Cheerleader's Choice: New York Spirit

The writer had a unique voice and there was often brilliant moments in the chaotic humor - however in a story when there's constant one note of any theme, be it chaotic humor/angst/ or other themes, then it gets old fast. You want your peaks and valleys, not constant peaks. The author always choose chaos and sarcasm story options and for a longer read, i enjoyed it less and less. In my playthrough, there was zero opportunity for romance or at least, very easy to miss the chance, so i feel to have it listed as a selling point is misleading.

This story is in some ways a love letter to the city of New York, which feels somewhat awkward for me as a Chicagoan that can't help but find that the Big Apple doesn't have the same luster as my hometown. It's set in an alternate reality that looks a lot like ours but is a good deal more theatrical. The street gangs are Jets and Sharks, not Bloods and Crips. The superheroes look more like Adam West than Christian Bale. There's a training montage where you pick the soundtrack. This is a weird story but it's charmingly, confidently weird. I loved it, this was a fun story and I really enjoyed it. It's funny and interesting and the prose is enjoyable and silly and just fun. I don't have much more to say than that other than to share that my favorite line from Bring It On! is "You are being a cheer-tator Torrance and a pain in my ass!"

Cheerleader's Choice: New York Spirit is a bold, eccentric, and surprisingly heartfelt piece of interactive fiction that gleefully overturns expectations about both cheerleading and superhero-style urban adventures. Developed and published by Choice of Games, the title places the player in an exaggerated, semi-dystopian version of New York City where chaos, masked vigilantes, and social absurdities are everyday occurrences. Within this setting, you step into the role of a cheerleader whose optimism, athleticism, and sheer force of personality may be one of the city’s last chances at unity and hope. From the opening moments, the game signals that it is not interested in realism, but rather in satire, choice, and player-driven storytelling. The entire experience unfolds through text, relying on branching narrative design rather than visuals or sound to convey its world. This approach allows the game to lean heavily into imagination and flexibility, presenting hundreds of meaningful decisions that shape not only the protagonist’s personality but also the identity and reputation of the cheer squad itself. Choices are frequent and varied, ranging from how you handle interpersonal confl…

Good writing. Was expecting boring cheerleader carreer story. Found Pompom Vigilante vs dystopian NY gangs, bears and man-eating groundhogs. Plenty of madness. Very fun.

Story isn't the best in the world, but the prose is incredible, and the care for the genre and setting is constantly on display. Constantly surprised this one didn't get more attention.

It's a game about cheerleaders! IT'S A GAME ABOUT CHEERLEADERS!