Dink Smallwood

Attitudes toward parody games are ambiguous: they entertain and amuse someone, and on the contrary, annoy someone. Moreover, it is not always possible to assert with absolute certainty that this particular game is precisely a parody, and specifically for this or that.

In addition to parodies, there are also so-called clone games. It is difficult to say when this term first appeared, but it was hardly massively used until the mid-90s, when such games as Tomb Raider and Diablo appeared. By the way, the latter “spawned”, according to a number of authoritative (or considered as such) reviewers, almost more than “clones” than any other game. At the same time, for some reason everybody forgets that the “Devil” itself can also be considered to some extent as this “clone” - it’s not just that this subgenre RPG (which is also controversial, by the way - the assignment of these games to RPG) Rogue-like.

Probably, some games really deserve (at least in part) some similar epithet, because they do not bring anything new to the subgenre: the gameplay is the same, the plot is standard, the “stamps” are in place. However, sometimes fate will take it and play a cruel joke, and as a result, a good game will fall into the same category as the average, and therefore will soon be forgotten.

In my opinion, Dink Smallwood is not at all like Diablo. Is that isometry. No dark city, no horrible mystery, no monsters - at first glance. And the simplest and most peaceful village life. A simple village blockhead, Dink, who did not get into the army because of his frail build, lives in his village under the roof of his father's house, feeds pigs and cherishes hope someday to kiss a neighbor's daughter. But overnight, everything changes ...

However, what exactly is changing is not worth telling - let it be a surprise. Mention is worth quite a different thing - the atmosphere of this game. Yes, as it soon turns out, the gameplay here is extremely unpretentious and, perhaps, really akin to Diablo. We go, we click with the mouse, we kill monsters and we use spells. Inventory, quests, and especially dialogues are simple and rudimentary. The graphics are nice, soft, though not drawn, but very cute, even if it is some kind of “rustic”, almost childish.

But this atmosphere is nowhere else. Despite the formally serious plot, which, by the way, will become clearer towards the end of the game, the game is distinguished by some amazing warmth, kindness and somewhat strange humor, more like a banter. Check out, for example, the story of Dink's birth into the world ... It seems that the rogue-like was added to the “traditional” gloomy little specific humor from the quests of the heyday of the genre, and in the end it turned out at least not bad.

Dink Smallwood is a simple game. Objectively. The world is formally more here than in Diablo: you have to visit as many as six cities, each with its own characteristics. But in reality, in all these locations divided into small screens, there is nothing special to do - except that only what is necessary in the plot, there are few deviations. And even the points of preservation (at any moment it is impossible to preserve) you will be given only a few (less than ten) throughout the game - but not because it is hardcore, but because you are unlikely to need more.

At the same time, this game cannot be called either “childish”, or even more “casual”. This is just an example (partly - one of a kind) of “bagel” for rest and relaxation, in order simply, without straining, to beat weak monsters, solve simple riddles and laugh heartily. And if Dink cannot claim the achievement of a revolution in the adventure genre, then it is very even for originality and ability to brighten up a couple of evenings. And this is sometimes no less important.