Classic Personal Computer (PC) Games

Author: admin

  • Roboman

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Brian Goble GAME DEVELOPER:XOR Corporation GAME PUBLISHER:XOR Corporation Copyright 1989, XOR Corporation A fun little Lode Runner clone, Roboman is a good example of a game that does nothing to advance the collect-things-and-find-the-exit genre, but effectively implements tried-and-true formula in an elegant simplicity. The idea is…

  • Blockout

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Alexander Ustaszewski & Mirek Zablocki GAME DEVELOPER:California Dreams GAME PUBLISHER:California Dreams Copyright 1989, California Dreams One of the best Tetris clones ever made, California Dreams’ Blockout is essentially Tetris with a third dimension: depth. In this first official Tetris variant that was not published by Spectrum…

  • Oxyd Magnum

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Meinolf Schneider GAME DEVELOPER:Dongleware GAME PUBLISHER:Dongleware Copyright 1998, Dongleware Oxyd Magnum is a fun shareware puzzle/action hybrid that plays like a cross between Marble Madness, Macintosh classic Crystal Quest and Chip’s Challenge. The game even boasts a plot: overnight, the (digital) life-supporting Oxyds have closed up…

  • Wing Commander: The Kilrathi Saga

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Roberts GAME DEVELOPER:Origin Systems GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1997, Origin Systems One of the best gaming compilations ever made that unfortunately attracted too little attention, Wing Commander: The Kilrathi Saga is a great package that contains the first 3 games in Chris Roberts’ mega-hit Wing…

  • Rocket Jockey

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Sean Callahan GAME DEVELOPER:Rocket Science Games GAME PUBLISHER:Segasoft Copyright 1996, Rocket Science Games One of the most original futuristic sport games ever made, Rocket Jockey is undoubtedly the best game Rocket Science produced in their short career as game developer. Unfortunately, its very steep hardware requirements…

  • Metal Marines Master Edition

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Mindscape GAME PUBLISHER:Mindscape Copyright 1995, Mindscape & Namco Metal Marines is a unique RTS (Real Time Strategy) war game that is a fun and challenging game once you get used to the frantic pace of gameplay. This Windows game has a lot going for…

  • Manchester United: The Double

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Krisalis GAME PUBLISHER:Krisalis Copyright 1995, Krisalis Manchester United – The Double is successor of Krisalis’ well-regarded Manchester United Premier League Champions, and arguably the best in a Manchester United-licensed trilogy that began with Manchester United Europe. Third time is indeed the charm, as Krisalis…

  • Operation Overlord

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Paul Dunscombe GAME DEVELOPER:Rowan GAME PUBLISHER:Virgin Interactive Copyright 1994, Rowan Operation Overlord is the third game from Rowan Software, a small British developer that remains today one of the best “hard-core” flight sim companies. In this excellent World War II sim, it is your job as…

  • Mine Shaft

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Redekopp GAME DEVELOPER:Sierra On-Line GAME PUBLISHER:IBM Copyright 1983, Sierra On-Line Lackluster action game that follows in the footsteps of Pac-Man, only a lot less fun. As Trixter notes in his capsule review: “Unexciting gameplay and faulty contols make this one to avoid. The good: the…

  • Frogger

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Olaf Lubeck GAME DEVELOPER:Sierra On-Line GAME PUBLISHER:SEGA Copyright 1983, Sierra On-Line One of the first really good conversion of a hit arcade game, Sierra’s Frogger replicates the fun of SEGA’s coin-op classic almost perfectly. The goal in this deceptively simple game is to hop your way…

  • Crossfire

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jay Sullivan GAME DEVELOPER:Sierra On-Line GAME PUBLISHER:IBM Copyright 1982, Sierra On-Line Crossfire is a decent clone of the arcade game Targ, in which you must blast your way out of an all-sides attack. Simple gameplay, but surprisingly fun, as Trixter observes in his capsule review: “The…

  • Oil’s Well

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Rinck GAME DEVELOPER:Sierra On-Line GAME PUBLISHER:Disney Copyright 1984, Sierra On-Line A fun little clone of classic Digger, Oil’s Well is fast, fun, but somehow missing the longevity that makes Digger a classic. As MobyGames describes it, the objective is to: “…extend your oil-mining robotic arm…

