And now, for something completely dissimilar...
The (Other) TADS Game List
--------------------------
Maintained by
Paul David Doherty <h0142kdd@rz.hu-berlin.de>
and
Gerry Kevin Wilson <whizzard@uclink.berkeley.edu>
Version 1.2 (August 20, 1996)
-=-=-=-
This is our attempt to list and describe all text adventures written with
TADS (currently about forty). It was inspired by a similar list by Alan
Mead, which unfortunately hasn't been updated for a couple of years. With
Alan's permission we've made liberal use of comments and descriptions from
his list. We would appreciate it if the reader e-mailed us about any
mistakes or omissions, and if TADS authors sent us information about their
upcoming releases. We'd also be glad if other players would send us
comments or (very short) game reviews for incorporation in the list.
All the games listed here (except the commercial ones of course) are
available from the official Internet repository of all kinds and flavours of
adventure games: the Interactive Fiction (IF) Archive, maintained by Volker
Blasius <Volker.Blasius@gmd.de> and located at ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/.
Check it out.
For those unfamiliar with TADS, it is a text adventure design system
(hence the name) written by Michael Roberts. It is now freeware and can
be downloaded from the IF Archive.
**NEWSFLASH**
Since this was last posted on 28 March 1996, four new games have
been released: "FooM," "Past Tense," "Urban Cleanup," and "Wormhole".
Another game, though 5 years old, has only now found its way into the
archives (Ski Adventure). Finally, there are updated versions of a number
of games (Frustration, The Holy Grail, The Light: Shelby's Addendum, Lost,
Lost New York, The Mission, Uncle Zebulon's Will).
In a 20 June 1996 posting to rec.arts.int-fiction, Mike Roberts has
announced that High Energy Software has been closed and TADS is no longer
shareware. A freeware release (with the complete documentation) will be
prepared and put into the IF Archive. We'll see whether that will take as
long as the promised release of the Adventions games... (For those who
don't remember the details: Adventions stopped shipping "Rylvania" and
"UU0" in June 1995 and announced an upcoming freeware release in October
1995.)
Nobody has sent in any short reviews, so I guess we'll have to
continue pilfering quotes from SPAG and XYZZYnews. Thanks to the helpful
few who have mailed in additions and corrections: David Allen, Ville
Lavonius, and Wolvie.
One function of this list is to give adventure players up-to-date
information on how to reach the game authors by e-mail. We would appreciate
it if TADS authors could let us know whenever their e-mail addresses change.
**END OF NEWSFLASH**
Index
-----
Existing TADS Games (by genre)
College Games:
Ditch Day Drifter
MacWesleyan/PC University
Save Princeton
Veritas
Classics:
Colossal Cave Revisited
Dungeon
Educational Games:
The Pesach Adventure
Fantasy:
Curse of Vengeance
The Four Symbols
Frustration
The Golden Fleece
The Holy Grail
John's Fire Witch
Lethe Flow Phoenix
The Mission
Perdition's Flames
Unnkulia Zero
Unnkulia One-Half
Unnkulian Unventure I
Unnkulian Unventure II
Horror:
The Horror of Rylvania
Programming Exercises:
+=3
Alice in Wonderland
Eliza
Kitchen Encounters
Shadowland
The Underoos that ate New York!
Science Fiction:
Deep Space Drifter
Enhanced
High Tech Drifter
The Legend Lives!
The Light: Shelby's Addendum
Lost
Past Tense
Urban Cleanup
Waystation
Wormhole: The Beginning
Other (or no) Genre:
The Broken String
FooM
Gerbil Riot of '67
GC
The Great Archeological Race
HERO, INC Volume 1
Lost New York
Modernism
Ski Adventure
Tyler's Great Cube Game
IF Competition Entries 1995:
A Night at the Museum Forever
The One That Got Away
Toonesia
Uncle Zebulon's Will
Undertow
UNDO
Forthcoming TADS Games
A Note About TADS
High Energy Software
Existing TADS games (by genre, sort of...)
-------------------
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=COLLEGE GAMES:
Ditch Day Drifter (DITCH.GAM)
"You wake up to the sound of voices in the hall. You are confused for a
moment; it's only 8 AM, far too early for anyone to be getting up. Then,
it dawns on you: it's ditch day here at the fictitious California
Institute of Technology in the mythical city of Pasadena, California.
Ditch Day, that strange tradition wherein seniors bar their doors with
various devices and underclassmen attempt to defeat these devices (for no
other apparent reason than that the devices are there), has arrived."
(authors blurb)
"The game takes you into a realistic university atmosphere with just a
small bit of overstatement to make you smile. ... The puzzles are fairly
easy, but all logical and well-thought-out. This makes the game an
excellent introduction to IF." (Lars Joedal, in SPAG #2)
Author: Michael J. Roberts <mroberts@hinrg.starconn.com,
73737.417@compuserve.com> (c) 1990
Freeware (Source included with TADS distribution)
Released: ca. September 1989
Latest Version: 1.0 (TADS 2.0.1, 7 Apr 1993)
-=-=-
MacWesleyan (a.k.a. PC University): An Everyday Nightmare (PCU.GAM)
"Your goal is to obtain all the necessary signatures on your Student
Identification Form and return it to the Registrar's office. This
includes getting signatures from your faculty advisor, department chair,
dean, the university president, and the U.S. president, not to mention
getting your own signature (harder than it sounds). Based at Wesleyan
University in Middletown, CT, the game also features speeding Domino's
pizza trucks that hinder your safe passage, unusual psychology
experiments, and a bus labeled 'House of God' that indeed houses the
Famous One." (author's blurb)
"It's lighthearted, charismatic, and just challenging enough to hold an
experienced player's interest while at the same time catering to
newcomers. And besides, the author is distributing it as freeware. You
can't beat that." (C.E. Forman, in XYZZYnews #4)
Author: Neil deMause <neild@echonyc.com, nulldogma@aol.com> (c) 1989-95
Freeware
Released: March 1995
Latest Version: 1.0 (TADS 2.2.0, 6 Apr 1995)
-=-=-
Save Princeton (SAVEPTON.GAM)
"Have you ever wanted to kill somebody by feeding them school food? To
hobnob with F. Scott Fitzgerald? To be single-handedly responsible for
the salvation or destruction of one of the oldest universities in the
United States? Save Princeton offers you the chance to do all this and
more. In the role of a visitor to the campus, you must save Princeton
from a mysterious invasionary force. Saving Princeton doesn't require
any familiarity with the place. In fact, all it requires is an off-beat
sense of humor and a little bit of brains." (author's blurb)
"The puzzles in this game are done fairly well, but some tend to be
rather illogical or bizarre. ... The characters add to the humor of the
game, although many of the characters could have been more developed. ...
All in all, Save Princeton is a fun, enjoyable game." (Brian Reilly, in
SPAG #8)
Authors: Jacob Solomon Weinstein <jweinste@usc.edu>,
Karine Schaefer <no e-mail> (c) 1991-95
Shareware US$10
Released:
Latest Version: 2.0 (TADS 2.2.0, 21 Mar 1995)
-=-=-
Veritas: A Harvard Game of Interactive Fiction (VERITAS.GAM)
"Before you can graduate from Harvard in this game, you must complete a
scavenger hunt that takes you through a labyrinth of food tunnels, the
Harvard Lampoon headquarters, library stacks, and other noteworthy spots
on campus." (author's blurb)
Reminiscent of Zork, or other treasure gathering games. You can chose
your gender at the beginning.
