Hermit’s Secret

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs

GAME DESIGNER:
GAME DEVELOPER:Temple Software
GAME PUBLISHER:Temple Software
Copyright 1982, Temple Software

The Phantom’s Revenge, Hermit’s Secret, and Castle Elsinore are three early pieces of IF from Temple Software that are of very little value except for its age . Hermit’s Secretis very similar to Colossal Cave: your goal in the game is to discover as many treasures (belonging to the mysterious hermit in the title) as possible. To this end, you wander around, finding treasures and putting them in the appropriate location.

Riddled with below-average writing, inane puzzles, and inflexible parser that understands only the most basic verb-noun sentences, Hermit’s Secret would deserve complete anonymity if not for some logical puzzles that do require a modicum of thought. It is also very unforgiving: once you find all the treasures, you only have a few moves to get back to the town hall to deposit them. Don’t expect this game to be more than what it is: an Infocom wannabe that falls far off the mark.