Level 9 Computing, Ltd.

Adventure Quest

Adventure Quest

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

Text only version released in 1984, rereleased in 1986 with high res graphics. The sequel to Colossal Adventure is an interactive fiction game with a VERB NOUN interface. The fantasy setting takes a clear influence from Lord of the Rings. After centuries of harmony, Middle Earth has hit problems due to a cataclysmic sequence of events - a crop failure leading to animals turning violent, and then an attack from a mysterious enemy to the north. The evil Demon Lord Alagiarept is discovered to be responsible, and as such the Wizards are given a week to beat him, before Middle Earth must surrender. You play a rookie magician with Meditation, Mysticism and Moneymaking skills. While the main war goes on, you attempt a much bolder mission - locate the four Stones-of-the-Elements and the Medallion of Life to enter Alagiarept's Dark Tower and kill him. Your quest will take you through Beaches, Moors and Rocky Outcrops, as well as more specific locations such as the Pillar in the Desert, the Cave of the Sun-Dial and the Mills of God. Wolves, skeletal hands, sharks and octopuses must be dealt with.
Annals of Rome

Annals of Rome

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1986

Annals of Rome begins in 273BC and sets you as a Roman senator, with the ultimate aim of colonizing as much of the known world as possible, and retaining that power against Carthaginians, Vandals, Parthians, Persians and all the other world forces. You have a strong army at your disposal, and can direct your generals as to which countries they attempt to invade. The game is turn-based, and these turns operate in phases, beginning with the economic circumstances of population and tax income being decided - it's recommended to keep taxation taxing low unless things become desperate. The game then updates you on the statuses of your generals, and give you the chance to redistribute them to other parts of your kingdom. Officers may rebel and cause a civil war - fortunately this can usually be pre-empted. More serious are attempts to take land from other civilizations, which take place in order and include conflicts between other groups. These, like every element of the game, are accurately historically modeled and variable in time-span as a result.
Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid

MS-DOS - Released - 1990

Billy the Kid is set in the Wild West and features William H. Bonney, the famous outlaw also known as Billy the Kid, and his adversary Sheriff Pat Garrett. Both are hired by the rancher John Tunstall to protect Lincoln County from outlaws. Unfortunately Tunstall is murdered and the two disagree how to proceed: while Garrett wants to strengthen law and order, Billy the Kid sets out to avenge Tunstall the hard way. The player chooses between the role of Billy the Kid or Garrett which changes their goals, e.g. as Billy the Kid the player needs to build up an outlaw army. During the game, the next destination is chosen through an overhead map, e.g. the city of Santa Fe or a camp of Native Americans. In cities, the player can move, enter different buildings and talk to people in order to receive hints what to do next (sometimes hints are also received when entering one of the other locations on the map). Some people need to be bribed with money which can be earned with certain actions like robbing a bank. Often the character has to engage in action sequences, e.g. a shootout in which crosshairs are moved over the screen to shoot enemies as soon as they leave their cover. When the basic goal is reached, the game culminates in a shootout between Billy the Kid and Garrett.
Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1991

Billy The Kid is a action/adventure hybrid in the style of Cinemaware's It Came From The Desert game, except this time you can play as either the legendary outlaw, or Sheriff Pat Garrett, the sheriff who hunted him down. The game is action-oriented, although you must follow the plot to know what to do next (as Billy the Kid, for example, your first task is to rob the bank). Most action sequences are either first-person gunfights (similar to Virtua Squad), or top-down action on horseback. The gameworld is vast: you will be able to visit numerous towns in the wild west from Santa Fe to El Paso, as well as forts, Indian settlements, and more. Naturally, each character has his own plot as well as unique action sequences. Stumble upon the outlaw's campfire as the sheriff, for example, and you will have to hunt them down in an action sequence; visit it as Billy the Kid, and you will meet fellow outlaws who will share tips and dispense clues.
Champion of the Raj

