The Dreamhold

The Dreamhold is interactive fiction — a classic text adventure. No graphics! No point-and-click! You type your commands, and read what happens next.

The Dreamhold is designed for people who have never played IF before. It introduces the common commands and mindset of text adventures, one step at a time. There’s an extensive help system describing standard IF commands, as well as dynamic hints which pop up whenever you seem to be stuck.

I’ve tried to create a game which rewards many species of adventurer: the inexperienced newcomer, the puzzle-hurdler, the casual tourist, the meticulous explorer, the wild experimenter, the seeker after nuances and implications.

• Fluid interface designed for comfortable typing and reading.
• Full-length puzzle adventure with several optional side quests and hidden endings.
• Text adventure devotees can turn off the tutorials and hints, or play in Expert mode for additional challenge.
• Achievements tracked through Game Center.
• Pop-up palette of commonly used commands.
• Dynamic in-game map, so you don’t have to scribble boxes on a piece of paper.
• Full support for VoiceOver (speech output) and dictation (speech input) on devices that offer these features.
• Yes, really free. Not “free with ads,” not “freemium.” Just free. I want to introduce people to IF, and this game is how I do it.

The Dreamhold won the XYZZY Awards for Best Puzzles and Best Use of Medium in 2004. It is also available (for free) on my web site.

(The cover art is based on a photograph by Trey Ratcliff: The Festival of Lights in Lyon (CC by-nc-sa), remixed with images of Mercury and Io.)