Cryptozookeeper

This game is definitely not for everybody. If you find gore and repulsive behavior too upsetting, avoid it. Similarly, if repetitive RPG combat makes you want to shoot yourself, stay healthy by not playing this game. For me, though, IF that makes me laugh over and over again, and occasionally astounds me with something sublime or defiantly ridiculous, can be forgiven of almost any sin. Cryptozookeeper is that kind of IF. It's Robb Sherwin at the top of his very strange game, and I'm glad I finally figured out how to enjoy that.

This game is pretty excellent. It's basically an old-school text adventure just like Infocom used to make them, except with weird pictures and cool music (so maybe a bit more like Level 9, Legend or Magnetic Scrolls used to make them), a ton of jokes, some violence and a strange & somewhat grindy RPG-lite cryptid-fighting minigame. I don't think I'd recommend this to complete newcomers – it's got some rough edges and tricky puzzles, so you should probably be somewhat comfortable with the genre before trying it. But I played it for almost 20 hours, had a ton of fun with it, and now I'm sad that it's over. Oh well.

[b][Review-copy was provided by the developer for the purpose of review.][/b] Cryptozoology is one of those dark delights in life that I probably have an unhealthy obsession from scrutinizing the “science” similar to James Randi debunking pseudoscience. Perhaps the desire comes from reading one too many Lovecraftian stories as a teenager or the innate fascination with mysteries of any kind. However, there is something to be learned not only from confirmation biases to unexplainable events but also what fringe characters get allured into conspiracies, creatures told from hearsay and an obsession with the unknowable. Those types of weirdos are at the core of Robb Sherwin’s Cryptozookeeper (CZK), an amalgamation of a text-adventure with some barebones JRPG elements to make something as surreal as its cast. The best description of the narrative is what Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy did for science-fiction, CZK handles the world of Cryptids as an absurdist comedy featuring a group of outcasts that despise one another (so essentially the same, except these loonies are all native to Earth.) [h1]When Context-Sensitive Input is Not a Mere Button Press Away[/h1] Having played few text…

Cryptozookeeper is a wonderfully unique adventure that blends interactive fiction, puzzle-solving, and creature collection into an experience unlike anything else. The game's witty writing, memorable characters, and darkly humorous world keep you engaged from start to finish, while the cryptid creation system adds a surprisingly fun layer of strategy and customization. Its imaginative setting, clever dialogue, and inventive gameplay make every discovery feel rewarding.

If you're into text-based games, cryptids, and like to laugh, this is the game for you! In Robb Sherwin's award winning game you play as William Vest, a man on a mission -- multiple missions, really. Solving the puzzles in this game is only part of the fun, as Sherwin's wacky world is filled with colorful characters and witty humor. Cryptozookeeper pushes the genre of interactive fiction to its limits as players must ultimately collect cryptids and combine them to create fighters, an idea Nintendo may or may not have stolen for its own Pokemon Go. The game also includes tons of pictures of all the characters and locations you will encounter, which, along with the music, adds to the overall experience. Give your joystick a rest and reward your brain with this goofy, somewhat challenging, and side-splitting romp in the world of cryptids.