Spider And Web

Spider And Web
Game
Main links	Download IF Archive
Published	1998
Credits
Author	Andrew Plotkin
Reception
Events	XYZZY Awards 1998 Finalist: Best Individual PC, Best Setting, Best Story, Best Writing
Gameplay
Interaction style	Parser
Language	English
Cruelty scale	Tough
Accessibility	Colour: none. Graphics: none. Sound: none.
Technical details
Authoring system	Inform 6
Format	Z-code 5
License	Freeware
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How it begins

You have travelled to an unidentified country; the opening paragraph describes its beautiful scenery. Currently, however, you're in a near-featureless dead-end alley, facing a plain metal door. The PC is ambiguous, and carrying nothing of importance.

Notable features

Heavy and innovative use of flashback, frame story and unreliable narrator.
Intentionally employs knowledge conflict for dramatic effect.

Trivia and Comments

This game inspired the titles and structures of the following games:
- Chicken and Egg (Adam Thornton; 1998; Z-code).
- Spyder and Jeb (Neil deMause; 1998; TADS 2).
- Tanker and Webb (Andrew Frederiksen; 1999; Z-code).

Versions

Release 4

Date: 1998

Spider And Web (Andrew Plotkin; 1998; Z-code 5).
- Release 4 / Serial number 980226 / Inform v6.14
- XYZZY Awards 1998: Winner of Best Game, Best Puzzles, Best Individual NPC (the interrogator), Best Individual Puzzle (getting out of the chair), Best Use of Medium. Finalist for Best Individual PC (the agent), Best Setting, Best Story, Best Writing.

Russian translation

Date: 2009

Spider and Web (Andrew Plotkin, translator: Vsevolod Zoubarev; 2009; Z-code 8; Russian).
- Download.
- Play online.

Links

N.B. Many IF Archive games are temporarily unavailable in the UK.

Note: To refer to this game from another page, you can type {{game citation|Spider And Web}}. This will display as Spider And Web (Andrew Plotkin; 1998; Inform 6; Z-code).