I’ve been a casual customer of Choice of Games for years. One of my (many) creative ambitions is to write an interactive novel one day. I’ve always thought this medium has a lot of potential to tell amazing stories; the endless possibilities of literature combined with the variable nature of a roleplaying game. Challenging to create, but so very rewarding if done right. When I ever get to writing my own interactive novel, the quality of The Dragon and the Djinn is the quality I’ll strive for.

Athar Fikry wrote a story that, at first glance, looks like a simple ‘let’s (help) kill a dragon’-story. However, there is much more to The Dragon and the Djinn than meets the eye. The author incorporated many intricate side characters, side plots, mysteries and difficult choices to keep you on your toes throughout the whole game. Not to mention a fair share of curve balls. A personal highlight would be the moment my little sister literally stabbed me in the back with a blade, an outcome that’s probably very avoidable if I had made other choices earlier on. As is the nature of interactive novels, I believe there’s much of lore and character depth that I didn’t encounter on my initial playthrough. I still have a couple questions that I want answers to. Also, according to the achievements, there is a post-credits scene!?

During my playthrough, I kept a fairly close eye on my character’s stats and relationships. I have to admit I find it hard to say how much impact they have on progression of the story. There were a few instances in which I could clearly see a choice was unavailable to me because I lacked the corresponding skill level.

As for the pacing of the story, I felt the last few scenes/chapters got quite chaotic. This was not completely unbefitting for the circumstances of the plot, but took me by surprise after the substantial and thoughtful build-up.

Never played an interactive novel before, but willing to try your hands on one? Then I definitely recommend The Dragon and the Djinn.