The (Other) TADS Game List - Part 2 -------------------------- Maintained by Gerry Kevin Wilson and Paul David Doherty Provided by The Grue! Version 1.1 (March 25, 1996) @~Continued from Issue 44 John's Fire Witch (FIRWITCH.GAM) "A snack-sized text adventure. Go on a scavenger hunt for the seven deadly sins, outsmart various evil creatures, and rescue the game's author from permanent freezer burn. The difficulty level is for beginner to intermediate players." (author's blurb) 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 (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) Author: Dan "The Grim Reaper" Shiovitz (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 (c) 1990,95 Freeware Released: January 1996 Latest Version: 1.01/960114 (TADS 2.2.0, 14 Feb 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 Commercial $25 Released: Latest Version: -=-=- 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, , 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: D. A. Leary (c) 1993 [Commercial US$25] (Demo Edition available) -- The game is commercial but no longer available, and may become shareware soon. 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: D. A. Leary (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. " (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: D. A. Leary (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 (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 seearch 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: D. A. Leary (c) 1993 [Commercial US$20] (Demo Edition available) -- The game is commercial but no longer available, and may become shareware soon. Released: Latest Version: 1.0 @~More next issue - o -