Deadline Marc Blanc / Infocom 1982

Deadline was the first murder mystery game from Infocom and their third game overall (after Zork I and Zork II). Despite the limitations of an early parser and very difficult puzzles that require multiple restores, it's still the best mystery game of all the ones Infocom released. Not only was it the first non-fantasy release for Infocom; it was was also the first Infocom game to ship with feelies: the original game was sold in an eye-catching "police folio" folder. In it, you find materials that resemble contents of a real case folder: interviews with the suspects, 3 pills in a plastic bag (found at the crime scene), a photograph of the murder scene, a letter from the attorney, and a coroner's autopsy report. They are remarkable in their authenticity, and help set the atmosphere for the game even before you start it (you also need the information to solve the games). The story: you are a police detective asked to investigate the death of Marshall Robner, a wealthy industrialist found dead in his own library from an apparent drug overdose. You have twelve hours to expose the foul play and catch the killer with evidence as to the murderer's motive, the method, and the opportunity. There are many possible endings the game, but only one "optimal ending" that explains all the loose ends and sees the suspect in jail. There are excellent NPCs who behave much more realistically than in most of today's games. All of the game's six main characters are fleshed out with well-written scripts: each character acts in a way that is consistent with his or her motive.
Game extra contents
Browser-Playable Zplet Version ( @ Martin Pot's Page)
Info
Full Demo (@ IFDB)
Included in: Infocom Universe Bootleg Full Demo (provided by Gr.Viper & uploaded by Molitor) 389MB
Booter Image ISO Demo 81kb (uploaded by scaryfun)
Booter Image ISO Demo + Feelies Scans 180kb+80.7MB (uploaded by Internet Archive Software Collection)
included in The Mystery Collection: Interactive Fiction From Infocom ISO Demo 6.6MB (uploaded by Internet Archive Software Collection)


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