  • Black Cauldron, The

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Al Lowe GAME DEVELOPER:Sierra On-Line GAME PUBLISHER:Disney Copyright 1987, Sierra On-Line The Black Cauldron is a fun adventure for kids based on a quite obscure Disney’s movie of the same name, which was in turn based on the popular “Chronicles of Prydain” series of children’s books…

  • BC’s Quest for Tires

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chuck Benton GAME DEVELOPER:Sierra On-Line GAME PUBLISHER:Sydney Development Copyright 1984, Sierra On-Line A moderately popular game on the C64 that went unnoticed on the PC, Sierra’s BC’s Quest for Tires is an average early platform game based on B.C., a popular Johnny Hart comic strip. You…

  • Troll’s Tale

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Al Lowe GAME DEVELOPER:Sierra On-Line GAME PUBLISHER:Disney Copyright 1984, Sierra On-Line Troll’s Tale is a charming, early kid’s game from Al Lowe, creator of Leisure Suit Larry series. The object is simple: collect treasures in a world populated by Trolls and other fantasy creatures. Similar to…

  • Larry Vales II: Dead Girls are Easy

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Phillip Reed GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Phillip Reed Larry Vales II is a hilarious freeware adventure game by Phillip Reed, creator of cult classic Larry Vales: Traffic Division. I hope you’ll forgive me, but I will mostly be comparing Larry Vales II to the…

  • Egoboo

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ben Bishop GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Ben Bishop According to The Word Spy, an “Egoboo” is a “Recognition and praise for a task well done, particularly a task that is performed for free; (ego + boost).” This definition suites this game perfectly: it’s a…

  • Mantis: XF-5700 Experimental Fighter

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Glen Dill & Paul Conklin GAME DEVELOPER:Microplay GAME PUBLISHER:Microplay Copyright 1992, Microplay Mantis is one of the least known Microplay / Microprose games ever made, and for good reason: it is a mediocre ship-to-ship flight combat simulator that offers nothing new to fans of the genre.…

  • Stargoose

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Logotron GAME PUBLISHER:Logotron Copyright 1988, Logotron Probably one of the most pirated games in computer history (right up there with California Dreams’ Blockout), Stargoose is a cute little top-down shooter starring you as *cough* a futuristic goose. Aside from the usual assortment of enemy…

  • Disasteroids 3D

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:LMNOpc GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, LMNOpc If you’ve ever played the original Asteroids or a clone thereof, then you know what this is about. No surprises here…same mindlessly entertaining gameplay with very nice Open-GL 3D graphix and lighting/particle effects. Very cool looking explosions! Features…

  • Daggerfall

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Julian Lefay & Ted Peterson GAME DEVELOPER:Bethesda Softworks GAME PUBLISHER:Bethesda Softworks Copyright 1995, Bethesda Softworks A spectacular successor to The Elder Scrolls: Arena which introduces the fantasy world of Tamriel to RPGers, Daggerfall is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious and in-depth RPGs ever created. As…

  • Xargon

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Allen Pilgrim & Joe Hitchens GAME DEVELOPER:Epic Megagames GAME PUBLISHER:Epic Megagames Copyright 1993, Epic Megagames One of Epic Megagames’ most obscure shareware titles, Xargon is a fun scrolling arcade/adventure game base on the same engine as its much more popular cousin Jill of the Jungle. As…

  • Moorhuhn Jagd 2

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Phenomedia GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Phenomedia The sequel to Moorhuhn Jagd, one of the best free promotional games ever made, Phenomedia’s Moorhuhn Jagd is as addictive as the original, if not more so. As with its predecessor, the goal in this “virtual moorland chicken…

  • Moorhuhn Jagd

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Frank Ziemlinski GAME DEVELOPER:Phenomedia GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1998, Phenomedia One of the best promotional games ever made, Moorhuhn is a fun bird (and a few other animals) shooting game that was responsible for a severe productivity drop in Germany since 1998 😉 (joking, of course). Although…

  • Catch The Cookie

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Anonymous GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1998, Nabisco Catch The Cookie is a fun, if mindless, arcade/shooter game included free inside a few Nabisco packages. The game was marketed only in Spain, which is a shame, because it’s very playable and strangely addictive. Gameplay is an…

