Suspect (video game)

Suspect

Cover art
Developer(s) Infocom
Publisher(s) Infocom
Designer(s) Dave Lebling
Engine ZIL
Platform(s) Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Kaypro II, Macintosh, MS-DOS.[1]
Release date(s) October 5, 1984
Genre(s) Interactive fiction
Mode(s) Single player

Suspect is an interactive fiction computer game designed by Dave Lebling and published by Infocom in 1984. It is the last murder mystery Infocom released, bringing an end to a popular genre of titles such as Deadline and The Witness. Like most Infocom titles, it was written in highly portable ZIL and made available for an array of popular computer platforms, including the Apple II, IBM PC, Atari ST, and Commodore 64. It is Infocom's fifteenth game.

Plot

Screenshot of the beginning of Suspect

The player's character is a reporter for the fictitious newspaper The Washington Representative. Veronica Ashcroft-Wellman, a longtime friend and wealthy socialite, has sent an invitation to the annual Ashcroft Halloween Ball, where Maryland's high society bluebloods rub elbows, network, and congratulate each other on their fortunes. The paper's editor suggests covering the party as a story, smelling an easy article that could either praise or mock the wealthy. Since it is a costume party, the player's character suits up in a rented cowboy outfit and moseys over to the bash. Many attendees wear masks, making it difficult to initially identify them.

Not long into the party, however, Veronica is found dead—strangled with a very familiar-looking lariat, with a bullet from the costume's gunbelt lying near the body for good measure. But the player stashed the rope in the closet earlier, and the bullet is missing from the back of the belt; anyone could have taken them! Nevertheless, the player is the prime suspect in Veronica's murder. A lot of snooping has to be done to identify the real killer.

The other suspects include:

Development

Feelies

The majority of Infocom's titles were shipped with additional objects or documents relating to the game. These "extras" were called feelies. The Suspect feelies were:

Reception

Suspect was a popular game and sold well. Based on sales and market-share data, Video magazine listed the game seventh on its list of best selling video games in March 1985.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Suspect at Adventureland by Hans Persson and Stefan Meier
  2. ↑ Onosco, Tim; Kohl, Louise; Kunkel, Bill; Garr, Doug (March 1985). "Random Access: Best Sellers/Recreation". Video. Reese Communications. 8 (12): 43. ISSN 0147-8907.
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