Champion of the Raj

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1991

India: land of spices and sumptuous wealth. So full of riches that greedy nations, such as the British and the French, have been tempted to grab the spoils. Champion of the Raj is about this historical struggle for power and possession, fundamentally a strategy game with a few arcade sequences added to pull in the punters. Choose one of the six leaders which include Sikh, Mogul or European, to fight over strife ridden India. Why not carry on the colonies and select the role of Viceroy of the British East India Company. Nothing wrong with plundering is there, pip, pip!!? The graphics aren't bad, but one of the greatest shortcomings is in the sound department. For a game of this potential, melodies consisting of what sounds like an elaborate police siren just aren't enough. An enjoyable game to play nevertheless, although Mahatma Gandhi is probably spinning in his grave.
Champion of the Raj

Champion of the Raj

MS-DOS - Released - 1991

Set in 1800, Champion of the Raj places you in command of one of five factions (British, French, Mogul Empire, Maruthras, Sikhs or Gurkhas) vying for control of India. Territories under your control will generate taxes which can be put towards hiring troops, improving the military, industry or law and order. Hiring troops and improving their weaponry allows players to attack and capture other territories, while investing in industry or law and order can improve the economy and reduce discontent. Players can also choose to use negotiation to bring new territories into their empire. The result of these negotiations often hinges on winning arcade sequences, an elephant race or a tiger hunt. Arcade sequences also follow major events such as capturing the palace of an enemy empire.
Champion of the Raj

Champion of the Raj

Atari ST - Released - 1991

Set in 1800, Champion of the Raj places you in command of one of five factions (British, French, Mogul Empire, Maruthras, Sikhs or Gurkhas) vying for control of India. Territories under your control will generate taxes which can be put towards hiring troops, improving the military, industry or law and order. Hiring troops and improving their weaponry allows players to attack and capture other territories, while investing in industry or law and order can improve the economy and reduce discontent. Players can also choose to use negotiation to bring new territories into their empire. The result of these negotiations often hinges on winning arcade sequences, an elephant race or a tiger hunt. Arcade sequences also follow major events such as capturing the palace of an enemy empire.
Colossal Adventure

Colossal Adventure

Enterprise - Released - 1985

Colossal Adventure takes its cue from the very earliest mainframe text adventures. Our hero must rescue the elves and find fifteen pieces of treasure. There are many dark areas, so lights and batteries are at a premium. Be careful of vicious dwarves, who can be killed using axes. You can carry up to four objects at a time; the useful ones include a newspaper, keys and sandwiches. The vocabulary includes saying spell names, DROPping items to stay within the carrying limit (and for other specific reasons), CATCHing a bird, and standard directions plus IN and OUT.

Colossal Adventure

Camputers Lynx - 1983

Colossal Adventure takes its cue from the very earliest mainframe text adventures. Our hero must rescue the elves and find fifteen pieces of treasure. There are many dark areas, so lights and batteries are at a premium. Be careful of vicious dwarves, who can be killed using axes. You can carry up to four objects at a time; the useful ones include a newspaper, keys and sandwiches. The vocabulary includes saying spell names, DROPping items to stay within the carrying limit (and for other specific reasons), CATCHing a bird, and standard directions plus IN and OUT.
Gnome Ranger

Gnome Ranger

MS-DOS - Released - 1987

Ingrid Bottomlow stands out from her family of gnomes - she's a gifted student, with a degree from the Institute of Gnome Economics. As a result, they exile her using a teleporting spell, leaving her lost in the forest. It is your job to keep her safe in this interactive fiction game. The game is split into three tasks, broadly relating to animal, vegetable and mineral in that order. The first involves defeating an evil witch, the second is the Riddle of the Shrinking Teapot, and the third involves precious stones. Commands such as FOLLOW, FIND and GO TO make travelling the game world much easier, and put an emphasis on object-manipulation and character interaction, rather than map-making. Instructions can be issued to other characters, with words like THEN, FIND and GIVE to join them. This co-operation is essential to solve many puzzles, and takes place in a world where characters have their own aims and motives. There are BRIEF and VERBOSE modes of text. A running joke in the game is that the screen display adds a 'g' to the start of all words beginning with n - 'gnorth' and 'gnugget' for example. Graphics are included in the disk versions of the game, except in the ports for Atari 8-bit and Apple II, which are text-only on every media.
Gnome Ranger

