Game Review: Anchorhead
By Michael S. Gentry
The original Anchorhead game was written by Michael Gentry in 1998, which is well after the original text-based game era had become almost ancient. But thanks to its rich story-telling, Anchorhead developed a devoted following. In 2018, its creator issued a revised version of the game, with improved text, additional puzzles, and illustrations. I recently played the 2018 edition, and it was as enjoyable and engrossing as I’d hoped. At first you’re just given free-reign to explore this large, spooky town. The locals are unfriendly, the woods are eerie, and your husband is acting very bizarre. Gradually you uncover the terrible secrets behind this town, your house, and the horrible, cursed family that used to live there.
Be wary, though, because the leisurely pace that the game starts with takes a very sharp turn on Day 3, when evil and danger is waiting around every corner. I died, a lot, trying to get through this day. But honestly, these were deaths that I didn’t really mind. Often, you couldn’t figure out what you needed to do until you’d been killed once or twice, and the deaths themselves are written very well. They are gruesome, but in the best spirit of horror writing, thoroughly entertaining. I never knew there were so many ways to be disemboweled or have my eyes poked out.
The game can be a little too verbose (and be prepared to read every book or article you come across -- it’s not just background info, it contains the clues you need to get through the game), and there were a couple puzzles that I thought were inappropriately hard. But overall the story structure was really engaging, and the puzzles are often very well integrated into the story, something that is not easy to do in a text adventure. There are parts that are genuinely exciting, and fun enough to help me forgive the handful of sections that were a little bit frustration. This is really an impressive literary and gaming achievement, and an absolute pleasure to play. Rating: 9/10
