatory to progress but they still dont have any use. Another complains is game length - its short. basically whole Act 1 is intro + character prepares to start real adventure. At time Act 1 ends you sit with mouth opened and asking " thats ALL?" But there is good things too - Joey room full of posters referencing various pop-culture topics and they just great, nice touch. Story on Alternia is quickly getting interesting, contrary to lukewarm walking around house in first part of game. So, i suggest everyone to give it a try anyway, just keep in mind that its get better as story unfolds.

I got this on Steam through a humble Bundle package and had no idea about the world/setting/lore but figured I'd fire it up and try it out. Had the typical point and click adventure style gameplay at the start but very quickly I picked up on the wonderful writing that every action elicited. The backgrounds are full of interesting debris that each has a story and the characters are well written quirky individuals you enjoy seeing nonsense from. The art, level design, and writing really make this game what it is. If you want some fun imagery, a journey to a kooky alien planet with a blood color based caste system, and a whole heap of witty comical writing I'd fully recommend giving HIVESWAP a play through. Been eagerly awaiting Act 2, though I understand this one faced a lot of hardships so time will tell.