An Assassin in Orlandes

[h1]Gameplay: 4/10[/h1] [h1]Graphics & Sound: 4/10[/h1] [h1]Narration: 5/10[/h1] ✔️ Interesting intrigue ✔️ User friendly features - the possibility to "cheat" makes the game far more enjoyable by my standards 💭 Very old-fashionned in all its aspects ❌ The writing isn't awful, but it does tend to be a bit awkward sometimes ❌ The few game mechanics aren't explicit and must be tried out once before you can actually understand how they work ❌ Unsightly visual assets ❌ Boring and repetitive music Overall a rather mediocre experience, but the game comes at less than 3€ on sale, so it could be said it's worth its price. An okay-ish old-school narrative parenthesis between two better games, but far from being a really fulfilling experience.

7/10

Pretty straight-forward story (due to the urgency of the plot) with some really interesting twists and lots of branching paths to choose from (that will lead you to your death, most likely). Very few artwork in the book, however. Which is a bummer. Same goes for the soundtrack (only two pieces of music available). But they are good, anyway. But it's annoying af when you face enemies who have more than 6 dices. Feels like such fights are built to make you lose because they take forever to end, when it comes to your turn and pretty damn quick to come to a closure, when it's theirs, even when cheating the dices. Thankfully, there are only two or three of such fights available in the game (and the last boss ain't one of them). Game is also pretty short. Managed to beat it twice in under 3 hours.

It's a very standard gamebook, sometimes a bit silly (judging someone passed recently from a temperature of a cloth scrap?! come on, a cloth scrap has not enough mass to hold temperature, unlike a pot of tea, for example). The plot is nothing to write home about, standard fantasy romp full of overused tropes. The expansive lore in the Extras section, is very detailed, if rather run-of-the-mill, and feels irrelevant for the purpose of the actual gameplay. But the game is functional, and if you like gamebooks who have limited replay value, this one can be recommended - especially if you buy it for one Euro as I did.

An Assassin in Orlandes, developed and published by Tin Man Games, is a narrative-driven gamebook that embraces the traditions of classic interactive fiction while layering in light role-playing mechanics to give player choices more weight. It’s not a game built around direct control or mechanical complexity, but rather one that unfolds through decisions, branching paths, and a steady sense of tension shaped by both strategy and chance. From the outset, it positions itself as an experience where survival depends as much on judgment as it does on luck. The story begins in the city of Orlandes, where fear spreads following a series of mysterious killings. You are drawn into this situation almost immediately, and what starts as a local investigation gradually expands into a wider web of intrigue, deception, and danger. The narrative is paced in short segments, each ending with a choice that determines how events progress. This structure creates a constant sense of momentum, as every decision pushes the story in a new direction, often with consequences that are not immediately apparent. What gives the game its distinct identity is how heavily it relies on branching pathways. Choices …

AiO is an old school gamebook which brings us in the medieval spanish fantasy setting of Orlandes. Our character in an unnamed adventurer who finds himself victim of a conspiracy to steal his identity. Fair difficulty, atmospheric music and great illustrations: I need nothing else.