Code name: silver steel

Hello agents

I felt like making a small IF story, with a spy theme. Silver Steel is the result.

If anybody is bored or likes a little spy action, please give it a play. This is an open beta, no obligations.

While there are only 5 rooms to explore, there are many bad endings, and only one successful ending. I encourage you to UNDO any bad endings and move along :wink:

Play Code Name: Silver Steel

Not bad for a five-minute game. The puzzle solutions were logical enough and the clues were reasonable.

Playthrough:

[spoiler]A freelance spy is a great job. It pays well and you get to travel to new and interesting places. Unless you get caught, that part is not so great.

You tear open the unmarked envelope and unfold the mission briefing enclosed within: Infiltrate MegaCorp, gain access to the data centre, download the database.

So here you are, one week later - standing in the foyer of MegaCorp, under guise as a repairman.

Code Name Silver Steel
An Interactive Fiction by Special Agent
Release 1 / Serial number 170423 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib 6/12N)

Foyer
The spacious foyer of the MegaCorp building carries indistinguishable sounds along the sterile tiled floor and angular furniture, giving the impression of cold detachment.

You are standing by the reception desk in the centre of the room. The raised desk shields the small stature of the person behind it, oblivious to your presence.

To the north is an elevator, and a door beside it.

(New players should type “help”)

You can see a receptionist here.

x door
A white metal door with the words “maintenance” in bold black letters.

x me
As good-looking as ever.

i
You are carrying:
a job card
an overall (being worn)
a toolbox (closed)
a wrist watch (being worn)

go to door
You can’t see any such thing.

n
(first opening the service entrance)
“Sir!”, the receptionist calls after you, “You can’t enter there without clearance.” (You could ignore her warning and go ahead, if you dare).

i
You are carrying:
a job card
an overall (being worn)
a toolbox (closed)
a wrist watch (being worn)

x job card
This is a forged job card that states you are on-site to repair a faulty air conditioning unit. During the past week you gained access to the company intranet, and forged a matching maintenance record on their systems.

show job card to receptionist
She takes the job card from you and scrutinizes it against her records.
“Fine”, she says, handing you a clip-on tag. “Carry this with you at all times. The maintenance door is there”, she points north. “Have a nice day”.

wear tag
You can’t wear that!

i
You are carrying:
a maintenance tag
an overall (being worn)
a toolbox (closed)
a wrist watch (being worn)

n
(first opening the service entrance)
The receptionist eyes you from behind her fortress-desk as you open the door.

Maintenance Quarters
The room is well lit, however the grey plastered walls seem to drain the feng shui out of the carefully crafted maintenance quarters.

There is all manner of piping running along the roof. There is a panel in the north wall.

x panel
A gray steel panel. This one seems to cover a tunnel.

open panel
The panel is screwed shut.

open toolbox
You open the toolbox, revealing a screwdriver, a data disc and a suit.

take screwdriver
Taken.

unscrew panel
Perhaps you meant to turn screws?

turn screws
You loosen the screws using the screwdriver. The panel swings open.

look
Maintenance Quarters
The room is well lit, however the grey plastered walls seem to drain the feng shui out of the carefully crafted maintenance quarters.

There is all manner of piping running along the roof. There is a panel in the north wall.

x panel
A gray steel panel. This one seems to cover a tunnel.

open panel
The panel is already open
look
Maintenance Quarters
The room is well lit, however the grey plastered walls seem to drain the feng shui out of the carefully crafted maintenance quarters.

There is all manner of piping running along the roof. There is a panel in the north wall.

go panel
You sense that you should change your disguise first.

i
You are carrying:
a screwdriver
a maintenance tag
an overall (being worn)
a toolbox (open)
a data disc
a suit
a wrist watch (being worn)

remove overall
You take off the overall.

wear suit
(first taking the suit)
You put on the suit.

go panel
Deftly, you step through the access tunnel and into the emergency fire escape stairwell. You ascend the stairs in the dim light and emerge surreptitiously in the administrative level of the building. Your arrival goes unnoticed.

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. There is a doorway to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see a copy machine here.

x cubicle
It is the closest cubicle to the copy machine.