  • In Extremis

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Delphine Software GAME PUBLISHER:Delphine Software Copyright 1993, Delphine Software In Extremis is probably the most obscure game Delphine ever developed, and for good reason. In contrast to the great blend of cinematic cutscenes and fun gameplay of Out of This World and Flashback, In…

  • Murder Makes Strange Deadfellows

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Tiger Media GAME PUBLISHER:Tiger Media Copyright 1992, Tiger Media Murder Makes Strange Deadfellows is a standard “Whodunit?” mystery game. You play the role of Nick Steere, you and your family have gathered for the will reading of your great uncle Randolph Steere. After the…

  • Dark Designs II: Closing The Gate

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Carmack GAME DEVELOPER:SoftDisk Publishing GAME PUBLISHER:SoftDisk Publishing Copyright 1991, SoftDisk Publishing Dark Designs I and II are decent dungeon romp RPGs similar to early Wizardry and Ultima games: multi-character party, and first-person perspective that shifts to top-down view in combat. In and of themselves, both…

  • Dark Designs I: Grelminar’s Staff

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Carmack GAME DEVELOPER:SoftDisk Publishing GAME PUBLISHER:SoftDisk Publishing Copyright 1990, SoftDisk Publishing Dark Designs I and II are decent dungeon romp RPGs similar to early Wizardry and Ultima games: multi-character party, and first-person perspective that shifts to top-down view in combat. In and of themselves, both…

  • Dino-Sorcerer

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Romero GAME DEVELOPER:SoftDisk Publishing GAME PUBLISHER:SoftDisk Publishing Copyright 1991, SoftDisk Publishing A fun little mix-and-match program for kids, Dino-Sorcerer is probably best remembered as one of the last games coded by John Romero before he left SoftDisk to form id Software with John and Adrian…

  • C.Y.P.H.E.R. Operation Wildlife

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jeffrey Silverman GAME DEVELOPER:Tanager GAME PUBLISHER:Tanager Copyright 1991, Tanager One of the most obscure, underrated edutainment titles ever, Tanager’s C.Y.P.H.E.R. Operation Wildlife and Operation US Presidents are two wonderful games designed for kids aged 8 and up that teach a range of subjects in a unique…

  • C.Y.P.H.E.R. Operation US Presidents

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jeffrey Silverman GAME DEVELOPER:Tanager GAME PUBLISHER:Tanager Copyright 1992, Tanager One of the most obscure, underrated edutainment titles ever, Tanager’s C.Y.P.H.E.R. Operation Wildlife and Operation US Presidents are two wonderful games designed for kids aged 8 and up that teach a range of subjects in a unique…

  • Spy vs. Spy 3: Arctic Antics

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:James Nangano GAME DEVELOPER:First Star GAME PUBLISHER:Free Spirit Copyright 1987, First Star A somewhat disappointing end to one of the best two-player splitscreen series ever, Spy vs Spy 3: Arctic Antics marks the comeback of those wicked spies Black & White from MAD Magazine to the…

  • Space Empires IV

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Aaron Hall GAME DEVELOPER:Malfador Machinations GAME PUBLISHER:Shrapnel Games Copyright 2001, Malfador Machinations One of the best turn-based “4X” space strategy games ever made Space Empires IV is a massive space strategy game for Windows. You control your empire in an ever-changing and hostile galaxy. All the…

  • URI Quest

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jeff Carroll GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Jeff Carroll One of the best fanmade, and most obscure, AGI games ever made, URI Quest (short for University of Rhode Island Quest) is a fun game by Jeff Carroll that chronicles his life as an URI undergraduate.…

  • Cannon Fodder

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Sensible Software GAME PUBLISHER:Virgin Interactive Copyright 1993, Sensible Software Probably the first violent action game in gaming history to succeed at depicting violence in cutesy cartoon feel, Cannon Fodder is a great game from Sensible Software, makers of Sensible Soccer games. Similar to their…

  • Rob Blanc 3: The Temporal Terrorists

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ben Croshaw GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Ben Croshaw The Rob Blanc games are a very unknown adventure series made by Ben Croshaw. This is the third installment, and undoubtably the best one. The first game was very short, and told the story of how…

  • God of Thunder

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ron David GAME DEVELOPER:Adept Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1993, Adept Software God of Thunder is a superb Zelda-style puzzle game by Adept Software, a little known development group. Ron Davis led the programming team, and Jason Blochowiak (of Commander Keen and Wolfenstein 3D fame) helped out…

