In this short sample game, you are exploring your great uncle's house. He was a treasure hunter, and you entered in hopes of finding some of his valuables. Unfortunately, the house is very old; the lounge door jammed shut unexpectedly....
NINE POINTS
A Demonstration of an Interactive Fiction Game
By Robert Janelle
and Brad O'Donnell
For an introduction, or hints, type "help"
Release 12 / Serial number 961127 / Inform v1502 Library 5/12
Hallway
This north-south passage is dimly lit. The hardwood floor creaks wearily with age. Backed against the west wall is a small coffee table. Your great uncle's old bedroom lies to the north, and the south archway leads to the lounge.
>n
The old, warped door creaks peculiarly as you approach.
Great Uncle's Bedroom
You are standing in your great uncle's bedroom. There is an antique bed on one side of the room, and a lot of antique furniture on the other. To the south is the door you entered by. Light shines through a window to the north.
An ornate bookcase stands against the wall, among the furniture.
A very large green plant sits in a pot in the corner of the room.
On the antique bed is a brass lantern.
As you enter the bedroom, the door slams shut!
>get lamp
Taken.
[Your score has just gone up by two points.]
>i
You are carrying a brass lantern and a tiny bottle (which is closed).
>examine furniture
They're just old chairs, covered in plastic.
>examine plant
The plant is large, green and actually quite nice. But wait, there's something hidden in the pot... a rusty key! You take it and weigh it thoughtfully in your hand.
[Your score has just gone up by one point.]
>x window
Light shines in through this window, which leads to the fire escape.
>climb out window
The window is closed.
>open window
The window slides open without much effort.
[Your score has just gone up by one point.]
>climb out window
You've sworn not to leave until you find some treasure!
>x bookcase
Ornate and well-crafted, it has small bits of ivory embellishing its edges. Fake books on all subjects stand on the shelves, filling it completely. The bookcase looks like it's floating about two inches off the ground.
>read books
Because your uncle was never much of a reader, the bookcase is full of books of uniform size, glued together such that they wouldn't need dusting. Among the fake books is a loose book.
>get loose book
You pull the loose book out, leaving a dark hole in the row of fake books.
>look in dark hole
Slowly, you push one finger into the darkness, followed by your hand, then your arm up to your shoulder... You feel around; there must be a sizable room back there. Too bad that bookcase is blocking the way in.
>move bookcase
Moving the case reveals a dark passage to the east!
[Your score has just gone up by two points.]
>e
Warily, you enter the inky blackness....
Darkness
It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing.
>turn on lamp
You fumble over the lamp's surface; it takes a few moments before you feel the switch. The lantern starts humming as it lights up.
Treasure Vault
A thick layer of dust covers everything in this room. There are many old boxes and older bags. Your uncle's bedroom lies to the west.
Your uncle's treasure chest sits here, tightly closed.
>i
You are carrying a loose book, a rusty key, a brass lantern (providing light) and a tiny bottle (which is closed).
A scratching sound in the rafters unnerves you.
>open chest
It seems to be locked.
>unlock it with rusty key
The key turns, and tumblers grate tiredly within the lock.
>open it
You open the treasure chest, revealing a bejewelled gold crown.
A scratching sound in the rafters unnerves you.
>examine crown
This ancient Minoan artifact is not only beautiful, but will also net you a fine price. Of course, you still have to find a way out before you can sell it.
A scratching sound in the rafters unnerves you.
>get it
Dollar signs flash in your eyes as you touch the cold metal.
Shadows flicker in the dim light.
[Your score has just gone up by two points.]
>w
Great Uncle's Bedroom
You are standing in your great uncle's bedroom. There is an antique bed on one side of the room, and a lot of antique furniture on the other. The door to the south is closed. Light shines through a window to the north.
An ornate bookcase stands against the wall. It has been moved to reveal a passage to the east.
A very large green plant sits in a pot in the corner of the room.
>out
Outside
You climb down the ladder and your imagination soars with thoughts of what you're going to do with the money from the crown....
Suddenly rough arms slam you against the side of the house! "He's found it," mutters a low voice. "Let's go." Something cracks against your head, and your head cracks against the wall, and you barely see a golden Minoan sceptre clatter to the ground beside you as you fall. "You never saw the crown. Keep this and be happy," growls the voice. "And don't go asking questions -- if you know what's good for you." And then you are alone.
Your stomach hurts.
*** You have finished this sample game ***
In that game you scored 8 out of a possible 8, in 23 turns. You're ready to find some aspirin.