In the cubicle are a security pass and an elderly man.

i
You are carrying:
a suit (being worn)
a screwdriver
a maintenance tag
an overall
a toolbox (open)
a data disc
a wrist watch (being worn)

x elderly man
He is an elderly man with receding brown hair. He seems preoccupied with his paperwork.

put screwdriver in toolbox
You put the screwdriver into the toolbox.

close toolbox
You close the toolbox.

w

Breakroom
You are in a bare room without furniture. You guess MegaCorp doesn’t want relaxed employees.

There is a pot of coffee on a counter here.

You can also see a coffee mug here.

x pot
A pot of hot coffee.

x mug
A white unmarked mug.

i
You are carrying:
a suit (being worn)
a maintenance tag
an overall
a toolbox (closed)
a wrist watch (being worn)

open toolbox
You open the toolbox, revealing a screwdriver and a data disc.

x watch
The time on your spy watch shows as 9:34 am.

e

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see a copy machine here.

go elevator
(first opening the elevator)
It seems to be locked.

x copy machine
It is a chunky piece of machinery with many tiny buttons. You notice stains on top of the machine.

x stains
They are coffee ring stains, their location suggests it is where a cup is prone to spill. Somebody has a bad habit of putting their cups on the copy machine.

look
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see a copy machine here.

x cubicle
It is the closest cubicle to the copy machine.

In the cubicle are a security pass and an elderly man.

take pass
It is out of reach. You need to enter the cubicle.

go cubicle
Not while the cubicle is occupied.

w

Breakroom
You are in a bare room without furniture. You guess MegaCorp doesn’t want relaxed employees.

There is a pot of coffee on a counter here.

You can also see a coffee mug here.

x mug
A white unmarked mug.

take mug
Taken.

put coffee in mug
(the coffee pot in the coffee mug)
You fill the mug with hot coffee.

e

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see a copy machine here.

put coffee on cpy machine
You can’t see any such thing.

put coffee on copy machine
You make sure nobody is watching, and quietly place the mug on the side of the copy machine.

talk to elderly man
That’s not a verb I recognise.

l
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.

The elderly man gets up from his cubicle and walks to the copy machine. He shuffles his papers and pushes the buttons.

go cubicle
You get into the cubicle.

In the cubicle you can see a security pass.

Clang!
“What the hell!” the man curses, trying to save his coffee soaked pages.

take security card
I only understood you as far as wanting to take the security pass.

take security pass
Taken.

“Darn it”, the man curses.

out
You get out of the cubicle.

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.

.

n
(first opening the elevator)
It seems to be locked.

.

use security pass
That’s not a verb I recognise.

l
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.

.

w

Breakroom
You are in a bare room without furniture. You guess MegaCorp doesn’t want relaxed employees.

There is a pot of coffee on a counter here.

e

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.

“Darn it”, the man curses.

go panel
(first opening the elevator)
It seems to be locked.

.

s
You have no reason to go back to the maintenace level now.

.

look
Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.

“Darn it”, the man curses.

go cubicle
You get into the cubicle.

.

look
Administration (in the cubicle)
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.

.

out
You get out of the cubicle.

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.

“Darn it”, the man curses.

x elderly man
He is an elderly man with receding brown hair. He seems preoccupied with his paperwork.

.

n
(first opening the elevator)
It seems to be locked.

.

i
You are carrying:
a security pass
a suit (being worn)
a maintenance tag
an overall
a toolbox (open)
a screwdriver
a data disc
a wrist watch (being worn)

.

use security pass
That’s not a verb I recognise.

x security pass
A security pass attached to a lanyard. The print on the card reads “elevator access”.

.

show pass to elevator
You can only do that to something animate.

use pass on elevator
That’s not a verb I recognise.

open elevator
It seems to be locked.

.

unlock elevator
What do you want to unlock the elevator with?

unlock elevator with pass
You swipe the security pass across the elevator scanner, the door slides open and you step inside. You feel gravity reduce as you descend underground


Data Centre
Rows upon rows of server racks fill this room, lengths of cabling run between them like neurons in a brain. The racks are interspersed with computer terminals, these are used to access various systems in the building.

