I've decided that we finally have enough competitive entries on the scoreboard to have a Top Five instead of a Top Three. A game is not eligible for the Top Five unless it has received at least three ratings from different readers. This is to ensure a more democratic and accurate depiction of the best games.
| 1. Trinity | 8.8 | 8 votes |
| 2. Jigsaw | 8.7 | 3 votes |
| 3. Christminster | 8.6 | 3 votes |
| 4. Mind Fvr Voyaging | 8.5 | 4 votes |
| 5. Curses | 8.3 | 7 votes |
| 5. Bureaucracy | 8.3 | 3 votes |
A - Runs on Amigas.
AP - Runs on Apple IIs.
GS - Runs on Apple IIGS.
AR - Runs on Acorn Archimedes.
C - Commercial, no fixed price.
C30 - Commercial, with a fixed price of $30.
F - Freeware.
GMD - Available on ftp.gmd.de
I - Runs on IBM compatibles.
M - Runs on Macs.
S20 - Shareware, registration costs $20.
64 - Runs on Commodore 64s.
ST - Runs on Atari STs.
TAD - Written with TADS. This means it can run on:
AmigaDOS, NeXT and PC, Atari ST/TT/Falcon, DECstation
(MIPS) Unix Patchlevel 1 and 2, IBM, IBM RT, Linux, Apple
Macintosh, SGI Iris/Indigo running Irix, Sun 4 (Sparc)
running SunOS or Solaris 2, Sun 3, OS/2, and even a 386+
protected mode version.
AGT - Available for IBM, Mac, Amiga, and Atari ST. This does not
include games made with the Master's edition.
ADVSYS - Available for PC and Macintosh only, or so my sources tell
me. (Source code available as well. So it can be ported
to other computers.)
HUG - Written with Hugo. Runs on MS-DOS, Linux, and Amigas.
INF - Infocom or Inform game. These games will run on:
Atari ST, Amiga, Apple Macintosh, IBM, Unix, VMS, Apple II,
Apple IIGS, C64, TSR-80, and Acorn Archimedes. There may be
other computers on which it runs as well.
| Name | Avg Sc | Chr | Puz | # Sc | Rlvt Ish | Notes: |
| Adventure | 7.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 2 | 8 | F_INF_TAD_ETC_GMD |
| Adventure 350 | 6.5 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1 | x | - |
| Adv. of Eliz. Highe | 3.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1 | 5 | F_AGT |
| All Quiet...Library | 4.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 3 | 7 | F_INF_GMD |
| Amnesia | 7.7 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1 | 9 | C_AP_I_64 |
| Another...No Beer | 2.4 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 2 | 4 | S10_IBM_GMD |
| Arthur: Excalibur | 8.6 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1 | 4 | C_INF |
| Awe-Chasm | 2.4 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1 | 8 | S?_IBM_ST |
| Balances | 6.4 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2 | 6 | F_INF_GMD |
| Ballyhoo | 7.0 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 3 | 4 | C_INF |
| Beyond Tesseract | 3.7 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1 | 6 | F_I_GMD |
| Beyond Zork | 8.1 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3 | 5 | C_INF |
| Border Zone | 6.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 4 | 4 | C_INF |
| Broken String | 3.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1 | x | F_TADS_GMD |
| Bureaucracy | 8.3 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 3 | 5 | C_INF |
| Busted | 5.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1 | F_INF_GMD | |
| Castaway | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1 | 5 | F_IBM_GMD |
| Change in the Weather | 6.1 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 2 | 7 | F_INF_GMD |
| Christminster | 8.6 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 3 | F_INF_GMD | |
| Corruption | 6.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1 | x | C_I |
| Cosmoserve | 8.7 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2 | 5 | F_AGT_GMD |
| Crypt v2.0 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | S12_IBM_GMD |
| Curses | 8.3 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 7 | 2 | F_INF_GMD |
| Cutthroats | 6.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 5 | 1 | C_INF |
| Deadline | 7.0 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 4 | x | C_INF |
| Deep Space Drifter | 5.5 | 1.4 | 1 | 3 | S15_TAD_GMD | |
| Demon's Tomb | 7.4 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 2 | 9 | C_I |
| Detective | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 4-5 | F_AGT_GMD |
| Detective-MST3K | 6.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 3 | 7-8 | F_INF_GMD |