Gnome Ranger

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1987

Ingrid Bottomlow stands out from her family of gnomes - she's a gifted student, with a degree from the Institute of Gnome Economics. As a result, they exile her using a teleporting spell, leaving her lost in the forest. It is your job to keep her safe in this interactive fiction game. The game is split into three tasks, broadly relating to animal, vegetable and mineral in that order. The first involves defeating an evil witch, the second is the Riddle of the Shrinking Teapot, and the third involves precious stones. Commands such as FOLLOW, FIND and GO TO make travelling the game world much easier, and put an emphasis on object-manipulation and character interaction, rather than map-making. Instructions can be issued to other characters, with words like THEN, FIND and GIVE to join them. This co-operation is essential to solve many puzzles, and takes place in a world where characters have their own aims and motives. There are BRIEF and VERBOSE modes of text. A running joke in the game is that the screen display adds a 'g' to the start of all words beginning with n - 'gnorth' and 'gnugget' for example.
Ingrid's Back

Ingrid's Back

MS-DOS - Released - 1988

Ingrid is Ingrid Bottomlow, the intellectual-but-clumsy gnome we met in Gnome Ranger. Her beloved home village Little Moaning is earmarked for a yuppie-friendly transformation by Jasper Quickbuck of Ridley's Manor. Ingrid has three cunning plans to stop him - producing a petition with everybody's signature, finding a more orthodox prevention method, and finally infiltrating Ridley's Manor itself by pretending to be a maid, and then finding proof that he's a dodgy geezer who should be locked up. These three quests can be played in any order, although they logically follow on from each other. She is accompanied by Flopsy the dog in the first 2 parts, and her cousin Daisy in the third. Ingrid's Back! uses the same game system as the original, and other contemporary Level 9 titles such as Knight Orc . Giving instructions to other characters (including Flopsy) and jumping around the map using GO TO and FOLLOW commands. A living and breathing world of people travelling, trading and relaxing underpins it all, and plays a part in most puzzles. The disk versions of the game contain graphics, the exception being the ports for Apple II and Atari 8-bit, which are text-only.
Ingrid's Back!

Ingrid's Back!

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1988

I’ve never yet met a gnome that I haven’t eaten. In fact, if I ever come across Ingrid in person it’ll bee goodbye Nettlefield, goodbye Flopsy and hello after-dinner snack. Ha! That should keep her away. The last thing I want is tiny busybodies messing up all the billy-goat trophies knocking about in my hole. What do you mean, what am I talking about? You remember Ingrid don’t you? Her mum and dad made the mistake sending her to the institute of Gnome Economics for a bit of education. When she came back, they wished she hadn’t. A faulty transportation scroll was designed to make sure she stayed away for ever (and good riddance). Trouble is, Ingrid came back. This time, one or two people are actually glad to see her. Nothing to do with her absence making the heart grow fonder: gnomes aren’t into all that sentimental claptrap! Nope, it’s more to do with the fact that Jasper Quickbuck has taken over as Little Moaning’s most hated gnome. He’s planning to raze the village to the ground and put a great big enormous yuppy homes development in its place. What a meany! Boo! Hiss! Well, Ingrid won’t stand for it. She’s got her territorial uniform out of storage, sawn off the end of a sub-machine gun and gathered together a few grenades (it doesn’t make her look any better – what she really needs is a shave) and now she’s ready for some action. Miss Bottomlow’s campaign is conducted in three parts. First off, she has to get as many people as possible to sign a petition. Easier said than done, but somehow she manages it. Not that it puts Jasper off making a quick buck – he just gets out his steamroller (plus troll cronies) and tries to flatten her farm. Once she’s stopped that, all Ingrid has to do is infiltrate Quickbuck’s manor as a maid and come back with enough evidence to put rabbit-features away for good. Personally, I was a bit disappointed with Level 9’s first interactive adventure, Knight Orc - there were loads of different characters and locations but in the end most of them turned out to be irrelevant. Gnome Ranger was a definite improvement on that, and Ingrid’s Back is even better. The interaction really is worth it this time I just hope, for Ingrid’s sake, that I never meet her front...
Ingrid's Back!

Ingrid's Back!

Atari ST - Released - 1988

Ingrid is Ingrid Bottomlow, the intellectual-but-clumsy gnome we met in Gnome Ranger. Her beloved home village Little Moaning is earmarked for a yuppie-friendly transformation by Jasper Quickbuck of Ridley's Manor. Ingrid has three cunning plans to stop him - producing a petition with everybody's signature, finding a more orthodox prevention method, and finally infiltrating Ridley's Manor itself by pretending to be a maid, and then finding proof that he's a dodgy geezer who should be locked up. These three quests can be played in any order, although they logically follow on from each other. She is accompanied by Flopsy the dog in the first 2 parts, and her cousin Daisy in the third. Ingrid's Back! uses the same game system as the original, and other contemporary Level 9 titles such as Knight Orc . Giving instructions to other characters (including Flopsy) and jumping around the map using GO TO and FOLLOW commands. A living and breathing world of people travelling, trading and relaxing underpins it all, and plays a part in most puzzles.
Jewels of Darkness

Jewels of Darkness

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1986

Jewels of Darkness is a compilation of 3 games: • Adventure Quest • Colossal Adventure • Dungeon Adventure 1986 saw the release of Jewels of Darkness on the Amiga system, a Text Adventure game compilation with still pictures created by Level 9 and distributed by Firebird in USA and Rainbird in the rest of the world. Originally conceived in 1983 by Level 9 as the Middle-Earth trilogy, the standalone 8-bit releases of Colossal Adventure, Adventure Quest and Dungeon Adventure were enhanced and published in this renamed compilation Jewels of Darkness. The Amiga version is the update of the original text-only Middle Earth Trilogy. Jewels of Darkness enhances the original text-only incarnations released for 8-bit platforms by adding graphics, more extensive text descriptions, an extended parser that understands many more commands and other user-friendly features. The subsequent games in this trilogy are full of illogical puzzles and paper-thin plots, although Dungeon Adventure does add a D&D style magic system to make it more interesting. These games originally had references to Lords of the Ring novels that were later removed, possibly to avoid charges of copyright infringement.
Jewels of Darkness

Jewels of Darkness

MS-DOS - Released - 1987

This is a collection of three previously-published Rainbird interactive fiction (with graphics) games. It contains: - Adventure Quest - Colossal Adventure - Dungeon Adventure The J.R.R. Tolkien Middle-earth theme was removed in this compilation. Only the respective original releases of the games have references to Middle-earth.
Knight Orc

Knight Orc

MS-DOS - Released - 1987

Knight Orc is a text adventure with graphics. The protagonist, Gringleguts the Orc, swears revenge on all humankind for the treatment of his race. The game flows in real time; each person and creature goes on about their daily lives and follows their schedule. So, if the protagonist revisits an area and finds a person that was previously there gone, it may mean that the person in question is in another location. The player's decisions and timing play a key role to the game's outcome.
Knight Orc

Knight Orc

Apple II - Released - 1987

Knight Orc is very different from anything you have seen before from Level 9. Their adventure system has been upgraded before, but this time it has been upgraded beyond recognition. So too have their graphics. Gone are the rather rudimentary and meaningless ‘representations’ replaced by ‘digitised’ pictures. Amiga owners get the best of the deal here, for there is more colour per picture on that machine than the others – including the Atari ST. But it is the mode of play that has changed most dramatically. No longer do you have to make a map, and slavishly follow it move by move to return to a place you have visited earlier. No longer do you have to remember where you dropped an object that you may need later. All that is required is that you know which object you need, or which location you want to reach. If that makes playing Knight Orc sound dead simple, then forget it! To offset the ease of operation, the adventure is endowed with more than its fair share of independent characters, with minds of their own, who get in your way, grabbing the very item you are looking for, and attack you with relentless determination. Having spent many hours playing this game I must admit that I didn’t actually finish it: I’m not sure that I want to finish wandering about this strange new world inside my Amiga. Of all the Amiga adventures I have played this is the best - try it and see.
Knight Orc