"The puzzles [...] range from the mundane to the harder-than-average -- a
couple I wouldn't classify as puzzles at all, since you can easily solve
them without even trying. ... But this is nit-picking, because the true
genius of 'Veritas' isn't in the puzzles, but in the details. ... If you
hate red herrings, be forewarned: probably one-third of the items [...]
are there for nothing but atmosphere, but they do a terrific job of
providing that -- I feel like I came away from the game with a decent
understanding of Harvard culture..." (Neil deMause, in XYZZYnews #1)
Author: James T. Reese <jreese@leland.stanford.edu> (c) 1995
Shareware US$10
Released: January 1995
Latest Version: 1.2 (TADS 2.0.1, 26 Dec 1994)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=CLASSICS:
Colossal Cave Revisited (CCR.GAM)
"CCR is a remake of the first major adventure game ever written:
Colossal Cave, otherwise known as 'Adventure.' The original Adventure
was written in FORTRAN by Willie Crowther and Don Woods, and had only a
simple two word command parser. Its descriptions were so vivid, however,
that it captivated a generation of computer enthusiasts and quickly
became part of the 'hacker lore.'" (author's blurb)
Porter: David M. Baggett <dmb@ai.mit.edu> (c) 1993
Freeware (Source available)
Released: July 1993
Latest Version: 1.0 (TADS 2.0.1., 9 Jul 1993)
-=-=-
Dungeon (DUNGEON.GAM)
The original 'Zork' as written in 1977-79 at the MIT by a group including
Marc Blank and Dave Lebling. It was programmed in MDL but ported to
Fortran (and renamed 'Dungeon') by Bob Supnik in 1979/80. This is a TADS
port of the Fortran port (based on Dungeon v3.1).
Porter: Darin Johnson <djohnson@cs.ucsd.edu> (c) 1994
Freeware (Source available)
Released: June 1994
Latest Version: 0.3beta (TADS 2.0.1, 15 Mar 1996)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=EDUCATIONAL GAMES:
The Pesach Adventure (PESACH.GAM)
"TPA is a simple game which is designed to provide a fun learning
experience for children in about the ten-year-old range. It will be of
interest mostly to Jewish children and to their religious school
teachers. TPA has a decidedly Jewish theme, and the correct solution of
the game requires a certain amount of Jewish knowledge." (author's blurb)
Author: Bob Newell <bnewell@gobblernet.lod.com,
bnewell@btigate.com> (c) 1993
tzedakah-ware
Released:
Latest Version: ? (TADS 2.0.1, 1 Jun 1994)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=FANTASY:
Curse of Vengeance (CURSE.GAM)
Fairly typical Dungeons & Dragons meets text adventure. Includes
extremely simple combat system, armor and weapon classes, and a 'Save the
princess' plot.
"Unfortunately, the programmer considered combat to be more important
than puzzles, and the general course of a game involves a lot of slogging
through extremely boring battles." (Russ Bryan)
Author: Scott C. McNab <no e-mail>
3328 East Kimberly Road #322
Davenport, IA 52807, U.S.A.
Shareware US$10-20 (Source available for US$20)
Released:
Latest Version: 1.3 (works with TADS 1.04 for Macintosh ONLY!)
-=-=-
The Four Symbols (SYMBOLS.GAM)
"A seemingly simple quest, but with a sting in its tail! Can you prove
yourself innocent of witchcraft? Will you curse the day you encountered
the black cat? Will you survive? Only time will tell as your wits are
challenged in this adventure." (author's blurb)
"I'm sorry, I've played it and I still have no clue what the heck it's
about." (GKW)
Author: The Grue! <grue@prism.u-net.com> (c) 1992-93
"Shareware" (Crippleware) UKP5 (Demo version available)
Released:
Latest Version: 1.1 (works with TADS 1.20 ONLY!)
-=-=-
Frustration (FRUST.GAM)
Chasing after a wayward shopping list given to you by your Aunt Maud, you
accidentally plummet down an open manhole. What adventures await you at
the other end?
Author: Jim MacBrayne <jmacb@medusa.u-net.com> (c) 1990,95
Freeware
Released: January 1996
Latest Version: 1.02/960115 (TADS 2.2.0, 25 Feb 1996)
-=-=-
The Golden Fleece (FLEECE.GAM)
"As he lifted the pawn and advanced it one square on the board, Zeus'
voice thundered, causing the circle of watching Gods to wince. 'An
interesting concept, my son, but one with which I cannot agree. Mortals
are by their very nature worthless, serving merely as playthings for our
amusement.'
Hermes' face carried an almost mocking smile as he replied. 'Not so, my
father. Indeed this very day have I witnessed such courage in battle as
would have done credit to any God. I would wager that amongst all your
'playthings' I could find one mortal at least whom you would be proud to
call Brother.'" (from intro)
Return the Golden Fleece and prove your worthiness.
Author: Jim MacBrayne <jmacb@medusa.u-net.com> (c) 1989,96
Freeware
Released: February 1996
Latest Version: 1.00/960114 (TADS 2.2.0, 15 Feb 1996)
-=-=-
The Holy Grail (GRAIL.GAM)
The consequences to be faced if you fail in your mission are dire indeed.
Are you up to the challenge?
Author: Jim MacBrayne <jmacb@medusa.u-net.com> (c) 1989,95
Freeware
Released: January 1996
Latest Version: 1.01/960227 (TADS 2.2.0, 31 Mar 1996)
-=-=-
John's Fire Witch (FIRWITCH.GAM)
A small, witty text adventure. Its clever puzzles received quite a bit
of acclaim on rec.arts.int-fiction upon its release. You've come to
visit your old friend John Baker, but he's missing, and a blizzard has
rolled in outside while you were asleep waiting for him.
"...a pleasantly engaging, unpretentious game that should appeal to a
broad range of IF gameplayers." (Lauren Meckler, in XYZZYnews #2)
"...one of the best -- perhaps _the_ best -- shareware games I've ever
played; better, even, than most commercial games. ... 'John's Firewitch'
is simply very good workmanship; those little irritating glitches and
mannerisms that seem to be unavoidable in non-commercial works are
absent; the game is eminently playable (much thanks to the excellent
parser); the puzzles logical with satisfying solutions; the ending forms
a satisfying climax; the writing excellent and free from mannerisms and
bad jokes; everything just feels right. ... With authors like John Baker
around, why should we mourn the passing of Infocom?" (Magnus Olsson, in
SPAG #4)
Author: John Baker <baker-j@ix.netcom.com> (c) 1995
Shareware US$6
Released: January 1995
Latest Version: 1.01 (TADS 2.2.0, 4 Feb 1995)
-=-=-
Lethe Flow Phoenix: A Flight of Fantasy (LETHE.GAM)
Camping out at night takes you into a strange otherworld peopled with,
among other things, several biblical references, objects of a symbolic
nature, and a talking tree. Started as an entry for the first IF
Competition but grew too large.
