The Dreamhold [iPhone]

*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.)