A technician is here, working on a terminal.

You can also see a fire control terminal and a database terminal here.

x database terminal
This terminal controls the information database. You notice a drive bay attached to it. You can log on terminal to use it.

log on terminal
Which do you mean, the fire control terminal or the database terminal?

log on database terminal
You can’t use that terminal while the tech is busy on it.

x tech
A middle-aged woman wearing a long white coat. Her brown hair is tied up.

i
You are carrying:
a security pass
a suit (being worn)
a maintenance tag
an overall
a toolbox (open)
a screwdriver
a data disc
a wrist watch (being worn)

x fire control terminal
This terminal controls the fire detection and sprinkler systems of the building. You can log on terminal to use it.

log on fire control terminal
MegaCorp fire and safety control - Status: no fires - Activating fire drill

A siren rings out loudly, accompanied by a flashing red light in the ceiling.
The technician runs through the rows of servers, out of sight.

log on database terminal
Error - No disc in drive bay.

put disc in drive bay
(first taking the data disc)
You put the data disc into the drive bay.

log on database terminal
You download the files to the data disc in the drive bay, you have what you came for. Now to advance your own agenda: you upload a trojan horse into the server, and log off.

l
Data Centre
Rows upon rows of server racks fill this room, lengths of cabling run between them like neurons in a brain. The racks are interspersed with computer terminals, these are used to access various systems in the building.

You can see a fire control terminal and a database terminal here.

take data disc
You grab the data disc and make your escape by way of elevator to the roof. You reverse you suit jacket, turning it into a harness. A few minutes later, a glider soars overhead, a cable trailing below it. Executing a perfectly timed run, you grab the cable while hooking it into your suit harness - You soar silently out of sight.

Your mission was a success!

*** The End ***[/spoiler]

A couple notes:

[spoiler]* Try to implement common commands. For example, the game should recognize “talk to [character],” even if it doesn’t let you have a conversation. Talking to the receptionist can make it clear that she’s interested in your security clearance and nothing else. Talking to the elderly man can admonish you for attracting too much attention to yourself.

  • Allow for synonyms. I was a little surprised that “security card” didn’t work. (Not a big deal in this case, as trying again with “security pass” was obvious). I realize you might have been trying to avoid ambiguity between “job card” and “security pass,” but “security card/pass” should be unambiguous enough.

  • I tried “use pass on elevator” first, which seems like something the parser should accept. The fewer guess-the-word problems you have, the better.

  • I would code the elderly man so he uses the copy machine every few turns and immediately returns to his cubicle. Creating the expectation that he’ll go back and forth adds plausibility to the coffee cup distraction. Small touches like that also help the game world feel less static.[/spoiler]

None of my notes are a huge deal in a game this small, but you might want to consider them in something larger and more ambitious.

Short, sweet, and to the point. A nice distraction on a Sunday evening.

My playthrough:

[rant=Transcript]Start of a transcript of

Code Name Silver Steel
An Interactive Fiction by Special Agent
Release 1 / Serial number 170423 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib 6/12N)
Identification number: //E6223688-50A8-4852-835E-F5869323F9A3//
Standard interpreter 1.1 (4F) / Library serial number 080126
Standard Rules version 3/120430 by Graham Nelson

inv
You are carrying:
a job card
an overall (being worn)
a toolbox (closed)
a wrist watch (being worn)

x job card
This is a forged job card that states you are on-site to repair a faulty air
conditioning unit. During the past week you gained access to the company
intranet, and forged a matching maintenance record on their systems.

x watch
The time on your spy watch shows as 9:02 am.

x receptionist
A middle-aged woman with red hair, wearing horn-rimmed glasses. She catches you
looking at her intently. You shift your gaze.

ask receptionist about air conditioning
She pauses as if thinking, and continues typing.

ask receptionist about work
She mumbles a distant “hmm?”

show receptionist job card
She takes the job card from you and scrutinizes it against her records.
“Fine”, she says, handing you a clip-on tag. “Carry this with you at all times.
The maintenance door is there”, she points north. “Have a nice day”.

n
(first opening the service entrance)
The receptionist eyes you from behind her fortress-desk as you open the door.

