Accuse
From IFWiki
| Accuse | |
|---|---|
| Game | |
| Main links | |
| Published | 21 March 2007 |
| Credits | |
| Author | David A. Wheeler |
| Reception | |
| IFDB rating | 2.5 out of 5 (16 ratings) |
| Gameplay | |
| Interaction style |  Parser |
| Literary genre |  Mystery |
| Location |  Home |
| Language | English |
| Cruelty scale | Merciful |
| Accessibility | Colour: none. Graphics: none. Sound: none. |
| Technical details | |
| Authoring system | Inform 7 |
| Format | Z-code 5 |
| License | GPL ver. 2 or later |
| IFID | 1CBB7561-C839-11DB-B790-0013D46F1393 |
| Browse the games database • Edit this page | |
Accuse
A small replayable puzzle by David A. Wheeler
How it begins
You are a detective, carrying nothing, investigating the murder of David A. Wheeler in his home. There are three suspects, five rooms in the home, and three possible murder weapons. You must use your special ability to accuse to determine the "who, where, and what" in the shortest amount of time.
Notable features
- Not interactive fiction in its usual sense, but more comparable to Clue or Cluedo, although the rules of the game are different.
- Random setup. Suspects and weapons are randomly placed within the home, and the correct solution to the murder is also randomized for each game session.
- The NPCs are ciphers. You're never told who these people are or how they knew the victim. Conversation with NPCs is not supported. However, you may direct them, e.g.: MR SALT, WEST.
- Instead of turns and score, the right side of the status bar shows minutes elapsed.
- Your "accuse" ability. Unlike most murder mysteries, you will not be searching for evidence or examining clues. You are completely dependent on your ability to "accuse".
- Example: If you want to accuse Mr Salt with using the poison in the library, you must move both him and the poison to the library and there use the command ACCUSE SALT WITH POISON. If this is completely correct, the game ends and you win. If none of it is correct, you are told that. But if just one or two of "who, where, and what" is correct, you merely learn that some of your accusation was correct, but not which parts.
- Limitations: You may not repeat any part of your last accusation as part of your next accusation. Also, each accusation takes ten minutes of game time.
Trivia and Comments
- The author himself is the murder victim.
- The three suspects are all named after spices.
- The magic word "xyzzy" appears in the game as an in-joke.
- Accuse is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL), version 2 or later. Others may modify this game or include it in other games, but new works based on Accuse must also be released under the GNU GPL version 2 or later, and must release its source code as well. "Please credit David A. Wheeler in any modified work."
Versions
Release 4
Date: 21 March 2007
- Accuse (David A. Wheeler; 21-Mar-2007; Z-code 5).
- Release 4 / Serial number 070321 / Inform 7 build 4K41 (I6/v6.31 lib 6/11N)
- IFID: 1CBB7561-C839-11DB-B790-0013D46F1393
IFID links: IFDB - Room count: 5.
- Download Accuse.zblorb from the IF Archive
Links
N.B. Many IF Archive games are temporarily unavailable in the UK.
General info
- Accuse homepage.
- Accuse (archived) - at Baf's Guide.
- Accuse - at IFDB.
Date: 21 March 2007