"The game's highly metaphorical plot and screensful of explanatory
background material [...] made it difficult for me to get really drawn
into the setting. ... While I was a little disappointed with the game's
story development, I did enjoy the puzzles and the NPCs ... I'm looking
forward to seeing future games from this author." (Stuart Beach, in
XYZZYnews #7)
"...ALL plot, characterisation and background is confined to the cut
scenes, and the interactive portions are completely unrelated to the
ostensible plot. The effect is unnerving and surreal. ... The most
curious aspect of 'Lethe Flow Phoenix' is how well done the individual
parts are! ... But the plot and the puzzles make a game bolted together
like a Frankenstein monster: neither side supports the other, and the
result is neither successful as a game, nor as a story." (Gareth Rees,
in the rec.arts.int-fiction group)
"...an ambitious attempt to deal with questions not normally addressed in
IF, and an attempt to extend the traditional adventure game to be able to
do so. ... It contains some pieces of excellent writing, as well as some
good work in the invention of puzzles and intricate puzzle machinery. IF
authors are advised to study it carefully." (Magnus Olsson, in SPAG #9)
Author: Dan "The Grim Reaper" Shiovitz <scythe@u.washington.edu> (c) 1995
Freeware
Released: August 1995
Latest Version: 2 (TADS 2.2.0, 19 Sept 1995)
-=-=-
The Mission (MISSION.GAM)
A quest for a shoelace? Well, there's a lot at stake here...and it's up
to you whether or not you win the bet and succeed at your mission.
Author: Jim MacBrayne <jmacb@medusa.u-net.com> (c) 1990,95
Freeware
Released: January 1996
Latest Version: 1.02/960331 (TADS 2.2.0, 31 Mar 1996)
-=-=-
Perdition's Flames
"You've died and gone to Hell! Explore a land that no living mortal has
ever seen. This innovative game has all of the usual great TADS
features, and it may be one of the friendliest text adventures ever
written! Being dead has its advantages -- you don't have to eat or
sleep, you can carry as much stuff as you want, and best of all, you
can't die! Plus, this may be the first text adventure ever to be
certified 100% MAZE FREE!" (author's blurb)
Author: Michael J. Roberts <mroberts@hinrg.starconn.com,
73737.417@compuserve.com>
[Commercial $25]
-- The game is commercial but no longer available. A freeware release was
announced in June 1996.
Released:
Latest Version: v1
-=-=-
Unnkulia Zero: The Search for Amanda (UU0.GAM)
"Will you, the Valley King's most trusted warrior, rescue his Lady Amanda
from the gruesome clutches of the evil Unnkulians? Along the way to
victory (or, <shudder>, defeat!), you will:
o Find out about the ancient days of the Valley,
o Meet the King's faithful (but not so bright) Valley Patrol,
o Explore *beautiful* Lake Draounheer,
o Discover the ancient burial ground of your ancestors,
o Become frustrated with the pesky Stoll and his Stoll Bridge,
and, of course,
o Meet that wondrously wacky Wowsa Willy!" (author's blurb)
A fairly large text adventure. In it we learn about the early history of
the Valley and the Unnkulians, and we get a glimpse of the future.
"Unnkulia Zero is the latest in the Unnkulian series. It is fairly long
and not as easy as the earlier games. The puzzles are logical and
funny." (Audrey A. DeLisle, in SPAG #1)
Author: David A. Leary <dleary@umabnet.ab.umd.edu> (c) 1993
[Commercial US$25] (Demo Edition available)
-- The game is commercial but no longer available. A freeware release
is planned.
Released:
Latest Version: 1.0
-=-=-
Unnkulia One-Half: The Salesman Triumphant (ONEHALF.GAM)
"You play the role of a down-and-out Acme salesman, forced to work out
of the Golden Dragon Inn, dangerously near Dread Unnkulia. Will you
accumulate enough loot in this frightful backwater berg to turn your
fortunes in your favor?" (author's blurb)
Somewhat smaller than UU1 and UU2. Explores the trials and tribulations
of a down-and-out Acme salesman. Easy, compared to UU0 or UU2.
"Oddly enough, this short, humorous game is my favorite of the Unnkulian
series. Probably something to do with my lack of patience or something.
Or maybe I can only take the cheez jokes for so long before I begin to
feel unhinged." (Gerry Kevin Wilson, in SPAG #1)
Author: David A. Leary <dleary@umabnet.ab.umd.edu> (c) 1993
Freeware
Released:
Latest Version: 1.0 (TADS 2.0.1, 20 Apr 1993)
-=-=-
Unnkulian Underworld: The Unknown Unventure (UU1.GAM)
"You play the part of Kuulest's slave, and must recover the Orb of
Studosity from the evil Unnkulians. Kuulest, the old geezebag, has died
and left you with nothing to go on but a cryptic message about saving the
planet. You'll encounter amazing Acme products, the infamous Guardian,
those witty creatures known as Drolls, a giant beaver, and even the Dread
Unnkulian Warrior. <Gasp!>" (author's blurb)
Irreverent parody of contemporary IF games. Has a maze.
"I enjoyed the game, especially the first 200 points (out of 400). In
this first part the puzzles are very logical and well designed. In the
second part there are some puzzles in which I didn't find any logic at
all. The writing is quite well done and gives the reader a good
description of what is going on. ... Lastly, there is lots of humour in
this game. It may get a bit repetitive, but humour is an important part
of the game." (Toni Cortes, in SPAG #2)
Author: David A. Leary <dleary@umabnet.ab.umd.edu> (c) 1991-93
Shareware US$10
Released:
Latest Version: 3.0.1 (TADS 2.0.1, 20 Apr 1993)
-=-=-
Unnkulian Unventure II: The Secret of Acme (UU2.GAM)
"Your adventure continues as you try to create some good press for
yourself -- wouldn't want to fade into anonymous obscurity, now would
you? Along the way, you'll find the answers to these compelling
questions, and more:
o What happened to the Unnkulians?
o Why are Acme products so bad?
o What is this cheez stuff, really?
Plus, you'll get to explore Dawg Rock, a Duhdist Retreat, Acme's
clandestine prototypes laboratory, and even pay a visit to Acme HQ."
(author's blurb)
"Also has a maze, unfortunately. Seemed like a good idea at the time.
(It wasn't.)" (David Baggett)
"I would rate it higher, but the plot is a bit jerky. ... In general,
it is still amusing, but not as good as UU1 and not as involved. I won't
say what the object is because that is part of the plot."
(Audrey A. DeLisle, in SPAG #1)
"A lot of UU2's problems (and difficulty) stem from its pseudo-
nonlinearity. Once you get into the underworld, you have many puzzles
you can work on at once. They have to be solved in a particular order,
however, and this is why people get confused." (David Baggett, in
SPAG #2)
Author: David M. Baggett <dmb@ai.mit.edu> (c) 1991-93
Shareware US$10
Released:
Latest Version: 3.0 (TADS 2.0.1, 20 Apr 1993)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=HORROR:
The Horror of Rylvania (RYLVANIA.GAM)
"What you expected would be a fun outing in scenic Rylvania turns into
a gruesome nightmare, with *you* playing the starring role. Find out
what it's like to be alternately the source and challenger of evil in
the tiny Eastern European province. Test your very moral fiber as you
decide to damn yourself and save others -- or vice versa." (author's
blurb)
A hard-edged gothic horror game. You become a vampire and must search
for the cure.
"It is somewhat linear, but not limited like some games. I enjoyed
playing it. The atmosphere was well created to be eerie, but not
disgusting." (Audrey A. DeLisle, in SPAG #1)
"I still feel that Rylvania is an extremely important and innovative IF
game --- one that has been unjustly ignored. It's disappointing that
although there are so many IF enthusiasts out there, so few are willing
to pay a fair price for such a strong work." (David Baggett, in SPAG #5)
Author: David A. Leary <dleary@umabnet.ab.umd.edu> (c) 1993
[Commercial US$20] (Demo Edition available)
-- The game is commercial but no longer available. A freeware release
is planned.
