The answer, much to my relief, seems to be yes. Almost everyone who responded liked some aspect of 1893: A World's Fair Mystery, if not the whole package. Let's take a look at what the exact breakdown is:

There were actually five possible responses on the survey, and they were: I liked it; I didn't like it; I loved it so much I want to hug you and squeeze you and call you George; I hated it, and I would run you out of town on a rail if I had a rail, and if you were in town; and Actually, I haven't played it. Happily, none of my respondents hated 1893: AWFM, leaving just the four remaining options reflected in the pie chart above.

Of the 14% who reported not liking the game, details were actually more encouraging than otherwise. For example, 70% of those respondents said they might, or they definitely would, purchase another game of a similar type. Those who said they would not purchase another were often players who were frustrated by the Mac install and having to play in "Classic Mode", which they generally dislike using. Similarly, most respondents who reported not having played the game reported that they might purchase another game, with 30% of them even reporting they "definitely" would do so.

So the numbers tell us a little, but what about the comments? I asked two specific questions: "What do you think is the best thing about 1893: AWFM?" and "What was your least favorite part of the game, the part you would change if you could?". Some responses seem to cancel each other out, as expected: For example, some people thought the puzzles were too hard, some thought them too easy. But digging down into the comments reveal a number of trends in both likes and dislikes. Let's start with the likes, because, well, life is uncertain; eat dessert first. I'll sum up the comments in sort of a Zagat's Restaurant Guide style.

First and foremost, respondents loved the "concept". Going hand in hand with that is the "setting" and "authenticity", the fact that the game used the "original map of the Fair" and was illustrated by pictures, many of which are obscure and "not included in most available collections." Many respondents appreciated the writing, citing the "amazing detail" and "subtle humor", which combined with the photos led some to remark it is "the next-best thing to time-traveling back to 1893 Chicago." One respondent sums it up by saying, "I'd just finished reading 'Devil in the White City' which was a true crime novel set in that period, and was interested in immersing myself in that world. Your game made that possible. "

On the other hand, many respondents felt the game was "too complicated", and requested "a few more pointers", as it was often "unclear" if they were doing the "right thing" at any given moment. The text interface drew fire as being "clunky", even "primitive", and required you to be "too precise". "I guess I'm too used to point and click adventure games," one respondent finally explains.

And in a category of its own, I must mention the Mac Experience. This was a common complaint. 1893: A World's Fair Mystery runs in Classic Mode on the Mac, which is becoming obsolete. New Macs don't even have Classic Mode on them anymore. In a separate question, I asked Mac users whether they would buy another game from Illuminated Lantern Publishing if it had to be played in Classic Mode. Over half of Mac users -- whether they liked 1893 or not -- said that they would not.

If you think of 1893: AWFM as a combination of two things: (1) A text adventure game. (This is the part that is for the most part common across most text adventures); and (2) A game about the 1893 World's Fair. (This is the part that is unique to 1893); and look again at the feedback received, a pattern emerges. To put it simply, most respondents liked #2 but were not so enthused about #1.

Which is understandable. The model of computer games now includes a lush, 3D environment, with point-and-click interaction with the screen. So, will my next game be a point-and-click adventure? Probably not. Because right now, that's just not where I'm at. The thing is, I love text adventure games. And when I wrote 1893: AWFM, there were two things primarily in my mind: I really wanted to create a game about the 1893 World's Fair. And I really wanted it to be a text-based game. Why? Because these are two things that I love, and wanted to share with something of a missionary zeal. And they go great together, like chocolate and peanut butter!

But I am taking all of the comments to heart. The Mac problems I hope will go away once a new interpreter is designed that plays well on the new Mac OS. For the players who were unsure how to start, or whether they were doing the right thing at the right time, a strategy guide is now available. And I will strive to add additional help, pointers, and logic to make playing with the text based interface more enjoyable for everyone.