In the Beginning...

Commodore 64 - Released - 1984

In the Beginning... is a game that involves you 3000 million years ago as a insignificant molecule, and your aim is to evolve over millions of years to the Dawn of Early Man. The game is split into ten single screen mini-games with each game part of the process of your evolution and each screen has a timer with some games having to be completed before it reaches zero or to survive for the duration of the timer counting down. On the first screen you aim to get the maximum of ten survival points and as the game progresses you will lose and gain points and it is game over when you reach zero. Your first task and screen is as the before mentioned molecule, and you move around the screen touching other molecules moving up the screen. You have to get seven before the timer reaches zero and then it's on to the next part of the evolution. Other screen involves having to avoid other creatures, jumping over gaps, playing snap and get to your home avoiding moving obstacles. One screen has you designing a fish which is then used on a screen if accepted by the computer.

My Secret File

Commodore 64 - Released - 1984

You've read the game, now play the book! Based on the best-selling Puffin book by John Astrop. This is a game, but it is also a personal database for your darkest thoughts. Do you have secrets you wouldn't even confide to your closest friend, let alone your family? Do you have secrets about your friends and family you wouldn't confide to anyone but yourself? At last, you're no longer alone. My Secret File turns your computer into a personal confidante. And to keep your confidences confidential, it's even password protected, because these days, you can't even trust your micro not to blab. Trust no one: file your friends before they file you.

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 Archers

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1987

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. 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

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1987

The Archers was written by Pete Austin of Level 9. The BBC Micro version is a text only adventure. You must plan numerous episodes of Radio 4's The Archers and hope to increase the number of listeners each season.

The Archers

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1987

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. 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

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 Growing Pains of Adrian Mole

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1987

The follow up to the game The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. 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

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

Atari 800 - 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

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - 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 Nomad of Time

Commodore 64 - Released - 1984

The Nomad of Time is a single player real-time text adventure with graphics that is based on Michael Moorcock's trilogy of the same name. The game is set in a steam punk world of the future. The player takes the role of British officer Oswald Bastable and is in command of the airship H.M.S. Shards. There are two areas to this game, one is in the airship which must be flown to different parts of the world to locate temporal ports, the other is exploring the different locations.The game is played in 'real time', that is to say there is an in-game clock that must be monitored as the air ship has only sufficient supplies for sixty days and the game must be completed within that amount of game time. The game is entirely keyboard controlled and has a text parser that accepts two word instructions. While in flight the airship is steered with the left/right function keys.

The Saga of Erik the Viking

Commodore 64 - Released - 1985

In 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 Saga of Erik the Viking

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1984

In 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 Saga of Erik the Viking

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1984

A video game based on the book of the same title by Terry Jones (from Monty Python). The book was later filmed by him. The game and the film have different stories, though. The game was written by the Austin brothers of Level 9 Computing and published for a range of home computers, including the BBC Microcomputer, by Mosaic.

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

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - 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

Amstrad CPC - 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

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.

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1985

Playing this game will take you through a year in the life of Adrian Mole. As you progress through the days in Adrian's diary, you will be asked to make choices for Adrian. Press a number from 1 to 3 to choose one of the options suggested. Pressing key number 4 will display the command and help system menu. This gives a list of the additional features in the game and full instructions on how to use them.

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

Atari 800 - 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 does't use many typed commands. Instead the player reads passages of text (many of them from the book) and is given 3 choices as to what to do, which lead to other events unfolding. You can also use a help option which displays information about characters featured in the diary. Your aim throughout all of this is 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 Snow Queen

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1986

There is a looking glass which when looked through stops anything looking beautiful and makes anything ugly worse. The looking glass has smashed into pieces and scattered around the surrounding areas making it a ugly place to be. Based loosely on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson, The Snow Queen is a text adventure where you play the role of an adviser to Gerda who must find and rescue her friend Kay who has been struck by one of the pieces and has been spirited away to the Snow Queen. In an innovative twist to the traditional adventure game set up instead of playing the protagonist you act as an advisor to them, and Gerda can choose not to carry out your commands. This means that you have to try to think in character when solving the problems presented to you in the game. Both versions have text which describes your location and you type in commands to control your hero and interact with each location.

