Phlegm
    (A text adventure by Jason Dyer - part of Disk 1174)

                   Reviewed by Bev Truter

Oooh Yes!!! This short little game is exactly my style of thing,
and it's the first 1996 I-F Competition game I've played that has
appealed to me so much.  PHLEGM (no, I couldn't fathom the title
either) is a small 8-location jobbie, written with Inform, and
contains several mind-bogglingly silly puzzles to solve and
several ludicrous objects to find and use. It's reminiscent of
Douglas Adams mixed with a dollop of Monty Python, and here's the
author's short introduction to warn you what to expect if you
fancy playing it:

"This is a ludicrous game. It is impossible to make mistakes that
will prevent you from winning. Common sense should be avoided
whenever possible ..  Life. Death. Aerosol deodorants. For many
years philosophers have pondered these great mysteries. Now you
are about to ponder the greatest mystery of all ..."

Actually, there turns out to be no great mystery at all, unless
it's the ending; but this is definitely one of those games you
play for the sheer entertainment of the playing, never mind about
the ending. This is a light, fluffy souffl' of a game, with not a
single serious thought in its head or point of view to hammer
home. It's fun, it's amusing, it's charming, it's easy to play and
it has a built-in hint system if you're stuck. Here's the gist of
the plot (yes, it even has a plot!):

You begin in the Town Square, gazing at a wooden chest lodged
firmly in a tree above your head. Apparently it contains The
Treasure Of Phlegm. There's a cannon nearby, pointed directly at
the tree, and all you have to do is find a projectile to load in
the cannon, something combustible to make it fire, and something
to light the fuse at the cannon's rear. Simple, you think? Not so,
for nothing works out quite as you expect it to.

You have a small pet lemming (snoozing in your coat pocket) called
Leo, and he plays a vital role in the game. There are 8 delightful
locations to visit, each containing several original puzzles, and
a lovely sub-quest involving a search for The Four Magic Crayons
Of Destiny. I particularly liked the Mayan Ruins and The End Of
The World - and yes, there *is* a restaurant there.

PHLEGM ends when you manage to dislodge the chest from the tree.
And what exactly is the Treasure of Phlegm inside the chest? Aaah,
play the game and find out for yourself.











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