On either side, the moors stretch out, filled with heather and bogs. The fading light silhouettes craggy rocks on the horizon. At last you arrive at your destination: an ancient castle perched on the granite cliffs by the sea.
A full moon is rising above the castle turrets as you pull up to the gate. Fog shrouds the old stone walls. Is that a ghostly figure in the tower window, or merely the mist playing tricks on your weary eyes?
It's your job to find out in Moonmist, the new interactive gothic mystery from Infocom, you're a famous young sleuth, called to Tresyllian Castle by your friend Tamara. A series of terrifying events have led her to believe that someone's trying to kill her. Worse yet, the culprit seems to be the spectral "White Lady" that haunts the medieval tower.
Inside the castle, you meet a cast of eccentric characters ranging from a blue-blood debutante to an overly helpful butler. Most of them have seen the ghost, and some say it looks just like Deirdre, the former lover of Tamara's fiance, Lord Jack Tresyllian. Deirdre purportedly drowned shortly after Jack ended their romance. Could it be that she is stil alive, jealously taking revenge on Tamara?
To add to the suspense, you learn that a valuable object is hidden somewhere in the castle. This treasure rightfully belongs to Lord Jack, but apparently he is not the only one searching for it. If it's not found, family heirlooms will have to be sold to pay off debts. You'll find yourself involved in a treasure hunt as well as a mystery, as you search the lavish rooms and secret passageways of the castle for the hiding place. Clues are givin in the form of riddles, which hold the answers to the puzzles in the game.
Moonmist has four different variations, each with its own puzzles, treasure, hiding place, and solution to the mystery. This gives Moonmist more replay value than any other Infocom story to date, providing you with plenty of time to savor the gothic atmosphere of the castle.
Moonmist also responds differently to male and female players. (See the Leather Goddesses of Phobos article for another example of this fine feature.) When you arrive at the castle gate at the start of the game, you're asked for your title and full name. You can take advantage of your elegant surroundings by calling yourself "Baron Wilhelm" rather than plain old "Mr. Bill."
From your title, the program may deduce your gender and respond accordingly throughout the story. If you're a woman, you have a gown to put on for dinner. A man's suitcase will contain a dinner jacket. Lord Jack will kiss a woman's hand. If you're a man, he'll shake yours. And there's another guest who may flirt with you.
Since the puzzles are relatively easy, we recommend Moonmist as an excellent introduction to interactive fiction for players of all ages. It will fascinate every young girl who loves reading mystery books about that famous female sleuth whose last name rhymes with "grue". It will intrigue every man who wants to be Lord of a castle and the consort of a seductive Lady. It will captivate every woman who imagines herself as the heroine of a Daphne du Maurier novel. And it will delight anyone who enjoys riddles, puzzles, and the detailed characters, plots, and atmosphere that distinguish each Infocom game.
To introduce you to mysterious Cornwall, the package contains an illustrated copy of "Legendary Ghosts of Cornwall." Also included are a Moonmist iron-on logo for your T-shirt; a visitors' guide to Tresyllian Castle; and two confidential letters from your friend Tamara.
Moonmist was written by Stu Galley, author of The Witness and Seastalker, and Jim Lawrence, co-author of dozens of books for children and adults, including numerous Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew stories. Moonmist will be available in October for a wide variety of personal computers, at a suggested retail price of $34.95 for Atari XL/XE and Commodore 64/128 and $39.95 for all other systems.
[A picture of the Moonmist packaging accompanys this article with the caption: Moonmist is an introductory-level mystery.]
The Status Line; Vol. V, No. 3; Summer 1986; Lawsuit Edition; page 1
Copyright 1986 (c) Infocom
Thanks to David Jinks for transcribing and donating this article.