The Snow Queen

Commodore 64 - Released - 1986

There is a looking glass which when looked through stops anything looking beautiful and makes anything ugly worse. The looking glass has smashed into pieces and scattered around the surrounding areas making it a ugly place to be. Based loosely on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson, The Snow Queen is a text adventure where you play the role of an adviser to Gerda who must find and rescue her friend Kay who has been struck by one of the pieces and has been spirited away to the Snow Queen. In an innovative twist to the traditional adventure game set up instead of playing the protagonist you act as an advisor to them, and Gerda can choose not to carry out your commands. This means that you have to try to think in character when solving the problems presented to you in the game. Both versions have text which describes your location and you type in commands to control your hero and interact with each location. The Commodore 64 version has graphics to let you see your location.

The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World

Commodore 64 - Released - 1984

A Bookware adventure based on the book by Harry Harrison This is an illustrated text adventure with a 200 word vocabulary. You are cast in teh role of James di Griz, the Stainless Steel Rat. Your mission is to save both your wife, Angelina, and the world, by finally destroying the evil menace, "He" in true Rat tradition you must also look for opportunities for self-advancement. There are a variety of ways of accomplishing your mission, and a final score will reflect the most efficient solutions.

The Unorthodox Engineers: The Pen and the Dark

Commodore 64 - Released - 1984

In this Bookware text adventure, based on one of the chapters of the Science Fiction short story series "The Unorthodox Engineers" by Colin Kapp. You take on the role of the protagonist Lieutenant Fritz van Noon and his band of "Unorthodox Engineers" as Dr. Maxwell Courtney asks you to try and discover the purpose of the indestructible pillar of darkness and its mysterious penumbral shadow, (hence the name "The Pen") which was (obviously?) left by an alien race on this otherwise normal planet. And you also have to solve the riddle of contra-energy. The objective of the story is outlined to the player during the opening stages of the adventure. The book with the short story that comes along with the game helps the player to better understand the story and contains some vital clues to solve some of the adventure's puzzles.

The Width of the World

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1984

Twice Shy

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1986

Twice Shy is a thriller written by Dick Francis and published in 1981. This game is a text based adventure that puts you in the role of Jonathan Derry, a physics teacher in a comprehensive school in the south of England. Dick Francis is famed for his complex thrillers based around the English horse racing scene and this game is based around one of his classics. Without giving too much of the plot away, the story is based around some Spectrum software cassettes, horse racing and the bad guys who want them. As well as the adventure game itself there is a racing game which can be run either independently as a free-standing game, or part of the adventure, when the game requires the player to go to a race-course to look for clues. The text interpreter is easy to use and has a wide vocabulary. It accepts simple commands such as Go South, South and even 'S' as well as more complex combined commands such as 'Go south, east, north and open the door'. Commands can be given to other game characters by typing "Say to Jane 'Tell me about Ted'", and "Sarah 'Go south and open the door'" It is possible to save the game and restart from a saved position.

Twice Shy

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1986

Twice Shy is a thriller written by Dick Francis and published in 1981. This game is a text based adventure that puts you in the role of Jonathan Derry, a physics teacher in a comprehensive school in the south of England. Dick Francis is famed for his complex thrillers based around the English horse racing scene and this game is based around one of his classics. Without giving too much of the plot away, the story is based around some Spectrum software cassettes, horse racing and the bad guys who want them. As well as the adventure game itself there is a racing game which can be run either independently as a free-standing game, or part of the adventure, when the game requires the player to go to a race-course to look for clues. The text interpreter is easy to use and has a wide vocabulary. It accepts simple commands such as Go South, South and even 'S' as well as more complex combined commands such as 'Go south, east, north and open the door'. Commands can be given to other game characters by typing "Say to Jane 'Tell me about Ted'", and "Sarah 'Go south and open the door'" It is possible to save the game and restart from a saved position.