Released:
Latest Version: 1.0
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=PROGRAMMING EXERCISES:
+=3: A (Controversial but Nevertheless) Logical Adventure (3.GAM)
This one-puzzle game was Dave Baggett's response to a discussion (flame
war?) in rec.arts.int-fiction and specifically to Russ Bryan's claim that
there could be no puzzles which are logical yet unsolvable.
Author: David M. Baggett <dmb@ai.mit.edu>,
Carl de Marcken <cgdemarc@ai.mit.edu> (c) 1994
Freeware (Source available)
Released:
Latest Version: 1.2 (TADS 2.0.1, 26 Nov 1994)
-=-=-
Alice in Wonderland (ALICE.GAM)
Partial IF version of Alice in Wonderland, as a programming aid to TADS
authors.
Author: Trevor Powell <LeGarre@aol.com> (c) 1991
"Shareware" (only available as source)
Released:
Latest Version: 1.0a1
-=-=-
Eliza (ELIZA.GAM)
"Psychiatrist simulation" via string substitution, first implemented by
Joseph Weizenbaum in the 1960s. This TADS port is based on a 1979 BASIC
version.
Porter: David Allen <dallen@powereda.com> (c) 1994
Freeware (only available as source)
Released:
Latest Version: ?
-=-=-
Kitchen Encounters (KITCHEN.GAM)
An interesting bit of programming that simulates a kitchen, generated
from a note left to the author by his wife.
Author: Andy Jewell <avjewe@cfar.umd.edu> (c) 1992
Freeware (only available as source)
Released:
Latest Version: 0.2
-=-=-
Shadowland (I): The Tower of Iron (SHADOWLAND.GAM)
Shadowland seems more a coding example than a full-fledged game. You
start out strapped into a mad scientist's machine, but free yourself and
hack, blast, and julienne your way through numerous monsters.
Author: Tom Claburn <TCLABURN@aol.com> (c) 1993
Freeware ??? (only available as source)
Released:
Latest Version: 1.0
-=-=-
The Underoos that ate New York! (UNDER.GAM)
A five-room example game for Whizzard's ADV.T rewrite (WADV).
"It's [...] a short 'un by Whizzard, [...] but I remember I got a big
kick out of playing it." (Dan Shiovitz, in the rec.arts.int-fiction
group)
"I found the humor in 'Underoos' to be... disturbing." (John Baker, in
the rec.arts.int-fiction group)
Author: Gerry Kevin Wilson <whizzard@uclink.berkeley.edu> (c) 1994
Freeware (only available as source)
Released: May 1995
Latest Version: ?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=SCIENCE FICTION:
Deep Space Drifter (DEEP.GAM)
"Find your way off the space station and explore the planet below. Visit
the swamp and the caves. Defeat the maniacal Pinback and escape with
your life." (author's blurb)
Hide the service droids and bologna sandwiches. This thing has mazes.
Big mazes. Really big. No, bigger than that. Two of them. Other than
the mazes, DSD is generally held to be a very decent game.
"The part of the game on the space station is good, with quite a bit of
atmospheric details and generally good puzzles. But down at the planet
things are less convincing. Everything is deserted, but no real reason
for this is given. Several of the puzzles here are also very time-
consuming and tedious. Among these puzzles are the game's two infamous
mazes." (Lars Joedal, in SPAG #3)
Authors: Michael J. Roberts <mroberts@hinrg.starconn.com,
73737.417@compuserve.com>,
Steve McAdams <75204.1051@compuserve.com> (c) 1988,90
[Shareware $15] (registration includes source, hints and map)
-- A freeware release is planned.
Released: ca. September 1989
Latest Version: 1.0 (TADS 2.0.1, 7 Apr 1993)
-=-=-
Enhanced (ENHANCED.GAM)
"Here you are, trying to survive yet another day in the big city with no
money, no job and no hope. As you walk down the street in the government
research project area, you suddenly see a sign reading: 'Volunteers
needed for military research project! Do you want to make money? Do you
want to help your country? Can you start at once? No special skills
needed. Enter here.' Everything on the list sounds good to you, so you
enter the door and sign up. That's when your nightmare begins..."
(author's blurb)
A short cyberpunk game in which you try to avoid donating your body to
science. First part of the CyberVenture Trilogy.
"...some of the actions that must be taken in the game depend upon the
player's familiarity with certain cyberpunk terminology ('ice', etc.),
and a lot of the in-jokes are *really* in. ... I enjoyed the game, for a
while; when I began to have parsing problems, my enjoyment was
diminished." (Roger N. Dominick, in SPAG #2)
Authors: Hans Persson <unicorn@lysator.liu.se>,
Dominik Zemmler <dz@lysator.liu.se> (c) 1993
Shareware US$10 (registration includes source and hints)
Released: December 1993
Latest Version: 3/941004 (TADS 2.0.1, 22 Jan 1995)
-=-=-
High Tech Drifter (HIGHTECH.GAM)
The very first TADS game! Not quite finished though. Seems to be a sort
of mantra with us IF authors. Try to recover Ma and Pa's secret
semiconductor formula from a big, bad corporation.
Author: James B. Cser <no e-mail>,
Michael J. Roberts <mroberts@hinrg.starconn.com,
73737.417@compuserve.com> (c) 1988,90
Freeware (only available as source)
Released: ca. 1989 (never finished)
Latest Version: 1.0
-=-=-
The Legend Lives! (LEGEND.GAM)
"A new chapter in the history of Unnkulia and the Valley unfolds. Find
out what life is like on planet Tode (home to Unnkulia and the Valley)
and the rest of the Unnkulian Universe 500 years after UU1. Written by a
Ph.D. candidate at the MIT AI Lab, LEGEND is an epic of unprecedented
depth that explores what can happen when networks and software get too
powerful to control. As hacker Gavin Kelly, you'll be at your wits' end
tracking down and battling a terrifyingly powerful virus unleashed on
AkNet, the known galaxy's information and service backbone. All the
while, you'll have to thwart its attempts to locate and terminate *you*.
While sticking to the often humorous style of the Unnkulian Unventures,
LEGEND nevertheless explores many serious themes about technology and its
effects on society. It is not just a challenging and fun computer game;
it is one computer science researcher's view of a future nearly destroyed
by an entirely synthetic and substanceless entity -- a software
construct." (author's blurb)
Includes UU3. "The beginning of a new series. You take the role of a
graduate student at Akmi Yooniversity who has made a terrifying discovery
while exploring some old literature about the Unnkulians. The fate of the
galaxy rests in YOUR hands. (Surprise.)" (David Baggett)
"Fundamentally, Legend invites you to think about what life really is.
What aspects of life do we consider the exclusive domain of biological
entities, and why? What would a machine have to do to change our idea of
what life is? ... Beyond the central theme, Legend also talks about good
and evil [...]; fascism and how it creeps up on you when bureaucracies
get too old and powerful, and how technology contributes to this; the
nature of time; and how technology both brings people together and
simultaneously eats away at their individuality --- particularly, how it
helps people to work together much more efficiently, but likewise makes
each person's individual contribution less significant." (David Baggett,
in SPAG #5)
"The NPCs are not developed well enough. ... The ending is a tremendous
disappointment. Not because it's an emotional downer or anything like
that; it's just totally unexpected and very unsatisfying. However, I
cannot in good faith say anything *too* bad about the game, because it's
one of the most visionary and daring works to come along since, well, 'A
Mind Forever Voyaging' from Infocom. ... _Legend_ deserves to be played
if for no other reason than to think about what David is trying to say.
