Hand Me Down

IF Comp 2023

Release: 1.2, (2023-10-08 - Changelog)

IFID: 92888103-06FC-42C6-8200-A729B05C2E59

Hand Me Down
Hand Me Down, artwork by Maggie McMahon

Overview

You are twentysomething Ruby Walker and are on your way to visit your Dad in hospital. He has a gift to share with you that he's been wanting to give you for a very long time.

This game spans IF platforms (Twine and TADS 3) but is playable entirely in-browser.

How to Run the Game

This game comes in three parts: an intro (in Twine), a main game (in TADS 3), and a finale (in Twine). All three bits are interactive fiction and part of the same story. All three are available to play online, or locally via the zip file.

All versions are the exact same. No state carries between the three parts in the IF Comp release.

The online main game does not look as good as an interpreter will present it, but the content remains the same.

Run online

Play in order: the intro, then the main game, then the finale. The game will tell you when to switch.

Run locally-ish in the browser

First download the zip file.

Play in order: the intro, then the main game, then the finale. The game will tell you when to switch.

Due to a technical limitation of running TADS 3 in the browser, the main game has to be hosted online. The intro and finale don't have this limitation.

(For nerds: CORS for local files blocks a purely offline approach, and the technology to package TADS 3 into a single Parchment file does not yet exist, I believe.)

Run locally with an interpreter

Start the introduction from the current directory.

When it says to switch, play the main game (VeryImportant.t3) via your favourite interpreter. I recommend QTads.

At the end of the main game, it will tell you to move onto the finale.

Walkthroughs

You can find full walkthroughs in walkthrough.html.

Feedback

Send me feedback, reviews, bugs, experiences via handmedown@brettwitty.net. I'd love to know what you think.

Credits

Hand Me Down is written by Brett Witty. Superb cover art by Maggie McMahon. Custom crayon text written by my daughter, A. Witty.

Icons and layout for readme and walkthrough by Bootstrap. Social media icons by Midjourney.

Tremendous testing (and general support) by:

  • mathbrush
  • Jessica Knoch
  • Jeff J McCoskey
  • Mike Purcell
  • Zaphod Beeblebrox
  • John Ziegler

Special mention goes to Mike Purcell for his tireless efforts as my project champion.

Thanks to spellmotif, Mike Russo, and Christopher Merriner for their bug reports during the Comp.

Extra, super-duper special mention goes to my family who gave me a lot of leeway to write a lot of words. They do not resemble the Walker family.