Written by Daniel MacGregor

Thumbnail and Banner Photo by Axville on Unsplash

When you think about video games, the first thing to come to your mind will probably be first-person shooters, fast-paced platformers, or gem-matching mobile games. There may be some dialogue between characters or some diverging paths but for the most part, video games are visual linear tests of skill. However, there is a whole spectrum of games based around text and player-choice. This spectrum extends from one end with games with heavy dialogue and player choice from to games composed completely of text with the main game play feature being player choice.

Open world role-playing games (RPG):

That said, these types of games are not all there are in the world of video games. For example, there are games with action that have plenty of dialogue where you can pick your character's dialogue options and actions, such as the Mass Effect series and Fallout series. These games have traits similar to first person shooters and other action-oriented games, but what separates them from pure shooter games is a heavy amount of player choice, in-game dialogue, and world building. However, diving deeper into the annals of video games, there are those which are heavily based, if not wholly based, on text alone.

Point-and-click choice-based:

On another level, there are point-and-click adventure games, which have limited action but a controllable character. These games are based on the character's decisions and interactions with other items and characters. This type of game includes the famous game series Monkey Island and newer games such as the Life is Strange series and TellTale games. These kinds of games usually have fully voice-acted character dialogue, but the need to animate all potential decisions means player choices can be limited due to the difficulty of animating all possible outcomes.

Text-based + basic visuals:

Moving further down the ladder of text-based games, there are choice-based games based on only static images for visual aspects supported predominantly by text. In this case, there are games such as Reigns, where you play as a series of cursed monarchs making decisions based on sliding tiles to appease different factions of your kingdom. The goal is to rule for as long as possible until the random tile decisions ultimately cause one section to kill you. Then, you start over as the new king through the curse to try to break your new record. Another example is Tavernier, where you take charge of a tavern in a fantasy world and you have to make enough money to stay afloat while dealing with a mystery.

Wholly text-based:

Now, the final rung of the ladder is wholly text-based games. These are games with absolutely no images, animation, or visual aspects. In essence, these are choose-your-own-adventure books brought forward to the twenty-first century. Two sources publish the most famous examples of these games with similar formats, Choice of Games and Hosted Games. Choice of Games is the official line of games, while Hosted Games emphasizes user-made games using Choice of Games’ game generation program. However, there are other games elsewhere not under their umbrella, and The Patrick Power Library even had a small-scale text-based game before Halloween last year.

These games may not seem like real video games, as there is no actual video to these games. So, if you would rather not read during your gaming time, these options are probably not your cup of tea - though that is not to say these games do not have gaming components! In most games, the central gameplay aspect is the decisions your character makes from the game's potential options, and there are many in each game. Based on these decisions, your character's stats change. These choices will impact your character's personality, usually with a series of bars with two opposing traits, such as Order and Freedom in the game Tin Star (one of the most decision-rich games), starting at 50% for each attribute. Your decisions lead to one attribute gaining more ground than the other, i.e. 70% Order, 30% Freedom. This dominant attribute impacts your character's decision options and how NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) react later.

Add to this Skills, which usually all begin at 0%, and based on where you choose to increase your character's skills, some increase throughout the game. Some Skills will be more developed than others, impacting what events are depicted later in the story or what decision options your character can take. Moreover, many games like this also include Relationship statuses. Your choices can impact how much NPCs like your character, affecting how these characters will react to your own. Many games also have a money system, a magic system, a health bar, and equipment lists. As a player, you have to consider how your character's decisions and actions will impact these different factors all at once.

For example, returning to the Tin Star example, you get the option of killing a bear. What you do with the meat and fur can impact the game stats. You can sell both, so you have more money for equipment (which can improve certain stats), sell the meat and keep the coat (as a decoration), or give away the meat (thereby increasing your friendship stats with several NPCs).

While text-based games may sound somewhat dull, they come with several advantages. First, unlike many video games, the fact they are only text means no high-tech gaming computers or consoles are needed. You could play these on a literal potato (or on most smartphones), meaning they are highly accessible. Second, they can be diverse in two ways. The first is that most have highly customizable main characters, such as in Tin Star. Suppose you want to play as a Chinese bisexual woman doctor AND lawyer, no problem. Many allow you to be male, female, or non-binary (and some even transgender), and either straight, gay, bisexual, or asexual (though this varies from game-to-game). Want a Twilight-like small-town modern fantasy with four cool vampires to romance or befriend? Boom, Wayhaven Chronicles. Want to dive into steampunk not-England as either a rebel, state agent, or religious healer? Look no further than A Study in Steampunk. Want to work your way up the ranks in a Napoleonic-era fantasy world? Swords of Infinity. Want to be a former hero who has no choice but to become a villain in the city they were once a hero? Be sure to check out Fallen Hero: Rebirth.

From massive, spectacular space adventure RPGs like Mass Effect, to purely text-based games based in the wild west like Tin Star, there is something for everyone, so take your pick and have fun.

Your Choice: Text-Based Video Games

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