| Ditch Day Drifter | 7.1 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1 | 2 | F_TAD_GMD |
| Dungeon Adventure | 6.8 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1 | 4 | F_SEE REVIEW Issue #4 |
| Dungeon of Dunjin | 6.2 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2 | 3 | S20_IBM_MAC_GMD |
| Electrabot | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 5 | F_AGT_GMD |
| Enchanter | 7.1 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 5 | 2 | C_INF |
| Enhanced | N/A | 0 | 2 | S10_TAD_GMD | ||
| Eric the Unready | 7.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1 | x | C_I |
| Fable, A | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1 | 6 | F_AGT_GMD |
| Fish | 7.1 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1 | x | C_I |
| Forbidden Castle | 4.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1 | x | C_AP |
| Gateway | 7.5 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1 | x | C_I |
| Great Archaelog. Race | 6.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | S20_TAD_GMD |
| Guardians of Infinity | 8.5 | N/A | 1.3 | 1 | 9 | C_I |
| Guild of Thieves | 6.8 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1 | x | C_I |
| Gumshoe | 6.3 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 2 | 9 | F_INF_GMD |
| Hitchhiker's Guide | 8.0 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 5 | 5 | C_INF |
| Hollywood Hijinx | 5.7 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 4 | x | C_INF |
| Horror30.Zip | 3.6 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 1 | 3 | S20_IBM_GMD |
| Horror of Rylvania | 7.7 | 1 | 1 | C20_TAD_GMD (Demo) | ||
| Infidel | 7.0 | 1.4 | 7 | 1-2 | C_INF | |
| Inhumane | 3.6 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1 | 9 | F_INF_GMD |
| Jacaranda Jim | 7.0 | 1 | x | S10_GMD (Uncertain) | ||
| Jeweled Arena, The | 8.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1 | x | ? |
| Jigsaw | 8.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 3 | 8,9 | F_INF_GMD |
| Jinxter | 6.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1 | x | C_I |
| John's Fire Witch | 7.2 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 5 | 4 | S6_TADS_GMD |
| Journey | 6.9 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1 | 5 | C_INF |
| Jouney Into Xanth | 5.0 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1 | 8 | F_AGT_GMD |
| Klaustrophobia | 7.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 4 | 1 | S15_AGT_GMD |
| Leather Goddesses | 7.8 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 5 | 4 | C_INF |
| The Legend Lives! | 8.2 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 1 | 5 | F_TADS_GMD |
| Lethe Flow Phoenix | 7.5 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1 | 9 | F_TADS_GMD |
| Lurking Horror, The | 7.1 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 5 | 1,3 | C_INF |
| MacWeslyan(PC Univ.) | 5.6 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1 | x | F_TADS_GMD |
| Magic.Zip | 4.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 3 | S20_IBM_GMD |
| Magic Toyshop, The | 3.6 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1 | F_INF_GMD | |
| Mind Electric, The | 5.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 2 | 7-8 | F_INF_GMD |
| Mind Forever Voyaging | 8.5 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 4 | 5 | C_INF |
| Moonmist | 5.9 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 5 | 1 | C_INF |
| Mop & Murder | 4.9 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1 | 4-5 | F_AGT_GMD |
| Multidimen. Thief | 5.6 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 3 | 2,9 | S15_AGT_GMD |
| Mystery House | 4.1 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1 | x | F_AP_GMD |
| Night at Museum Forever | 4.1 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 3 | 7-8 | F_TAD_GMD |
| Nord and Bert | 4.8 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2 | 4 | C_INF |
| One Hand Clapping | 7.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2 | 5 | F_ADVSYS_GMD |
| One That Got Away, The | 6.4 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 2 | 7-8 | F_TAD_GMD |
| Oo-Topos | 5.7 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 1 | x | C_AP_I_64 |
| Path to Fortune | 6.8 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1 | 9 | S_INF_GMD |