I mean, when was the last time you played an IF game which *really* had a
message and a vision?" (M. Sean Molley, in SPAG #5)
"The descriptions of many of the game locations are highly engrossing and
impart a genuine atmospheric quality to that portion of the game. ...
'The Legend Lives!" is excellent proof that interactive fiction can be as
much fun to read as to play." (Eileen Mullin, in XYZZYnews #2)
Author: David M. Baggett <dmb@ai.mit.edu> (c) 1994,95
Freeware (Source available)
Released: March 1995
Latest Version: 1.1 (TADS 2.2.0, 3 May 1995)
(too big for standard DOS TADS -> needs 386+ version!)
-=-=-
The Light: Shelby's Addendum (SHELBY.GAM)
"A strangeness has fallen. You first became aware of it with the
darkening of the skies: the majestic, threatening storm clouds that
seemed on the verge of deluging the earth in a torrent, yet hung
motionless, impatient, as though awaiting further instructions from some
unseen and malignant higher power...
First the clouds, then the sudden silence of the birdsong, and the
people. Where were the people? The village was deserted as you passed
through. Not a soul to be seen. You knew you had to alert Barclay and
Holcroft that something was terribly wrong with the balance of things,
but before you had reached even the main gate an impenetrable mist had
rolled in from below the cliffs and obscured the path to the lighthouse.
When, at last, you reached the courtyard entrance, something even
stranger happened. You began to feel suddenly and inexplicably weak, as
though the very life were being drawn from your bones. You had eaten
well on the train journey from the Commission's headquarters in the
capital city, and passed your last physical with glowing colors, yet you
felt as though you were at death's door.
You had to see Holcroft. He, perhaps, could explain...." (from intro)
Follow-up to "Manor of Madness" and "Corridors of the Nethermind", two
adventures by the same author published for the Sinclair Spectrum in the
early 1980s.
"I really like puzzles in adventure games that include what I think of as
many interlocking parts ... [Shelby] has a good variety of this kind of
interlocking, scavenger hunt puzzles. ... I found it wholly absorbing
once I was able to overcome the initial obstacles and get drawn into the
drama of the adventure." (Stuart Beach, in XYZZYnews #8)
"...a fascinating piece of science-fiction IF from a very talented writer
... Not only are some of the more important puzzles [...] just downright
obscure, the author has chosen to "hide" most of the objects in the game
deep within the scenery. ... The game logic is consistent all the way
through, and everything is eminently believable. The author has
certainly created a seamless experience as far as I am concerned."
(M. Sean Molley, in SPAG #9)
"Most of the fun in this game is figuring out the background to the world
McCarthy has created here ... The actual mechanics of the game are
disappointing. Some of the text is good, notably the introductory
paragraphs, but much of the rest is rather lacklustre. ... Some of the
puzzles seemed completely arbitrary to me, and even after solving them I
still don't understand why the solution worked."
(Gareth Rees, in SPAG #9)
Author: C. A. McCarthy <illusory@execpc.com> (c) 1995-96
Shareware US$10
Released: December 1995
Latest Version: 2.0/19960428 (TADS 2.2.0, 28 Apr 1996)
-=-=-
Lost (LOST.GAM)
While searching for riches in the forest, you come across a spaceship
which takes you to different places and times. Difficult, with multiple
mazes, but rather engrossing.
"The game is quite large (the code is over 10,000 lines long) and has the
largest vocabulary that the compiler would allow." (Jeffrey Hersh)
Author: Jeffrey Hersh <Frumple@earthlink.com> (c) 1993
Shareware US$10 (Source available)
Released: 1992 or 1993
Latest Version: 2.0.2 (TADS 2.2.0, 23 Apr 1996)
-=-=-
Past Tense (TENSE.GAM)
An espionage game set in the future. You receive a package at your house
addressed to an Agent Pritel with instructions for a mission. But
wait... you're not Pritel!
The TENSE command allows you to switch between past and present tense.
Author: Daved Nault <nault.3@osu.edu> (c) 1996
Freeware (Source available)
Released: March 1996
Latest Version: ? (TADS 2.2.0, 26 Mar 1996)
-=-=-
Urban Cleanup (URBAN.GAM)
"Neotext's second IF game, also aimed at the beginner IF level. This
game showcases witty writing and simple puzzles for the young and the
just beginning. Imagine your surprise when you find that the Virtual
Reality video game you just bought is the key to unlocking totalitarian
control in your society!" (author's blurb)
Author: Philip Dearmore <morbeus@eskimo.com> (c) 1996
Shareware US$10
Released: June 1996
Latest Version: 1.0 (TADS 2.0.1, 14 Jun 1996)
-=-=-
Waystation (WAY.GAM)
"While driving home one night, your car mysteriously dies. You get out,
pop the hood, and wham! that's the last you remember...until you wake up
trapped in a cell. With no idea of how you got there and no one to ask,
you must escape and find out why you were kidnapped.
Visit the lovely sewage dump Melica! Tour abandoned Comanis! Avoid
Efric at all costs! The game is guaranteed 99.9% maze free, and is
freeware." (author's blurb)
A future with dial up teleportation booths called waystations. Has
something of a twist ending. Entertaining.
"Your goal in the game is not revealed until over half-way through, so
for the majority of the game you are reduced to moving purposelessly from
location to location and solving seemingly arbitrary puzzles. ... The
game is a mish-mash of genres -- Granade has played with many ideas, but
expanded on almost none of them." (Julian Arnold, in SPAG #9)
Author: Stephen Granade <sgranade@phy.duke.edu> (c) 1995
Freeware (Source available for US$10)
Released: January 1995
Latest Version: 1.1 (TADS 2.2.0, 19 Dec 1995)
-=-=-
Wormhole: The Beginning (WORMHOLE.GAM)
"A short promotional piece of interactive fiction originally intended to
kick off the new Wormhole series, about a young man caught leaping
between worlds through wormholes. Since the series idea died and was
deemed unprofitable, this little game is kept around as freeware."
(author's blurb)
Author: Philip Dearmore <morbeus@eskimo.com> (c) 1995
Freeware
Released: April 1996
Latest Version: 1.0 (TADS 2.0.1, 3 May 1996)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=OTHER (OR NO) GENRE:
The Broken String (BS.GAM)
The first punk rock interactive fiction game.
"'Punk's not dead yet!' you think to yourself. 'Not if I can do
something about it. I can put up a new band. There are still punks in
this city. We can make this place live again. We can make the scene
live again.'
You play the role of Tim, a young punk rocker, livinng in an imaginary
city in a squat. In Tim's city punk rock is dying and along with it all
the ideals that true punk represents. Tim's feeling of frustration and
alienation grows stronger every day, but instead of losing hope, Tim
decides to go on a crusade to revive punk. Along the way Tim will
encounter different problems, not all of them directly related to his
task. Tim will also try to solve his personal problems as he goes on
with his crusade. You must guide Tim through the city and help him
complete his goal." (author's blurb)
Authors: Harel Malka <rl_queen@netvision.net.il>,
Ran Kramer <no e-mail> (c) 1995
Emailware (Source for version 1.0 available)
Released: December 1995
Latest Version: 1.1 (TADS 2.2.0, 14 Feb 1996)
-=-=-
FooM (FOOM.GAM)
"The shoot-'em up text adventure." Excellent parody of the famous
Shareware game DOOM.
