Could have been better... with lighter puzzles
Mindwheel as an interactive fiction is without a doubt a child of its era, in terms of the story. It's a hazy story of superpowers and mental reading, abilities that put a chosen few in a very particular position of power. But that superman prowess and capability is nothing without control. And, in truth, as a pulp, Sci Fi ish story, with uncanny elements galore, you're not going to be missing many elements that make such stories feel original and enticing. However, any time you dive deeper into the story, you have to take a few steps back, not story wise, but interaction wise. You see, Mindwheel, because it was mainly seen as a mature theme game, also was bestowed upon with very mean puzzles. And, unfortunately, while very hard and challenging, at times they are also illogical. It's not that they are hard per se, that I would have gotten, it's that you never quite know what the pieces of the problem are, so you aren't sure, most of the time if you missed a clue or if your language fails to describe your interactions, you know, if it's a parser problem. Therefore, if the premise seems captivating to you, arm yourself with a walkthrough nd give this story a go. It tethers at the edge of paranormal, and all things considered, it's a very satisfying blend of elements. Oh, and download the later release Sanitarium which seems to have the same penchant for the uncanny and paranormal.
