I loved this game!  I spent forever on the first screen because I really didn’t want to use the cheats. It took me a while to figure out how to switch out the words and everything, but once I realized what I was supposed to do, each level played off the same idea.  At first it seemed really depressing and made me have a weird feeling. I am incredibly glad that as the game progresses, the more positive it becomes. It might have been a little cheesy, but I liked it, especially for it’s simplicity at mechanics. I would like to learn to make flash games, as I really enjoy short, thoughtful little games like this.

more later.

edit:

What is notable about the text in “today i die” is that the words themselves are also objects, and keys as donlan explained. Other text adventure games involve long explanations about what is going on, and then you simply tell the game what you want to do. In “today i die,” nothing is explained, and it is all about experimentation with the individual words themselves.

The issue other designers have with the game, according to Corvus Elrod, is that there is no pass/fail stages, and it isn’t goal oriented. There is no way to really lose the game.  But corvus suggests that players see it as not just a game but also a poem to be changed and explored. I don’t know that this makes “today i die” not a game, as you still don’t know what is going to happen in the end. I don’t think all games must have the threat of losing to be considered a game.

Corvus considers “today i die” to be a poem and also a game. I think that is a really good description of the game.  A poem can be read but not changed.  A game can be changed. It is a really interesting combination, as Corvus explains, “Daniel’s games encourage us to explore their meaning–often delighting and surprising us with the results of our exploration. Much in the same manner poetry does when we contemplate their meaning.”

Our game would be so much more complex if we incorporated this other level of mechanics into it. I’m not even exactly sure how we could manage to do that. It would probably completely change the meaning and structure of our game. The main obstacle I could see encountering when trying to incorporate these mechanics is my own intelligence. I’m just not sure that I could do something similar without it coming off as being clumsy or overly heady and complicated. Today I Die pulled it off perfectly — it is simple, clean, and words everyone can understand while still having that deep meaning behind it.