Author: Piers Johnson <piers@socs.uts.edu.au,
kaleid@ftoomsh.socs.uts.edu.au> (c) 1995
Freeware (Source available)
Released: July 1996
Latest Version: 1.01d (TADS 2.0.1, 10 Mar 1995)
-=-=-
Gerbil Riot of '67 (GERBIL.GAM)
"Arguably the daftest, most stupidly silly text adventure ever.
Converted with tender loving care from the 8-bit original." (author's
blurb)
Author: Simon Avery <simon.avery@p1.f20.n255.z2.fidonet.org> (c) 1991-94
"Shareware" (Crippleware) UKP3 (Password needed for completion)
Released:
Latest Version: ? (TADS 2.0.1, 28 Feb 1994)
-=-=-
GC: A Thrashing Parity Bit of the Mind (GC.GAM)
Not much plot but filled with ingenious puzzles. Set at MIT, and written
for the MIT AI Laboratory Winter Olympics 1994. The first game to use
David Baggetts WorldClass library instead of ADV.T.
Authors: Carl de Marcken <cgdemarc@ai.mit.edu>,
David M. Baggett <dmb@ai.mit.edu>,
Pearl Tsai <tsai@ai.mit.edu> (c) 1994
Freeware (Source available)
Released:
Latest Version: 0.1.1.2.3 (TADS 2.0.1, 17 Jan 1994)
-=-=-
The Great Archeological Race (RACE.GAM)
You play the assistant curator of the Evelyn Museum in Boston, and it's
your job to help increase failing patronage by finding new artifacts.
Your quest leads you deep into the heart of the South American jungle,
where a whole new world waits to be discovered.
"The atmosphere [...] reminded me somewhat of the 'Indiana Jones' movies
... In many places, the writing is plentiful and good; in others, it's
extremely terse. ... The game doesn't try to be anything more than an
enjoyable puzzle-solving romp, and of course the tricks and traps
commonly associated with ancient sites provide the ideal excuse for
having lots of puzzles. ... I highly recommend that you download this
game and give it a try for yourself." (M. Sean Molley, in SPAG #3)
Author: John LaBonney <JLaBonney@aol.com> (c) 1992
Shareware US$20 (no registration possible at the moment!)
Released:
Latest Version: 1.3 (works with TADS 1.20 ONLY!)
-=-=-
HERO, INC Volume 1: Calling All Heroes (HERO1.GAM)
"CONGRATULATIONS! You may already be a winner!
Have you ever wondered what life is about? Do you look for happiness but
never find it? Does joy, fulfilment, and the answer to world peace
always slip right through your fingers? Are you thinking right now, 'I'm
a born loser?'
Well, we at Hero, Inc once thought that too! Until we found the ultimate
answer to all of these questions and more. And, for a limited time only,
we've decided to make OUR happiness YOURS! Yes, you can be a hero too!
Simply fill out the handy Special Introductory Offer Form enclosed and
all your dreams could be about to come true!" (from intro)
Author: Nate Cull <100242.2325@compuserve.com> (c) 1996
"Shareware" (Freeware?)
Release: March 1996
Latest Version: Beta 1 (TADS 2.2.0, 4 Mar 1996)
(The hint system needs a heap size of at least 10000. The command
line switch '-mh 10000' should be used.)
-=-=-
Lost New York (LOSTNY.GAM)
"They say you can never get to know the true New York as a tourist -- but
this is going to turn out to be no ordinary vacation. What you thought
would be a quick jaunt to the usual tourist traps instead uncovers an odd
find that sends you hurtling through time, coming face-to-face with
history. A history that you realize you are going to have to change if
you ever want to find your way home..." (author's blurb)
"This is the type of game that manages to teach you a lot about a subject
while making it a very pleasant trip indeed. [...] it's not very clear
what your purpose is in the New York time zones other than to solve
puzzles and move forward. Even when you're solving puzzles, it's hard to
tell what you're accomplishing in the big picture." (Rob Daviau, in
XYZZYnews #10)
Author: Neil deMause <neild@echonyc.com, nulldogma@aol.com> (c) 1996
Shareware US$12 (registered version has on-screen hints)
Released: March 1996
Latest Version: 1.1f (TADS 2.2.0, 10 Aug 1996)
(too big for standard DOS TADS -> needs 386+ version!)
-=-=-
Modernism (MODERN.GAM)
Short no-puzzle "game" based on works of Samuel Beckett and Jean-Paul
Sartre. Two parts: "Waiting for Godot" and "No Exit".
Author: Jacob Solomon Weinstein <jweinste@usc.edu> (c) 1993
Mailware
Released: March 1993
Latest Version: 1.0 (TADS 2.0.0, 21 Mar 1993)
-=-=-
Ski Adventure (SKI.GAM)
"...a game that takes place at an abandoned ski resort, SnoFlake. You
play the main character, a lost camper trying to find his way home."
(author's blurb)
Author: John LaBonney <JLaBonney@aol.com> (c) 1991
Shareware US$10 (no registration possible at the moment!)
Released: ca. April 1991
Latest Version: 1.0 (works with TADS 1.01 ONLY!)
-=-=-
Tyler's Great Cube Game (CUBE.GAM)
Another one-puzzle game.
Authors: Tyler Bindon <jgolinsk@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>,
Steven Taschuk <no e-mail> (c) 1995
Shareware US$5-20 (Source available from US$10 onwards)
Released:
Latest Version: 1.1 (TADS 2.2.0, 4 May 1995)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=IF COMPETITION ENTRIES:
-=-1995:
A Night at the Museum Forever (MUSEUM.GAM)
Retrieve the diamond ring from the time museum.
"The writing is not quite up to Infocom's standards, but quite adequate;
the puzzles may not be very original but are clever and logical; the plot
is simple but quite clever and the time travel is handled nicely. My
only big complaint about the game is its almost total lack of atmosphere.
... Despite these complaints, the game is quite clever and enjoyable."
(Magnus Olsson, in SPAG #7)
"Ninety percent of the game seemed to consist of tramping back and forth
along the corridor in the different time zones, and the remaining ten
percent was somewhat dull. No people, no interesting puzzles, no
colourful background, no awe-inspiring future technology, nothing. The
game seems to have not been playtested, and it raises rather more
questions than it answers." (Gareth Rees, in SPAG #8)
Author: Chris Angelini <cangelin@uoguelph.ca> (c) 1995
Freeware (Mailware)
Released: August 1995
Latest Version: 1.0 (TADS 2.0.1, 25 Aug 1995)
The One That Got Away (THE_ONE.GAM)
Go fishing for 'The Old One'. Won 3rd place.
"...the trigger that started my game was an episode of 'The Simpsons'
that I saw one night, about Homer going out fishing and struggling
against one of those 'mighty fish of the past.' That must have made
some kind of an impression on me, because, some morning afterwards, I was
lying in bed when I thought, you know, no one has ever written an IF game
about fishing. Before long, I was up and at my computer." (Leon Lin,
in SPAG #7)
"The writing is perhaps the best I've ever seen in an adventure game; not
as poetic or beautiful as in 'The Sound Of One Hand Clapping,' but
perfect for telling this kind of story. ... After the monumental
introduction and a lot of build-up during your conversations with Bob and
your attempts to get the right bait, you're ready for a monumental
struggle, but instead you're presented with quite an anticlimax. ...
