~2 minute readPC Reviews in Brief
Wishbringer: When You Wish Upon a Stone
Wishbringer is simpler than most of Infocom's adventure games, which makes it a good introduction to interactive fiction games for children. As a story, though, this game is interesting enough to entertain — rather than embarrass — adults and seasoned adventurers.
At the start of Wishbringer’s adventure you are a humble mail clerk in Festerton, a small seaside village. Your first task is to deliver a mysterious special-delivery letter to the Olde Magick Shoppe. At first you might think you could find the right address simply by searching all the town's haunts, from the Pleasure Pier's game arcade through the spooky graveyard. Before you can win the game, however, you’ll have seen every familiar thing in your hometown turn nasty, and your quest will change to rescuing platypuses and a very important black cat.
You're aided in your task by the magic of Wishbringer, a stone of dreams. As you travel underground and through the air, wise use of the stone may save you from death in a torture chamber or a monster's lair.
In its dramatic moments, the game has an atmosphere reminiscent of Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising novels — stories in which children vacationing on the English coast become participants in battles between mythical forces of good and evil. But on the whole, Wishbringer has a light touch that will inspire more laughter than fearful gasps. Its author, Bob Moriarty, claims he was inspired by Lewis Carroll. His Wonderland-style whimsy comes out in scenes that involve the platypuses and a surprisingly affectionate mailbox. The culminating scene is set in a place that might have been fascinating to explore at length. You're thrust into action instantly, however.
The game is straightforward, so inexperienced adventurers are unlikely to be stuck forever at a dead end. Most problems can be solved by using either logic or magic. The redundant solutions not only prevent frustration while you try to win the first time but they make it worthwhile playing Wishbringer again simply to experience additional scenes that occur only when you try the other solutions.
Infocom's disk is copy-protected in a way that allows you to make one backup copy. Wishbringer comes in an elaborate package that includes pieces of mail, a map of the village, the Wishbringer stone itself, and a well illustrated booklet that tells The Legend of Wishbringer without giving away the solution to the game. If you’d like a few hints — or a lot of help — you can send Infocom $7.95 for a booklet of Wishbringer InvisiClues printed in invisible ink.
This article appeared in
PC Magazine
29 Oct 1985
These historical, out-of-print articles and literary works have been GNUSTOed onto InvisiClues.org for academic and research purposes.
