How To Write Adventure Games

How to Write Adventure Games is an instructional book by Peter Killworth aimed at teaching readers how to create text adventure games using BBC BASIC. The book is accompanied by a cassette containing four programs: three designed as technical demonstrations and one as a complete adventure. The games serve as progressively complex examples to support the design and programming techniques explained in the text.

The included programs are:

Caves – A simple, randomly generated “hack-and-slash” style dungeon crawler used to illustrate basic map generation and game loops. The player explores a dynamically created cave system filled with treasures, traps, and encounters with mythical creatures.

Mini Adventure – A four-room game demonstrating basic puzzle design and a structured database system. It includes inventory management and location-specific interactions.

Mini Adventure + – An enhanced version of Mini Adventure that adds more complexity and improved code structure, showcasing how to scale a basic design.

Roman Adventure – The most developed game in the package, presented as a complete text adventure set in Ancient Rome. The player takes on the role of a Roman citizen with the goal of gaining influence and eventually achieving entry into the Roman Senate. The narrative involves navigating Roman society, interacting with historical and fictional characters, and overcoming puzzles that reflect the cultural and political climate of the time.

Gameplay involves standard verb–noun command input, such as "TAKE SCROLL" or "SPEAK PRIEST", to explore the city, solve challenges, and manage status. The player advances by interpreting clues, using items, and making strategic decisions that affect progression. The game culminates with the player's success in ascending the Roman political hierarchy.