Knight Orc

Commodore 64 - Released - 1987

Knight Orc is a text adventure with graphics. The protagonist, Gringleguts the Orc, swears revenge on all humankind for the treatment of his race. The game flows in real time; each person and creature goes on about their daily lives and follows their schedule. So, if the protagonist revisits an area and finds a person that was previously there gone, it may mean that the person in question is in another location. The player's decisions and timing play a key role to the game's outcome.
Lancelot

Lancelot

Apple Mac OS - Released - 1988

Travel back to the Age of Chivalry when knights were bold, galloping across the countryside and rescuing damsels in distress. This game recreates the time of wizards and the Knights of the Round Table. Lancelot is a three-part interactive fiction adventure, spanning the complete saga from the foundation of the Order to its finest hour - the quest for the Holy Grail. Guide Lancelot through his many exploits at Camelot, battle with wayward knights, and win the love of Guinever and Elaine. The challenge which has fascinated treasure hunters through the centuries is now yours - and you'll need all your strength, wit and valor to achieve your goal. To get the highest possible score, you should only kill combat foes when it is absolutely essential to survival. The game's command set includes the ability to issue instructions to other knights, and to automatically GO TO a place you have previously visited.
Lancelot

Lancelot

MS-DOS - Released - 1988

Travel back to the Age of Chivalry when knights were bold, galloping across the countryside and rescuing damsels in distress. This game recreates the time of wizards and the Knights of the Round Table. Lancelot is a three-part interactive fiction adventure, spanning the complete saga from the foundation of the Order to its finest hour - the quest for the Holy Grail. Guide Lancelot through his many exploits at Camelot, battle with wayward knights, and win the love of Guinever and Elaine. The challenge which has fascinated treasure hunters through the centuries is now yours - and you'll need all your strength, wit and valor to achieve your goal. To get the highest possible score, you should only kill combat foes when it is absolutely essential to survival. The game's command set includes the ability to issue instructions to other knights, and to automatically GO TO a place you have previously visited.
Lancelot

Lancelot

Commodore 64 - Released - 1988

Travel back to the Age of Chivalry when knights were bold, galloping across the countryside and rescuing damsels in distress. This game recreates the time of wizards and the Knights of the Round Table. Lancelot is a three-part interactive fiction adventure, spanning the complete saga from the foundation of the Order to its finest hour - the quest for the Holy Grail. Guide Lancelot through his many exploits at Camelot, battle with wayward knights, and win the love of Guinever and Elaine. The challenge which has fascinated treasure hunters through the centuries is now yours - and you'll need all your strength, wit and valor to achieve your goal. To get the highest possible score, you should only kill combat foes when it is absolutely essential to survival. The game's command set includes the ability to issue instructions to other knights, and to automatically GO TO a place you have previously visited.
Scapeghost

Scapeghost

MS-DOS - Released - 1991

You were successful police officer Alan Chance, until you were killed during a raid on drug dealers, who managed to take a hostage in the process. People have assumed that you died as a result of your own mistakes. Now you have returned as a ghost, with psychic powers in place of your physical ones. Starting out at your own funeral, you must follow conversations to find clues. One early task is to find items which boost your physical abilities. You have help from other deceased beings, starting with pub owner Joe Danby. Scapeghost was Level 9's final adventure game, and it is in the same format as the existing ones, which makes for a text parser with additional graphics. Puzzles require instructions to be given to other characters. The game is split into 3 days, each of which can be played independently of each other - November Graveyard, Haunted House and Poltergeist.
Scapeghost

Scapeghost

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1989

You were successful police officer Alan Chance, until you were killed during a raid on drug dealers, who managed to take a hostage in the process. People have assumed that you died as a result of your own mistakes. Now you have returned as a ghost, with psychic powers in place of your physical ones. Starting out at your own funeral, you must follow conversations to find clues. One early task is to find items which boost your physical abilities. You have help from other deceased beings, starting with pub owner Joe Danby. Scapeghost was Level 9's final adventure game, and it is in the same format as the existing ones, which makes for a text parser with additional graphics. Puzzles require instructions to be given to other characters. The game is split into 3 days, each of which can be played independently of each other - November Graveyard, Haunted House and Poltergeist.
Scapeghost

Scapeghost

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1989

You were successful police officer Alan Chance, until you were killed during a raid on drug dealers, who managed to take a hostage in the process. People have assumed that you died as a result of your own mistakes. Now you have returned as a ghost, with psychic powers in place of your physical ones. Starting out at your own funeral, you must follow conversations to find clues. One early task is to find items which boost your physical abilities. You have help from other deceased beings, starting with pub owner Joe Danby. Scapeghost was Level 9's final adventure game, and it is in the same format as the existing ones, which makes for a text parser with additional graphics. Puzzles require instructions to be given to other characters. The game is split into 3 days, each of which can be played independently of each other - November Graveyard, Haunted House and Poltergeist.
Scapeghost

Scapeghost

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1989

You were successful police officer Alan Chance, until you were killed during a raid on drug dealers, who managed to take a hostage in the process. People have assumed that you died as a result of your own mistakes. Now you have returned as a ghost, with psychic powers in place of your physical ones. Starting out at your own funeral, you must follow conversations to find clues. One early task is to find items which boost your physical abilities. You have help from other deceased beings, starting with pub owner Joe Danby. Scapeghost was Level 9's final adventure game, and it is in the same format as the existing ones, which makes for a text parser with additional graphics. Puzzles require instructions to be given to other characters. The game is split into 3 days, each of which can be played independently of each other - November Graveyard, Haunted House and Poltergeist.
Silicon Dreams

Silicon Dreams

Commodore 64 - Released - 1986

This interactive fiction game is a trilogy of the Level 9's adventures Snowball, Return to Eden, and Worm in Paradise. These had previously been released for some but not all of these systems. Silicon Dreams can be played as three separate games, but to obtain the maximum number of points, you must complete them in order (carrying your score from one adventure to the next). Snowball has graphics for the first time, and the other two games have more graphics than before, and some longer text descriptions are added to all 3 games. Snowball: As Kim Kimberley, your mission is to safeguard the colonization ship Snowball 9 and its passengers. When you are awakened prematurely from hibernation, you know something's wrong! Return to Eden: Your objective is to get into the new city of Enoch, and stop the Eden robots from destroying Snowball 9. Worm in Paradise: You have to find as much information about the city as possible, obtain money, and then become a member of the governing party of Eden.
Silicon Dreams

Silicon Dreams

MS-DOS - Released - 1987

This interactive fiction game is a trilogy of the Level 9's adventures Snowball, Return to Eden, and Worm in Paradise. These had previously been released for some but not all of these systems. Silicon Dreams can be played as three separate games, but to obtain the maximum number of points, you must complete them in order (carrying your score from one adventure to the next). Snowball has graphics for the first time, and the other two games have more graphics than before, and some longer text descriptions are added to all 3 games. - Snowball: As Kim Kimberley, your mission is to safeguard the colonization ship Snowball 9 and its passengers. When you are awakened prematurely from hibernation, you know something's wrong! - Return to Eden: Your objective is to get into the new city of Enoch, and stop the Eden robots from destroying Snowball 9. - Worm in Paradise: You have to find as much information about the city as possible, obtain money, and then become a member of the governing party of Eden.
Silicon Dreams

