A fun game involving the interaction of RPG-style magic and modern appliances. As Philip (last name unspecified), your D&D campaign breaks through into reality, and it's up to you to return the neighborhood to normal. Since it was written specifically for the real Philip by someone in his gaming group, it depends highly on knowledge of their particular fictional world, but everything relevant is explained in a book within the game (which probably robs some of the surprises of their impact.) PC internal speaker music plays on death, which can usually (but not always) be anticipated. Recommended for current or former D&D players; others won't get as much out of it. See Tark for another game inspired by the same D&D campaign.

Rating: ***

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)

1993-12-06 philip.zip (183.90 KB)

AGT executable (bundled with MS-DOS runtime)

1993-12-06 phil-src.zip (56.10 KB)

AGT source code

I'll admit that I haven't played this one very much. How can I review it, then? Simply because I must. There are two urgent warnings you must have about this game. Firstly, you cannot save your game to your hard drive; you must have a floppy to save. Secondly, "put x in y" is not the same as "insert x in y". The former will not produce the side-effects of the latter. For days, I was unable to leave the first three rooms because of this. That said, this game is a Blade Runner-ish search for a missing experimental android in a futuristic city. The parser is very weak. More info will probably follow.

Rating: Not rated

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)

1993-12-20 doplgngr.zip (135.04 KB)

MS-DOS executable (version: 1)

1993-12-06 pilot.zip (162.63 KB)

AGT executable (bundled with MS-DOS runtime)

1993-12-06 pilotsrc.zip (36.03 KB)

AGT source code

The portal in the name is a booth capable of teleporting you at random to various other booths like it throughout the galaxy. Thus, an exploration of various planets (eight in all). Atmospheric in some places, funny in others. It is possible to win without visiting a planet twice, but only if you know what you're doing. The author shows some disdain for mazes, but still includes outdoor mazelike areas. Suffers badly from early AGT parsing - many objects can only be referred to with the right verb, and some verbs are unintuitive (for example, the only way to use a swiss army knife is to "open" the appropriate tool.) A few time limits, a smattering of death, two GAGS monsters, and one riddle. One of the few games with convincing cave scenes.

Rating: ***

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)

1993-12-07 portal.zip (237.93 KB)

AGT executable (version: 1.03, bundled with MS-DOS runtime)

1995-01-12 portal_s.zip (58.30 KB)

AGT source code (version: 1.01)

The dreams of a man who falls asleep during a performance of Wagner's Siegfried. Somewhat amusing. Requires guesswork, and degenrates towards the end into a linear series of one-way passages in which you must already have the necessary item to proceed. Knowledge of the opera helps.

Rating: ***

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)

1993-12-07 ring.zip (103.03 KB)

AGT executable (bundled with MS-DOS runtime)

1995-12-29 ring-src.zip (22.49 KB)

AGT source code

Starting in a hotel in modern Athens, your goal is to journey back in time to find the secret of immortality. A fairly primitive game. Has a two-word parser that pretends to be a full-sentence parser, but handles "all" correctly. Some bugs - I got into a situation where I couldn't drop things. Contains one completely irrelevant maze. Assumes the player is male. Other than that, it's basically one of those reasonably enjoyable small games.

Rating: **

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)

1993-12-16 nectar.zip (50.15 KB)

MS-DOS executable (version: 2.0)

1993-12-15 geneva.zip (73.37 KB)

MS-DOS executable

While you were showering in your high school's locker room, someone stole your clothes and hid them in various parts of the school. A simple game in all respects: two-word parser, split window, the usual two-star deal. Death without warning and no save game feature, but you'll complete it in maybe half an hour anyway.

Rating: **

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)

1993-12-16 gym.zip (31.93 KB)

MS-DOS executable

1997-02-28 gym.sol (470 bytes)

solution

A nice little whimsical fantasy with a good sense of freedom, primitive but fun. Save the infant prince and retrieve the royal crown from a dragon. The whole world is an 8x8 grid. Little detail, small command set, split window, few and simple puzzles.

Rating: **

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)

1993-12-16 magiclnd.zip (32.68 KB)

MS-DOS executable (version: 1.00), hints

1993-12-16 melita.zip (156.69 KB)

MS-DOS executable

In this simple and silly game, you must rescue Penelope Veryrich, an heiress, from the palace where the Sheik of Avarice has imprisoned her. Two-word parser with a small command set, split screen, goofy and juvenile sense of humor. Has death without warning and no save game feature, but is small enough that replaying it from the start isn't a big hassle.

