The Witness (1983)

Play: 8/10 Finally, a mystery text adventure that I could properly engage with--because it felt like an adventure not just a solve-it-yourself mystery book. I also really liked the UI with your location and the time. Oh, and this receipt format lol

Welp, I also boosted this despite some frustrations mid-game. And how overused the "Wait" command is. I dunno, it just feels like the best-executed mystery text adventure by far, and the only one I could see myself returning to. I wanna remember it heh.

Feel: 8/10 The "Wait" and "Wait for Duffy" etc feature really got to be tacky and over-used. Argh, will I ever fully engage with/enjoy a mystery text adventure? Plus, it was so obvious who did it the whole time heh. Meh.. Disappointed with where the exciting and interesting start went. That being said, I pushed through--and thankfully, it was short enough that I was having fun again by the end of this to-the-point mystery. I gave a bit of a boost for the Feel cuz I oddly felt compelled to keep playing, and I liked the setting and characters. I mean even the murderer Monica heh, even who it was being obvious felt nice tbh. Almost like a children's mystery text adventure--the right difficulty level for me! Ha.

Attachment: 8/10 Yay! I finished it! The first mystery text adventure I have finished. Like most mystery text adventures, it really came down to evidence/proving how you know who did it. And usually that step is done far more tackily and frustratingly. In this, it was more like an adventure puzzle to put together, and once you could confirm it, tada. I thought I screwed up at one part, but tada, 100% completion! (I believe... maybe there's different endings heh). I definitely see why this is a well-remembered text adventure, tho ostensibly nothing particularly special about it. Short, effective, fun.

Completion: 100% Playtime: ~35 mins

Looking for a recommendation for console games like "The Witness."

Some more info: The exact feel I'm going for it "puzzle game, no enemies, no sound requirement." Lately I have been relaxing by playing The Witness and listening to podcasts. I really enjoy knowing that it's 100% passive. Nothing is going to "get" me. I'm not going to miss anything if I step away for a moment. I don't even pause the game when I take bathroom break. It's very comforting. That being said, I'm not enjoying The Witness a whole lot. The puzzles just don't "click" with me. I've played my fair share of first person puzzlers, and I enjoy them a lot. But this one is just aggravating, and the limited puzzle style is a turn-off.

Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated.