Junior Arithmancer is an interactive fiction game I wrote in 2018. It features manipulation of strings of digits via basic arithmetic operations. As with A Beauty Cold and Austere, my friend Cody Lail did the cover art.
Awards
- 7th place – 2018 Interactive Fiction Competition
- 2nd place – Miss Congeniality, 2018 Interactive Fiction Competition. (The Miss Congeniality side competition is based on the authors’ votes.)
- Winner, Best Puzzles, 2018 XYZZY Awards
- Nominee, Best Implementation, 2018 XYZZY Awards
- 46th place (tie) – Interactive Fiction Top 50 of All Time (2019 edition)
Reviews and Other Mentions
- There are several reviews on JA‘s IFDB page.
- The game’s thread on intfiction.org during IFComp 2018
- Portage Magazine has a short review.
- The Short Game podcast discussed the game.
Places in Which I Discuss the Game
- Post-IFComp 2018 thoughts on the game on intfiction.org
- Mathematics in Games, Part 3: Junior Arithmancer, a blog post
Some Quotes
- “Unique among interactive fiction” – Mathbrush, IFDB
- “A highly original math game” – Denk, intfiction.org
- “Gracefully combines storytelling and puzzle-solving in a way that few other games manage to.” – Portage Magazine
- “What could almost have been just pen and paper puzzles is elevated by quality-of-life features, a few smart meta-puzzles, and a very recognisable backstory about tensions in higher education.” – rabbit, intfiction.org
An Exercise for the Reader 