  • Falcon 3.0

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Spectrum Holobyte GAME PUBLISHER:Spectrum Holobyte Copyright 1991, Spectrum Holobyte One of the best flight simulators ever made for the PC, Falcon 3.0 became an instant classic upon its release in 1991, and the benchmark against which all later “hard-core” modern flight sims would be…

  • Shadoworlds

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dean Lester GAME DEVELOPER:Krisalis GAME PUBLISHER:Krisalis Copyright 1992, Krisalis Shadoworlds is the less-known sequel to Domark’s underrated RPG Shadowlands, this time with a fantasy plot replaced by sci-fi setting. Similar to Shadowlands, you control a party of four characters, sent to investigate the mysterious lack of…

  • Sarakon

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Starbyte GAME PUBLISHER:Starbyte Copyright 1990, Starbyte Saralon is an entertaining Chinese-flavored puzzle game. Uses some ideas from Activision’s earlier classic Mahjongg game Shanghai, though with different rules and offers more than enough of its own to not be considered a clone. Nicely presented; fun,…

  • Ballyhoo

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jeff O’Neill GAME DEVELOPER:Infocom GAME PUBLISHER:Infocom Copyright 1985, Infocom One of Infocom’s most underrated releases, Ballyhoo is a fun, intermediate-level text adventure set in a premise not commonly found in IF games: a circus. I’ll let Joan Rouleau’s 1986 review in now-defunct Compute! magazine speak of…

  • Plundered Hearts

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Amy Briggs GAME DEVELOPER:Infocom GAME PUBLISHER:Infocom Copyright 1987, Infocom Plundered Hearts is one of the most underrated Infocom classics ever. Aside from the fact that it’s set in an unusual (and very intriguing) setting (17th century Caribbean seas), the game is most notable for being the…

  • Seastalker

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Stu Galley GAME DEVELOPER:Infocom GAME PUBLISHER:Infocom Copyright 1984, Infocom One of Infocom’s best introductory-level text adventures, Seastalker is a fun undersea adventure that will delight fans of Wishbringer and anyone new to the interactive fiction genre. Matthew Murray’s brief review of the game highlights this underdog…

  • Lurking Horror, The

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dave Lebling GAME DEVELOPER:Infocom GAME PUBLISHER:Infocom Copyright 1984, Infocom My third most favorite Infocom game (after Trinity and A Mind Forever Voyaging), The Lurking Horror is, without a doubt, one of the best horror computer games ever made. It is nothing short of extraordinary that a…

  • Computer Novel Construction Set

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Hayden Software GAME PUBLISHER:Hayden Software Copyright 1985, Hayden Software Arguably the world’s first commercial text adventure authoring program for IBM PC, Hayden’s Computer Novel Construction Set is a surprisingly versatile program that lets non-programmers create stand-alone text adventures in the Infocom tradition, complete with…

  • Sherlock: Riddle of The Crown Jewels

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Bob Bates GAME DEVELOPER:Infocom GAME PUBLISHER:Infocom Copyright 1988, Infocom Bob Bates’ first game for Infocom (before the much better Arthur and his more famous role as the founder and designer of Legend Entertainment) showcases his talent in writing and attention to detail, but sadly falls flat…

  • Beyond Zork: The Coconut of Quendor

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Brian Moriarty GAME DEVELOPER:Infocom GAME PUBLISHER:Infocom Copyright 1987, Infocom Arguably Infocom’s most unique interactive fiction (IF), Beyond Zork is a fun fantasy text adventure/RPG hybrid that attempts to do many things, and achieves most of them. Designed by Brian “Professor” Moriarty (who is more famous as…

  • 221B Baker Street

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Datasoft GAME PUBLISHER:Datasoft Copyright 1987, Datasoft 221B Baker Street is a solid computer version of an underrated board game of the same name, which is similar to Clue! but with more challenging cases and innovations that evoke the feel of Holmesian London. As in…

  • Transfer

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    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Todd Levi GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Todd Levi Transfer is a great sci-fi interactive fiction that placed a respectable 5th place in the 2000 Annual IF Competition. I personally like it less than previous year’s Babel by Ian Finley, but ther are enough challenging…