Silicon Dreams

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1986

This interactive fiction game is a trilogy of the Level 9's adventures Snowball, Return to Eden, and Worm in Paradise. These had previously been released for some but not all of these systems. Silicon Dreams can be played as three separate games, but to obtain the maximum number of points, you must complete them in order (carrying your score from one adventure to the next). Snowball has graphics for the first time, and the other two games have more graphics than before, and some longer text descriptions are added to all 3 games. Snowball: As Kim Kimberley, your mission is to safeguard the colonization ship Snowball 9 and its passengers. When you are awakened prematurely from hibernation, you know something's wrong! Return to Eden: Your objective is to get into the new city of Enoch, and stop the Eden robots from destroying Snowball 9. Worm in Paradise: You have to find as much information about the city as possible, obtain money, and then become a member of the governing party of Eden.
Snowball

Snowball

Commodore 64 - Released - 1983

Snowball 9 was sent to Colonize Eridani A, with robots sent to prepare the territory around 100 years before human beings arrive, but something went wrong en route. Commander Kim Kimberley became aware of this when she was abruptly awoken from hibernation. Snowball is an interactive fiction game, which uses compression techniques to provide 7000 rooms in computers of this size. Kim must go from her hibernation chamber to the ship controls, and then work them to guide the ship safely to Eridani. Commands like INVENTORY, EXAMINE, TAKE and USE are available. Objects include a drinks machine, a bed, green foam, Kevlar and a silver tray. Silicon Dreams is a remake of this title with Graphics and some other changes.
The Archers

The Archers

Atari 800 - Released - 1986

Events in the rural village of Ambridge have enthralled BBC Radio 4 listeners since 1950. The computer game re-creation casts you as one of the scriptwriters. The game is split into four parts, in which you control Jack Woolley, Elizabeth Archer, Eddie Grundy and Nelson Gabriel in turn. Guide each character through their decisions (from 3 multiple-choices), with the aim of choosing the most listener-friendly choices. Your choices affect the show's rating directly, as well as changing the forthcoming plot much more than in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾. Characters can be removed from the show depending on how you develop certain storylines, but make sure not to axe the popular ones. Avoid offending special-interest groups, as the BBC comes down hard on writers who generate complaints. In some versions you can play the four parts individually; in others, progressing onto controlling a character is conditional on increasing the ratings while controlling the previous one.
The Archers

The Archers

Commodore 64 - Released - 1986

Events in the rural village of Ambridge have enthralled BBC Radio 4 listeners since 1950. The computer game re-creation casts you as one of the scriptwriters. The game is split into four parts, in which you control Jack Woolley, Elizabeth Archer, Eddie Grundy and Nelson Gabriel in turn. Guide each character through their decisions (from 3 multiple-choices), with the aim of choosing the most listener-friendly choices. Your choices affect the show's rating directly, as well as changing the forthcoming plot much more than in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾. Characters can be removed from the show depending on how you develop certain storylines, but make sure not to axe the popular ones. Avoid offending special-interest groups, as the BBC comes down hard on writers who generate complaints. In some versions you can play the four parts individually; in others, progressing onto controlling a character is conditional on increasing the ratings while controlling the previous one.
The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole

The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole

Commodore 64 - Released - 1987

Using the same game engine and structure as Level 9's game of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, the book's follow-up was recreated on computer. The game is an adventure of sorts, presenting you with 18 months of life viewed through the curious, confused and intellectual eyes of Adrian. Each section features a number of challenges, in which one of three choices on what to do must be made. As you play, the aim is to make Adrian as popular as possible by making the correct choices so as to exert a positive impression on Mum, Dad, Pandora, Nigel, Bert and all the rest. The game is split into four sections, which can be loaded individually or in sequence, with the score remaining in memory as you progress through them.
The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole

The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1988

Using the same game engine and structure as Level 9's game of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, the book's follow-up was recreated on computer. The game is an adventure of sorts, presenting you with 18 months of life viewed through the curious, confused and intellectual eyes of Adrian. Each section features a number of challenges, in which one of three choices on what to do must be made. As you play, the aim is to make Adrian as popular as possible by making the correct choices so as to exert a positive impression on Mum, Dad, Pandora, Nigel, Bert and all the rest. The game is split into four sections, which can be loaded individually or in sequence, with the score remaining in memory as you progress through them.
The Price of Magik