Still, despite the anticlimax, its literary quality makes this game a
truly memorable one, one worth playing and replaying several times, just
as one returns to a favourite novel." (Magnus Olsson, in SPAG #7)
"My favourite entry in the competition. The puzzles aren't up to much,
but who cares? The writing is superb, atmospheric, and very funny. ...
I hope that Lin writes more interactive fiction, and that he continues to
orient his work towards strong characters." (Gareth Rees, in SPAG #8)
Author: Leon Lin <leonlin@uclink.berkeley.edu> (c) 1995
Freeware
Released: August 1995
Latest Version: 1.1 (TADS 2.2.0, 5 Dec 1995)
Toonesia (TOONESIA.GAM)
Try to gun down that rascally rabbit. Won 2nd place.
"I'm a big fan of animation--I'd rank it as one of America's most
significant cultural contributions to the world. I've wanted to do a
complete game based on my favorite cartoons for a long time."
(Jacob Weinstein, in SPAG #7)
"The writing could use a bit more polish, but still manages to capture
the spirit of Saturday morning. The NPCs don't, however -- if you
encounter Daffy Duck or the Tasmanian Devil in a 'real' cartoon, he'll be
in your face until Porky Pig shows up for the fadeout, rather than just
standing around like they do here." (Palmer Davis, in the
rec.arts.int-fiction group)
"This game may not be very profound, but it's clearly one of the most
entertaining adventure games I've ever played." (Magnus Olsson,
in SPAG #7)
"I enjoyed playing 'Toonesia'. It captures a good deal of the flavour of
the cartoons it pastiches, and makes excellent use of the logic of the
cartoon world it takes place in: I found all of the puzzles were solvable
on the first attempt, and the majority were very good." (Gareth Rees,
in SPAG #8)
Author: Jacob Solomon Weinstein <jweinste@usc.edu> (c) 1995
Freeware
Released: August 1995
Latest Version: 1.1 (TADS 2.0.0, 6 Dec 1995)
Uncle Zebulon's Will (ZEBULON.GAM)
See if you can claim the inheritance that your old uncle Zebulon (a
wizard of some skill) left you in his will. Won 1st place.
"...a complacently traditional, highly effective narrative. It combines
the quirky unreality of Trinity with the gizmo-filled atmosphere of
Spellbreaker or Starcross. ... The puzzles were all logical enough and
simple enough that I beat the game without hints, and still had a great
time doing it. What greater praise could there be?" (Gerry Kevin Wilson,
in SPAG #7)
"...a very solid piece of work. There were no bugs, all the pieces of
the plot fitted together smoothly, the hook at the start was intriguing,
and the ending was good, though not as much of a surprise as it should
perhaps have been. ... The writing was very flat and lifeless, managing
to be lengthy without being either vivid or humourous." (Gareth Rees,
in SPAG #8)
Author: Magnus Olsson <mol@df.lth.se> (c) 1995
Freeware (Source available)
Released: August 1995
Latest Version: 2.0/960416 (TADS 2.2.0, 16 Apr 1996)
Undertow (TOW.GAM)
Go sailing on a yacht with three friends, and a corpse.
"I had the setting for my game before I had a plot. I thought about what
kind of game could take place on a yacht, and decided that a mystery
would be perfect. I had never written a mystery before, and my earlier
IF games have had a remarkable lack of NPCs in them. This was a perfect
chance for me to take on the challenge of setting a game in a tiny
environment, mastering NPCs, and writing a mystery all at once."
(Stephen Granade, in SPAG #7)
"...a very ambitious work unfortunately let down by its implementation.
... 'Undertow' seems not to have been play-tested much (if at all), when
in fact the mystery genre demands extremely rigorous testing. ... I'd be
intrigued to see what Stephen Granade could produce if he went back to
the code without any deadlines or time constraints and tried to finish
writing the game." (Gareth Rees, in SPAG #8)
Author: Stephen Granade <sgranade@phy.duke.edu> (c) 1995
Freeware
Released: August 1995
Latest Version: 1.1 (TADS 2.2.0, 5 Sep 1995)
UNDO (UNDO.GAM)
You're almost at the end of that adventure game you've struggled so hard
to beat, when things get a little crazy.
"The author of this game has obviously tried very hard to come up with
something original, and he [...] has certainly succeeded, in the sense
that this game is totally unlike any other piece of IF I've ever seen.
... Had this been made into a 'real' game (where there actually is a
point to it all) it could have been a great success. As it is, perhaps
the most appropriate characterization would be to call it an anti-game."
(Magnus Olsson, in SPAG #7)
"The only purpose of Undo, really, aside from being vaguely weird and
entertaining, is to challenge some of the I-F conventions -- like having
everything be a puzzle (most of the rooms are mere clues at best, and at
worst just diversions), having a score (the 'score' of 86 you're shooting
for is another negation joke -- as in, 'eighty-six that'), winning at the
end, and so on. It's sort of an 'anti-game' in that sense."
(Neil deMause, in SPAG #7)
Author: Neil deMause <neild@echonyc.com, nulldogma@aol.com> (c) 1995
Freeware
Released: August 1995
Latest Version: 1.0.1 (TADS 2.2.0, 31 Aug 1995)
Forthcoming TADS Games
----------------------
Archaeology 689: Field Trip
"There's oodles of text, the atmosphere is remiscent of Infidel and
there's one very very talkative and sometimes even useful NPC. Plus you
get to blow things up in a very spectacular way." (author's blurb)
Author: Ville Lavonius <lavonius@cs.Helsinki.FI>
Anticipated Release: not anytime soon
Avalon
"Once, a long time ago, I bragged that I could write a text adventure in
two months. That was two years ago. You grow, you learn, you know? On
the other hand, it will be worth the wait. I promise Arthurian legend,
faeries, magic, war, love, death, rebirth, religion, and demons. We also
learn why wizards shouldn't muck about with batteries, and why some folks
really need, more than anything else, to learn to forgive, but most of
all, to FORGET. Avalon toys with certain philosophical issues, like:
How does the self relate to one's memories? Does the possession of power
neccessarily require its use, and just when is it ethical to take a life?
Avalon has a large cast of characters, about 20-30 in all. It will be
released as a demo version, with the full game available for $25, a price
that includes some nice packaging in the spirit of Infocom." (author's
blurb)
Author: Gerry Kevin Wilson <whizzard@uclink.berkeley.edu>
Anticipated Release: 1996, maybe
Bast
Author: Magnus Olsson <mol@df.lth.se>
Anticipated Release: unknown
Deepcore
"You are an unfortunate tourist of the future who is trapped inside an
undersea mining station following a violent earthquake. The object of the
game is to escape the station before the nasty aftershocks do you in."
