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Mindwheel

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description Mindwheel Overview

Mindwheel is a text adventure game released in 1984 by Synapse Software as part of its 'Electronic Novel' series. Co-written by American poet Robert Pinsky, who would later serve as U.S. Poet Laureate, the game was distinguished by its literary aspirations and surreal narrative involving exploration of minds and memories. The package included a prose novella that expanded on the game's story.

Mindwheel is regarded as one of the more ambitious attempts to bring literary quality to the interactive fiction medium during the 1980s.

help Mindwheel FAQ

What kind of game is Mindwheel?

Mindwheel is a classic text adventure game that was released in 1984 by Synapse Software. It was marketed as part of the publisher's 'Electronic Novel' series due to its heavy focus on prose and narrative over traditional puzzle-solving.

Who wrote the text and story for Mindwheel?

The game was co-written by the American poet Robert Pinsky, who would later go on to serve as the U.S. Poet Laureate. Pinsky's heavy involvement gave the game a highly literary, surreal narrative that set it apart from other 1980s video games.

What are the primary platforms Mindwheel was released on?

As an 'Electronic Novel,' Mindwheel was designed for the popular home computer platforms of the 1980s. It was released for systems like the Atari 8-bit family, the Commodore 64, and Apple II computers.

What is the plot of Mindwheel?

The game tasks the player with exploring a highly surreal, sci-fi mindscape to recover the scattered thoughts of deceased historical figures. Thanks to Robert Pinsky's poetic writing, the story is deeply bizarre and requires players to navigate complex psychological themes rather than physical locations.

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