The Price of Magik

Microsoft MSX - Released - May 1, 1986

In the final instalment of the Time and Magik series of interactive fiction, the light from the Red Moon is under threat. It was captured and harnessed by the magicians of Baskalos, but its keeper Myglar has turned against them and is using it for himself. He must be defeated before the crystal is exhausted. The typing interface is typical of Level 9 games of the era. Time saving features include an ALL command can apply TAKE and EXAMINE to every object you can see, and the ability to type future commands while the screen is still scrolling. 18 spells are available, activated using 3-letter codes you will discover while exploring. These range from confusing or angering an enemy to healing yourself and detecting danger.
The Saga of Erik the Viking

The Saga of Erik the Viking

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1984

n this text adventure, you play the role of Erik the Viking. Upon returning home, you find your farm abandoned; your family has been kidnapped. You gather the things you need for a journey, and go rescue them. This game combines text adventure with graphics. The graphics illustrate the places you go, and are drawn on the screen as you watch. The display doesn't load a photo. Rather, a pen races around the screen, drawing the pictures in. While the picture is being drawn, the screen flickers. Although the pictures slow the game down a bit, they are done in a style reminiscent of Viking-age farms. In one scene, you are placed in the center of a longhouse, and they show the depression in the floor, just as can be seen in books.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1985

Sue Townsend created a phenomenon in the mid-1980s, essentially incorporating lots of sharp satire and observational humour into the diary of a confused teenager. It might sound like an odd idea for a computer game, but Level 9 felt that there was an adventure in there. Most of the major characters from the book appear, including Adrian's warring parents and their respective flings, his sweetheart Pandora, his best mate Nigel, school bully Barry Kent, and curmudgeonly pensioner Bert Baxter. The game didn't use many typed commands. You would read passages of text (many of them from the book) and be given 3 choices as to what to do, which would lead to other events unfolding. You could also use a help option which would display information about characters featured in the diary. Your aim throughout all of this was to make Adrian as popular as possible. The player's score and ranking is displayed at particular times during the game. The percentage achieved relates to the rank, with 26% being 'a spotty creep' and 38% 'a middling thicko' for example.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾

Commodore 64 - Released - 1985

Sue Townsend created a phenomenon in the mid-1980s, essentially incorporating lots of sharp satire and observational humour into the diary of a confused teenager. It might sound like an odd idea for a computer game, but Level 9 felt that there was an adventure in there. Most of the major characters from the book appear, including Adrian's warring parents and their respective flings, his sweetheart Pandora, his best mate Nigel, school bully Barry Kent, and curmudgeonly pensioner Bert Baxter. The game didn't use many typed commands. You would read passages of text (many of them from the book) and be given 3 choices as to what to do, which would lead to other events unfolding. You could also use a help option which would display information about characters featured in the diary. Your aim throughout all of this was to make Adrian as popular as possible. The player's score and ranking is displayed at particular times during the game. The percentage achieved relates to the rank, with 26% being 'a spotty creep' and 38% 'a middling thicko' for example.
Time and Magik

Time and Magik

MS-DOS - Released - 1988

In a similar manner to Jewels of Darkness, this collection brings together three interlinked Level 9 adventures: Lords of Time Red Moon The Price of Magik The games have all been updated into the company's later adventure system, and have longer textual descriptions and some slight puzzle tweaks. The 16-bit versions are new and inevitably feature higher-resolution and more-colourful graphics.
Time and Magik

Time and Magik

Commodore 64 - Released - 1988

In a similar manner to Jewels of Darkness, this collection brings together three interlinked Level 9 adventures: Lords of Time Red Moon The Price of Magik The games have all been updated into the company's later adventure system, and have longer textual descriptions and some slight puzzle tweaks. The 16-bit versions are new and inevitably feature higher-resolution and more-colourful graphics.
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