Very historically important, and very awesome that it existed at all, but still a game a million times more interesting to learn about than to actually play.
The story within and behind the making of this game is pretty dang cool, but it is still an "action-verb" adventure game with a set of not super well chosen verbs (what's the difference between look and investigate? and why even bother having a lockpick if it only works on a single door?), where you'll be trial and erroring a ton and frequently being booted back to the title screen. You can use a guide, but at that point it's short enough that you may as well just watch a YouTube video about the game. Obviously Caper in the Castro is by no means alone in these problems--these were very much hallmarks of the entire adventure game format in the era--but I've always been more of a Myst guy than a Lucasarts guy, is all I'm saying.
Gameplay gripes aside though, it is still extremely cool this was made when it was. A "gay short-form adventure game released for free over the internet" is the sort of thing you'd expect to be released on itch in the past 5 years, not via a BBS in 1989. Even though there's really not much going for it in the gameplay department (you're never going to hear anyone singing praises for the straightwashed version of this, Murder on Mainstreet), you've gotta give it props for being so many years ahead of its time regardless.
The story within and behind the making of this game is pretty dang cool, but it is still an "action-verb" adventure game with a set of not super well chosen verbs (what's the difference between look and investigate? and why even bother having a lockpick if it only works on a single door?), where you'll be trial and erroring a ton and frequently being booted back to the title screen. You can use a guide, but at that point it's short enough that you may as well just watch a YouTube video about the game. Obviously Caper in the Castro is by no means alone in these problems--these were very much hallmarks of the entire adventure game format in the era--but I've always been more of a Myst guy than a Lucasarts guy, is all I'm saying.
Gameplay gripes aside though, it is still extremely cool this was made when it was. A "gay short-form adventure game released for free over the internet" is the sort of thing you'd expect to be released on itch in the past 5 years, not via a BBS in 1989. Even though there's really not much going for it in the gameplay department (you're never going to hear anyone singing praises for the straightwashed version of this, Murder on Mainstreet), you've gotta give it props for being so many years ahead of its time regardless.