Rating: **

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)

1993-12-06 palace.zip (31.72 KB)

MS-DOS executable

1997-02-28 palace.sol (469 bytes)

solution

1993-12-06 phantom.zip (38.21 KB)

MS-DOS executable

1993-12-07 pquest1.zip (115.61 KB)

MS-DOS executable

1995-11-17 atari8gm.zip (790.45 KB)

Atari 800 executable

1997-06-09 C64adv.zip (2.78 MB)

Commodore executable (optional graphics)

1993-12-07 pulsar7.zip (11.40 KB)

MS-DOS executable

1997-09-08 mystsoft.zip (533.94 KB)

Spectrum executable (optional graphics)

1997-11-27 zx.zip (2.88 MB)

Spectrum executable (optional graphics)

1998-04-06 mysterious_inform.zip (108.66 KB)

Z-code 5 executable (ported by Paul David Doherty and Bjorn Gustavsson, no graphics)

2004-12-12 mysterious_z6.zip (907.01 KB)

Z-code 6 executable (ported by Colin Davies, optional graphics)

1994-10-05 mysterious.tar.gz (48.00 KB)

ScottFree executable

1995-11-21 jgunness.zip (159.04 KB)

walkthrough

1996-10-15 Sols2.zip (38.22 KB)

solution

1993-12-07 rimworld.zip (81.45 KB)

MS-DOS executable (version: 2.11)

1995-07-11 rimworld.sol (1.84 KB)

solution

1993-12-07 scloud.zip (62.79 KB)

MS-DOS executable

1993-12-15 gothic.zip (162.77 KB)

AGT executable (bundled with MS-DOS runtime)

A loose adaptation of an Eamon module based on a Monty Python film based on Arthurian legend. Extremely silly in a way that falls flat more often than not. (Imagine taking old Monty Python routines and changing all the details in ways that make them less funny...) The only thing that saves this game is a couple of good, not-too-difficult puzzle sequences. Contains randomized combat (albeit not as much as the Eamon module on which it's based).

Rating: ***

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)

1993-12-15 grail.zip (128.67 KB)

AGT executable (version: 2,1, bundled with MS-DOS runtime)

1995-12-29 grail-s.zip (37.95 KB)

AGT source code (version: 2.1), solution

1993-12-06 jubilee.zip (162.62 KB)

AGT executable (bundled with MS-DOS runtime)

1997-07-14 jubilee.sol (12.47 KB)

solution

Your career as an accomplished Spell Flinger is threatened when your arch-enemy Blackwing steals your Flingshot, so you have to retrieve it from the depths of the Pit he calls home. One of those games where every object has exactly one use. Some bugs, but none that obstruct victory. Somewhat linear, and easy except for a few nonsense puzzles, which can be solved by trial-and-error. Can be won in one sitting. Presumed humorous.

Rating: ***

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)

1993-12-16 odieus.zip (101.70 KB)

AGT executable (ported by David Malmberg, bundled with MS-DOS runtime)

1993-03-24 odieusrc.zip (21.18 KB)

AGT source code (ported by David Malmberg)

1994-12-16 odieus.inf (45.09 KB)

Inform source code (version: Release 1, ported by Teo Kwang Liak)

1994-10-27 odieus.zip (31.23 KB)

Z-code 5 executable (version: 1, ported by Teo Kwang Liak)

1993-04-02 flingsho.sol (731 bytes)

solution

A guide to the main library of the University of Pennsylvania. Although it has an ostensible goal (finding a particular book), it's basically just an interactive map. Buggy and unexciting.

Rating: **

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)

1993-12-16 ovanpelt.zip (87.92 KB)

AGT executable (bundled with MS-DOS runtime)

An evocative game in a beautiful setting with Buddhist decor. Your task is to banish Black Dragon from the World Beyond. To do this, you will have to get the cooperation of the other dragons (who symbolize various elemental forces), despite the uncertainty of their own fate if you succeed. Intriguing but simple puzzles, good sense of freedom, built-in hints in the form of visions gained from meditating. It is possible to get into no-win situations without realizing it.

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (30 Jun 2000)

1993-03-09 onehand.tar.Z (145.06 KB)

AdvSys 1.2 executable (version: 1, The AdvSys data file and source code for an AdvSys runtime)

1993-12-20 onehand.zip (104.41 KB)

AdvSys 1.2 executable (version: 1, bundled with MS-DOS runtime, The AdvSys data file and source code for an AdvSys runtime)

2002-12-16 onehand.html (119.64 KB)

solution

Dress like a pirate! A nice little prologue to a "Pirates Guild" game which was apparently never completed. If IntroComp had been around in 1993, this would fit right in.

Rating: **

Reviewed by Carl Muckenhoupt (08 Aug 2005)

1993-03-09 onehand.tar.Z (145.06 KB)

AdvSys 1.2 executable

1993-12-20 onehand.zip (104.41 KB)

AdvSys 1.2 executable (bundled with MS-DOS runtime)