Yes Prime Minister: The Computer Game

Commodore 64 - Released - 1987

A week in the life of the British Prime Minister. But not just any Prime Minister, this game puts you in the shoes of Prime Minister James (Jim) Hacker from the classic BBC television comedy "Yes, Prime Minister". Much like most political simulations, you must balance your popularity with the needs of your party, the meddling of foreign governments, and the small minded incompetence of the civil servants that surround you. All of this is played out with multiple choice dialogues between Hacker and the other cast members of the series (complete with lo-res digital pictures). The dry humor of the show abounds as you must deal with crises such as the French refusing to continue work on the Channel Tunnel until Waterloo station is renamed. Fans of the show will recognize much of the material, and non-fans should still find enough laughs to keep them interested. The game takes place over 5 working days and at the end the PM has a final discussion with his colleagues Sir Humphrey Appleby and Bernard Wooley who assess his performance at trying to manage the country.

Yes Prime Minister: The Computer Game

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1987

A week in the life of the British Prime Minister. But not just any Prime Minister, this game puts you in the shoes of Prime Minister James (Jim) Hacker from the classic BBC television comedy "Yes, Prime Minister". Much like most political simulations, you must balance your popularity with the needs of your party, the meddling of foreign governments, and the small minded incompetence of the civil servants that surround you. All of this is played out with multiple choice dialogues between Hacker and the other cast members of the series (complete with lo-res digital pictures). The dry humor of the show abounds as you must deal with crises such as the French refusing to continue work on the channel tunnel until Waterloo station is renamed. Fans of the show will recognize much of the material and non-fans should still find enough laughs to keep them interested. The game takes place over 5 working days and at the end the PM has a final discussion with his colleagues Sir Humphrey Appleby and Bernard Wooley who assess his performance at trying to manage the country. Similar in style and execution to Mosaic's games based around the exploits of Adrian Mole and The Archers.

Yes Prime Minister: The Computer Game

MS-DOS - Released - 1988

A week in the life of the British Prime Minister. But not just any Prime Minister, this game puts you in the shoes of Prime Minister James (Jim) Hacker from the classic BBC television comedy "Yes, Prime Minister". Much like most political simulations, you must balance your popularity with the needs of your party, the meddling of foreign governments, and the small minded incompetence of the civil servants that surround you. All of this is played out with multiple choice dialogues between Hacker and the other cast members of the series (complete with lo-res digital pictures). The dry humor of the show abounds as you must deal with crises such as the French refusing to continue work on the channel tunnel until Waterloo station is renamed. Fans of the show will recognize much of the material and non-fans should still find enough laughs to keep them interested. The game takes place over 5 working days and at the end the PM has a final discussion with his colleagues Sir Humphrey Appleby and Bernard Wooley who assess his performance at trying to manage the country.

Yes Prime Minister: The Computer Game

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1987

A week in the life of the British Prime Minister. But not just any Prime Minister, this game puts you in the shoes of Prime Minister James (Jim) Hacker from the classic BBC television comedy "Yes, Prime Minister". Much like most political simulations, you must balance your popularity with the needs of your party, the meddling of foreign governments, and the small minded incompetence of the civil servants that surround you. All of this is played out with multiple choice dialogues between Hacker and the other cast members of the series (complete with lo-res digital pictures). The dry humor of the show abounds as you must deal with crises such as the French refusing to continue work on the channel tunnel until Waterloo station is renamed. Fans of the show will recognize much of the material and non-fans should still find enough laughs to keep them interested. The game takes place over 5 working days and at the end the PM has a final discussion with his colleagues Sir Humphrey Appleby and Bernard Wooley who assess his performance at trying to manage the country.

Yes, Prime Minister

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1987

A week in the life of the British Prime Minister. But not just any Prime Minister, this game puts you in the shoes of Prime Minister James (Jim) Hacker from the classic BBC television comedy "Yes, Prime Minister". Much like most political simulations, you must balance your popularity with the needs of your party, the meddling of foreign governments, and the small minded incompetence of the civil servants that surround you. All of this is played out with multiple choice dialogues between Hacker and the other cast members of the series (complete with lo-res digital pictures). The dry humor of the show abounds as you must deal with crises such as the French refusing to continue work on the channel tunnel until Waterloo station is renamed. Fans of the show will recognize much of the material and non-fans should still find enough laughs to keep them interested. The game takes place over 5 working days and at the end the PM has a final discussion with his colleagues Sir Humphrey Appleby and Bernard Wooley who assess his performance at trying to manage the country.