IntroComp 2021: Resist

Resist! is a choice-based adventure from Damon Wakes that was entered into IntroComp 2021.

This entry uses a minimalist interface — you decide whether to tap a key before the timer runs out — like the one in Move On, the IFComp 2020 work from Serhii Mozhaiskyi. Although the mechanics are similar, Resist! uses a different tone to explore a separate genre.

Wakes is a skilled writer who starts this story with familiar scenes from zombie movies. This time, the player is part of the undead horde, and the narrator puts a different perspective on the violence and bloody mayhem that accompanies their rampage.

On the one hand, text effects and strong writing do a good job of conveying emotion and character. The design choice to use timed text fits with the theme of the game. The player gets carried along by the narrative and chooses when to actively oppose it.

On the other hand, it’s still timed text. Settings are available to control the speed, but there’s no option to disable it entirely.

This entry was polished, entertaining, and short. Although I’d like to see a longer version, I also think it would be challenging to maintain an engaging experience over the length of a full story, especially when all the decisions have to be steered with binary yes/no choices.

(For the record, “challenging” is not the same as “impossible,” and I think that Wakes is skilled enough to pull it off.)