(author's blurb)
Author: Brandon Allen <b.allen@m.cc.utah.edu>
Anticipated Release: September 1996
Firebird
"Firebird is based on the Old Russian folk tales that inspired the
Stravinsky piece of the same name. You are Prince Ivan, and have been
charged by your father, the tsar, to find the Firebird that has been
stealing your father's golden apples. Your two older brothers have
already tried and failed -- can you triumph over the many obstacles in
your quest? Remember, your mission is not as simple as it first
seems..." (author's blurb)
Author: Bonnie Montgomery <bmontgomer@wwilkins.com>
Anticipated Release: early 1996
Fire Witch II: In Search of The Ice Wizard
Author: John Baker <baker-j@ix.netcom.com>
Anticipated Release: January 31, 1997
HamsterWorld
"Assuming this monstrous behemoth of a TADS game ever gets completed
prior to the next millenium, you'll find HamsterWorld to be one of the
most detailed and verb-heavy IF games ever spawned.
'I laughed, I cried, I wanted to play it again and again. It was better
than "Detective."' - the Author's Friend." (author's blurb)
Author: Neil K. Guy <nkg@vcn.bc.ca, nkg@tela.bc.ca>
Anticipated Release: 1996
HERO, INC Volume 2: The Light Fantastic
"Beyond the Fairhaven Library, the next stage of your journey awaits.
You'll explore a strange new dimension, searching for the fabled Orb of
Dreams. But what if the Nytemares have been there first...?" (author's
blurb)
Author: Nate Cull <100242.2325@compuserve.com>
Anticipated Release: 1996
Logomancer
"It's a spellcasting game. You are Logomancer General, and you must
discover who or what is causing all spells cast in the land to come out
backward." (author's blurb)
Author: Jacob Solomon Weinstein <jweinste@usc.edu>
Anticipated Release: January 1, 2010
Mad Venture
Author: Ron Hale-Evans <rwhe@iglou.com>
Anticipated Release: unknown
SCIMITAR
Feeling a little paranoid? You will be.
Author: C. A. McCarthy <illusory@execpc.com>
Anticipated Release: 1996
The Second Pit
"Not a typical adventure, The Second Pit is more of a surreal exploration
through the darker regions of the psyche, built around the basic
storyline of a traditional fairy tale. What is your stepmother's secret?
What does the wizard want? Who exactly is the old lady? Will you and
your sister ever get home safely again?
A demo version will be available. The full game will cost UKP5 (US$10)."
(authors' blurb)
Authors: Andrew Craig <no e-mail>, Tom Craig <no e-mail>,
Sue Medley <no e-mail>
Anticipated Release: Spring 1996
Sensorer
"_Enhanced_, the first part of the CyberVenture trilogy, saw you get away
from the laboratory where Professor Falken tried to dedicate your life to
science. In _Sensorer_, you have to try to avoid Bob the security guard
who has been sent out to find you and return you to Falken. It seems he
has some way of detecting your whereabouts. You must find out how he
does this and make sure that he won't be able to any more."
(author's blurb)
Authors: Hans Persson <unicorn@lysator.liu.se>,
Dominik Zemmler <dz@lysator.liu.se>
Anticipated Release: sometime 1996, hopefully
The Spelunker's Tremendous Cave Adventure
"So you think Colossal Cave Adventure was written by Crowther & Woods.
Actually they decided to write it after finding this version. It was
decided it should never be released. After being buried for years, it
has resurfaced. Filled with terrible puns, outrageous descriptions, and
bits of Alice in Wonderland and a comic book hero, it is a riot. Play
the Spelunkers Tremendous Cave Adventure." (author's blurb)
Author: Doug Harter <harter@postoffice.ptd.net>
Anticipated Release: Summer 1996
Sphere
The game opens with Harold Jenkins, a simple researcher, stumbling upon
an intense residual energy in the ancient hull of a boat discovered off
of the Virginia coastline.
Author: Russ Bryan <russbryan@earthlink.net>
Anticipated Release: unknown
Spy-X
"A new-age, high-tech spy thriller has you as the secret CIA spy,
searching for clues that would lead to the capture of an international
terrorist. Escape from a secret prison camp somewhere in Europe, and
return home to find that your next assignment brings you into the
investigation of your life..." (author's blurb)
Author: Etienne Pelaprat <lobo@best.com>
Anticipated Release: August 27, 1996
Trinity
"At last! It's time for your well earned vacation. Venice, Rome, the
Vatican, it just has to better than last year's vacation in Arizona.
You'll never forget the noise of those explosions as the farmers tried to
scare off the buzzards. This year you're determined to enjoy yourself,
just a quick check of your luggage to make sure everything is packed
before you call a cab to the airport.
Let's see now.....suncream, travellers cheques, hat.....HAT? Panic sets
in, your plane leaves in 3 hours and you can't find your hat. You
remember what happened last year when you burnt your head on the first
day and had to spend the rest of the vacation wearing a giant sombrero,
complete with gaudy orange tassles hanging from the brim. Not to mention
all those yanks saying 'Have a nice day, gringo!'.
Demo version will be available. The full version complete with manual
and map of the catacombs will cost UKP6.50 (US$12)." (author's blurb)
Author: The Grue! <grue@prism.u-net.com>
Anticipated Release: Spring 1996
Unnkulian Unventure IV: Heart of Unnkul
"You thought you finished them off in 'The Secret of Acme', but those
nasty Unnkulians are back again with more of their nefarious schemes!
Stopping them this time will lead you across the Valley and beyond, and
bring you face to face with the origin of the Unnkulian menace.
Surprises, plot twists, revolting Cheez (tm) products, and generally
wacky things abound in the next chapter of the Unnkulian series!"
(author's blurb)
The long-awaited sequel to UU2.
Author: Chris Nebel <chris@graphsoft.com>
Anticipated Release: maybe 1996
The World of the Tiers Adventure
"Based upon the series of the same name by Philip Jose Farmer. Takes
place on a world shaped like a wedding cake. Levels of the world include
a mythological garden, a grand prairie, a trading level, and the Lord's
castle and prison. A good many of the creatures from the series are there
too." (author's blurb)
Author: Doug Harter <harter@postoffice.ptd.net>
Anticipated Release: Christmas 1996
Worlds on Fire
"WOF is a game that starts you off on a ravaged Earth. You are not sure
what has happened and have something not dissimilar to a case of amnesia
(although you have not lost general knowledge of things, only where you
are, who you are, etc.). It will include three towns, a temple (which
will take you to 3-5 different places) and as many problems (some can't
be called puzzles) as I could logically include. Not only that, but it
includes over 100 rooms (not including the Endless Forest)!
I couldn't make it freeware because I've spent too much time on it to
make it free, yet I wanted it to be cheaper than most other games, so I
made it 5 US dollars. If anyone would like to make a Mac or other type
of computer version of the IBM version which I am working on (which is
the only version, so far) contact me. The source code is not included so
that people can't fiddle with the programming." (author's blurb)
Author: Wolvie <Joshg2099@aol.com>
Anticipated Release: September 1996
A Note About TADS
-----------------
The Text Adventure Development System (TADS) is (surprise!) a system for
writing text adventures. It is currently available for MS-DOS, Macintosh,
Commodore Amiga, Atari ST/TT/Falcon and several flavors of UNIX: 386 Linux,
DECstation (MIPS) under Ultrix, SGI Iris/Indigo under Irix, Sun 3 and Sun 4
(Sparc) under SunOS, Sun Solaris, and NeXT (68040 MACH). The OS/2 and IBM
RT ports are unfortunately not up to date. Game sources and (v2.x) game
files are portable between different platforms.
TADS was shareware (US$40) but is now freeware. A new release with all the
documentation and the debugger will be available in the near future.
TADS is available via anonymous ftp from:
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/programming/tads/
***EOF