Castle of Riddles
Encyclopedia
Castle of Riddles is a text adventure released by Acornsoft
for the BBC Micro
(in 1982) and Acorn Electron
(1984) home computers. The game was written by Peter Killworth
and was one of a series of text adventures written for, or ported to the BBC Micro by the same author (others including Countdown to Doom
and Philosopher's Quest). As with all such games, only text is used. The player must use a simple 'verb-noun' format (e.g. 'Go North', 'Get lamp') to control the game. Unlike Killworth's other Acornsoft adventures, Castle of Riddles was not updated and reissued by Topologika
so became unavailable after 1985 when Acorn Computers
(parent company of Acornsoft) pulled out of the games publishing market. Some of the puzzles however were included in the Topologika version of Philosopher's Quest.http://www.if-legends.org/~adventure/Acornsoft.html
has been taken over by a warlock
. The warlock has also found the wizard's Magic Ring of Power which must be returned. The player must navigate the castle, solve problems and avoid booby traps set by the warlock in order to recover the magic ring
for the wizard. The adventurer must also search for treasure
and deposit it in a safe
which he can then keep as payment.
Acornsoft
Acornsoft was the software arm of Acorn Computers Ltd, and a major publisher of software for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. As well as games, they also produced a large number of educational titles, extra computer languages and business and utility packages - these included ROM-based word...
for the BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
(in 1982) and Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
(1984) home computers. The game was written by Peter Killworth
Peter Killworth
Professor Peter D. Killworth was an English scientist known for both his work on oceanography and the study of social networks. A prodigious writer, his published output exceeded 160 scientific papers over the course of his career...
and was one of a series of text adventures written for, or ported to the BBC Micro by the same author (others including Countdown to Doom
Countdown to Doom
Countdown to Doom is a text adventure computer game, more recently termed interactive fiction, written in 1982 by Peter Killworth. Its setting is the planet Doomawangara, which is coyly said to be shortened to "Doom". There are two sequels, Return to Doom and Last Days of Doom.The game was first...
and Philosopher's Quest). As with all such games, only text is used. The player must use a simple 'verb-noun' format (e.g. 'Go North', 'Get lamp') to control the game. Unlike Killworth's other Acornsoft adventures, Castle of Riddles was not updated and reissued by Topologika
Topologika
Topologika Software Ltd is a still-independent British publisher of educational software. Based in Brighton, the company was founded in 1983.Many of its early products were interactive fiction adventure games taken on after Acornsoft was sold to Superior Software who only continued to release their...
so became unavailable after 1985 when Acorn Computers
Acorn Computers
Acorn Computers Ltd. was a British computer company established in Cambridge, England, in 1978. The company produced a number of computers which were especially popular in the UK. These included the Acorn Electron, the BBC Micro, and the Acorn Archimedes...
(parent company of Acornsoft) pulled out of the games publishing market. Some of the puzzles however were included in the Topologika version of Philosopher's Quest.http://www.if-legends.org/~adventure/Acornsoft.html
Story
The player takes the role of a 'professional adventurer' who is 'down to his last silver piece'. His services are hired by a wizard whose castleCastle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
has been taken over by a warlock
Warlock
The term warlock in origin means "traitor, oathbreaker".In early modern Scots, the word came to be used as the male equivalent of witch ....
. The warlock has also found the wizard's Magic Ring of Power which must be returned. The player must navigate the castle, solve problems and avoid booby traps set by the warlock in order to recover the magic ring
Magic ring
A magic ring is a ring, usually a finger ring, that has magical properties. It appears frequently in fantasy and fairy tales. Magic rings are found in the folklore of every country where rings are worn, and they endow the wearer with a variety of abilities, including invisibility, the granting of...
for the wizard. The adventurer must also search for treasure
Treasure
Treasure is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered...
and deposit it in a safe
Safe
A safe is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or damage. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal or formed out of plastic through blow molding...
which he can then keep as payment.