The Coast House
                    On this issue's disk

                      Reviewed by Sue

You've never been close to Grandfather Sorich, especially since
your grandmother died eight years ago. Now he's in the Shady
Pastures Convalescent Home and one day when you pay him a rare
visit, he surprises you by speaking to you when your mother leaves
the room.

"Go back to Dalton. Your grandmother left something she wanted you
to have," he tells you, then as your mother returns, he falls
silent. Dalton is where the family lived years ago, where your
mother was born and brought up. You decide to follow his
instructions when you get a chance. Two years later, a trip across
country gives you the opportunity to travel back to the small
American town which is part of your heritage.

The town of Dalton was renamed years ago as a tribute to the
Dalton family, especially Claude Dalton and his brother Clyde who
was a war hero. The Dalton family home, now a museum, lies to the
north of the town and the cemetary where your grandmother and the
two Dalton brothers are buried is to the south. Between the two is
the old family home. Once you have managed to get inside, you can
explore. There aren't many rooms, but there are some photos which
give an insight into your grandparents' early life.

The town is compact with a small harbour area, a pier and a boat
ramp. An old fisherman mutters about the past as he trims shrimps
- who could he be? Maybe he could help explain your grandfather's
words.

There's another area of interest. A swampy area surrounds the
family house and one path leads to a boat shed. It would probably
be worth a look but a cloud of vicious mosquitoes stop you getting
close.


I'm not usually a fan of what I'd call a 'real life' adventure,
set in recognisable locations rather than dungeons or mythical
settings. But The Coast House is a well structured and well
written game which kept my attention. It isn't hard by any
standards, unless you do what I did, my forte, and miss a
location! It was only when I methodically checked round that I
found some vital rooms. Sigh. Even with that hold-up, it only took
me a matter of a few hours to finish the game. But they were a few
hours which I really enjoyed.

There were a couple of small plot holes which I could quibble
over, mostly relating to the identities of two people which the
game seems to assume we know, but I certainly didn't. I didn't
spot any bugs and the ending, though abrupt, was quite satisfying.





                              - o -