| Pawn, The | 6.5 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1 | x | C_I_AP_64 |
| Perseus & Andromeda | 3.4 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1 | x | ? |
| Planetfall | 7.5 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 6 | 4 | C_INF |
| Plundered Hearts | 7.8 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 2 | 4 | C_INF |
| Quarterstaff | 6.1 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 1 | 9 | C_M |
| Sanity Claus | 9.0 | 1 | 1 | S10_AGT_GMD | ||
| Save Princeton | 5.8 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2 | 8 | S10_TAD_GMD |
| Seastalker | 5.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 4 | 4 | C_INF |
| Shades of Grey | 8.0 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 4 | 1-2 | F_AGT_GMD |
| Sherlock | 8.2 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 2 | 4 | C_INF |
| Shogun | 7.1 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 4 | C_INF |
| Sir Ramic Hobbs | 5.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1 | 6 | F_AGT_GMD |
| Sorceror | 7.3 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 5 | 2 | C_INF |
| South American Trek | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1 | 5 | ?_IBM_GMD |
| Space Aliens...Cardigan | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 4 | 3 | S60_AGT_GMD |
| Spellbreaker | 8.2 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 4 | 2 | C_INF |
| SpellCasting 101 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1 | x | C_I |
| SpellCasting 201 | 7.8 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1 | x | C_I |
| SpellCasting 301 | 7.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1 | x | C_I |
| SpiritWrak | 6.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 1 | 9 | F_INF_GMD |
| Spur | 7.2 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1 | 9 | F_HUG_GMD |
| Starcross | 7.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 5 | 1 | C_INF |
| Stationfall | 7.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 5 | 5 | C_INF |
| Suspect | 6.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 2 | 4 | C_INF |
| Suspended | 7.5 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 4 | 8 | C_INF |
| Theatre | 6.8 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 6 | F_INF_GMD | |
| TimeQuest | 8.6 | 1.5 | 1.1 | x | C_I | |
| TimeSquared | 4.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1 | x | F_AGT_GMD |
| Toonesia | 6.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2 | 7 | F_TAD_GMD |
| Tossed into Space | 3.9 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1 | 4 | F_AGT_GMD |
| Treasure.Zip | N/A | 0 | 3 | S20_IBM_GMD | ||
| Trinity | 8.8 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 8 | 1-2 | C_INF |
| Uncle Zebulon's Will | 7.6 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 3 | 7 | F_TAD_GMD |
| Undo | 1.9 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 2 | 7 | F_TAD_GMD |
| Unnkulian Unventure 1 | 7.1 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 5 | 1-2 | S10_TAD_GMD |
| Unnkulian Unventure 2 | 7.2 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 4 | 1 | S10_TAD_GMD |
| Unnkulian Zero | 9.0 | 1 | 1 | C25_TAD_GMD (Demo) | ||
| Waystation | 5.7 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 2 | 9 | F_TAD_GMD |
| Windhall Chron. 1 - See Path to Fortune. | ||||||
| Wishbringer | 7.6 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 4 | 5-6 | C_INF |
| Witness, The | 7.2 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1,3,9 | C_INF | |
| Wonderland | 7.5 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1 | x | C_I |
| Zanfar | 2.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1 | 8 | F_AGT_GMD |
| Zork 0 | 7.1 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 2 | x | C_INF |
| Zork 1 | 6.0 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 9 | 1-2 | C_INF |
| Zork 2 | 6.4 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 7 | 1-2 | C_INF |
| Zork 3 | 6.1 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 5 | 1-2 | C_INF |
My pick of the month is _Lethe Flow Phoenix_. Dan Shiovitz's work about alien invaders and biblical allusions is certainly worth a look. See the various reviews in this issue for information on where to download it.