Welcome to a thrill-packed game of mystery and adventure!
Haunted House is a simple interactive text adventure horror game for the
reZet80 PIONEER.
It was first published in
1979 for the
TRS-80 on cassette tape.
The original file size was 6356 bytes (after removing all tape structures).
I completely rewrote the game in Assembler and implemented some simplifications to save ROM space.
And I also made modifications to adapt to the 16-character display.
The game size is now 2236 bytes.
But it still does not fit in a 2 KiB UVEPROM.
I fixed none of the original bugs and even introduced one or two more.
Objectives of the game:
- Solve the mysteries of the house
- Survive the hidden dangers
- Find and explore secret rooms
- Search for the only escape to get out of the house alive
Do not bother about treasures, there are none to find.
The game is easy to play: Use "
N", "
S", "
E" and "
W" to walk around (north, south, east, west).
Type "
I" to view your inventory.
To find out where you are type "
L" (look).
Otherwise, issue simple commands (verb and noun).
So to open a door enter "
OPEN DOOR" or just "
O D".
The descriptive text is short and the dictionary is very limited.
The exits are not described so if moving in any direction brings you back to the same location that direction is not available.
If you die, the game starts all over again.
There is no time limit and no score.
Please feel encouraged to draw a map of the house for yourself.
Now travel back to the late 70s!
After reset the display reads "
HAUNTED HOUSE".
Press any key to start the game.
Because only 16 characters can be displayed at the same time sentences have to be split on several lines.
Keep pressing any key until the sentence is finished and you see the prompt.
The prompt looks like this: "
0_".
Well, "_" is the prompt and "0" shows the active key block.
The SHIFT key serves the purpose of switching between the blocks of available characters and punctuation symbols as only 16 keys are available at a time.
The first (default) key block (prompt is "
0_"):
"0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "A", "B", "C", "D", "E", "F"
After the first SHIFT key press the prompt changes to "
G_" and these characters are available:
"G", "H", "I", "J", "K", "L", "M", "N", "O", "P", "Q", "R", "S", "T", "U", "V"
After the second SHIFT key press the prompt changes to "
W_" and these characters and punctuation symbols are available:
"W", "X", "Y", "Z", " ", ".", ",", "'", "_"
Pressing the SHIFT key a third time returns you to the default key block.
From the original game:
Generations have passed since the McDaniel family mysteriously disappeared.
It is said that a stranger came to visit on that cold, autumn day many years ago, but no one knows for sure.
Their house has been vacant for decades now. Its two story image is forlorn and looming, visible only from the narrow, winding road that has been distorted by vegetation from the surrounding forest.
The stone wall that encompasses the house is discolored and broken from years of neglect, its iron gate rusty and worn by angry seasons.
The windows are boarded - the house is quiet and contented, not accustomed to visitors.
The wind is restless today, blowing fallen leaves in all directions.
As you walk towards the entrance of the house, the wind grows distant and weak.
Suddenly, the calm and silence is broken by sounds from within the house!
Do you have the courage to enter?