Maintenance Quarters
The room is well lit, however the grey plastered walls seem to drain the feng
shui out of the carefully crafted maintenance quarters.

There is all manner of piping running along the roof. There is a panel in the
north wall.

open panel
The panel is screwed shut.

open toolbox
You open the toolbox, revealing a screwdriver, a data disc and a suit.

x suit
A smart gray suit. The perfect attire for a day of espionage.

take screwdriver
Taken.

unscrew panel
Perhaps you meant to turn screws?

turn screws
You loosen the screws using the screwdriver. The panel swings open.

x panel
A gray steel panel. This one seems to cover a tunnel.

x tunnel
You can’t see any such thing.

look
Maintenance Quarters
The room is well lit, however the grey plastered walls seem to drain the feng
shui out of the carefully crafted maintenance quarters.

There is all manner of piping running along the roof. There is a panel in the
north wall.

enter tunnel
You can’t see any such thing.

n
You sense that you should change your disguise first.

take suit
Taken.

doff overalls
You can’t see any such thing.

inv
You are carrying:
a suit
a screwdriver
a maintenance tag
an overall (being worn)
a toolbox (open)
a data disc
a wrist watch (being worn)

doff overall
You take off the overall.

don suit
You put on the suit.

put overall in toolbox
You put the overall into the toolbox.

put screwdriver in toolbox
You put the screwdriver into the toolbox.

inv
You are carrying:
a suit (being worn)
a maintenance tag
a toolbox (open)
a screwdriver
an overall
a data disc
a wrist watch (being worn)

close toolbox
You close the toolbox.

n
Deftly, you step through the access tunnel and into the emergency fire escape
stairwell. You ascend the stairs in the dim light and emerge surreptitiously in
the administrative level of the building. Your arrival goes unnoticed.

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a
dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull
hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. There is a doorway to the west, and an elevator to the
north.

You can see a copy machine here.

x copy machine
It is a chunky piece of machinery with many tiny buttons. You notice stains on
top of the machine.

x stains
They are coffee ring stains, their location suggests it is where a cup is prone
to spill. Somebody has a bad habit of putting their cups on the copy machine.

enter cubicle
Not while the cubicle is occupied.

w

Breakroom
You are in a bare room without furniture. You guess MegaCorp doesn’t want
relaxed employees.

There is a pot of coffee on a counter here.

You can also see a coffee mug here.

take mug
Taken.

pour coffee into mug
That’s not a verb I recognise.

fill mug with coffee
That’s not a verb I recognise.

put coffee in mug
(the coffee pot in the coffee mug)
You fill the mug with hot coffee.

e

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a
dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull
hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see a copy machine here.

put mug on copy machine
You make sure nobody is watching, and quietly place the mug on the side of the
copy machine.

inv
You are carrying:
a suit (being worn)
a maintenance tag
a toolbox (closed)
a wrist watch (being worn)

The elderly man gets up from his cubicle and walks to the copy machine. He
shuffles his papers and pushes the buttons.

enter cubicle
You get into the cubicle.

In the cubicle you can see a security pass.

Clang!
“What the hell!” the man curses, trying to save his coffee soaked pages.

take security pass
Taken.

“Rats!” the man mumbles.

exit cubicle
I only understood you as far as wanting to exit.

exit
You get out of the cubicle.

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a
dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull
hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.

The man shakes his wet pages angrily.

n
(first opening the elevator)
It seems to be locked.

“Rats!” the man mumbles.

open elevator with security pass
You swipe the security pass across the elevator scanner, the door slides open
and you step inside. You feel gravity reduce as you descend underground


Data Centre
Rows upon rows of server racks fill this room, lengths of cabling run between
them like neurons in a brain. The racks are interspersed with computer
terminals, these are used to access various systems in the building.

A technician is here, working on a terminal.

You can also see a fire control terminal and a database terminal here.

x fire control terminal
This terminal controls the fire detection and sprinkler systems of the building.
You can log on terminal to use it.

log on fire control terminal
MegaCorp fire and safety control - Status: no fires - Activating fire drill

A siren rings out loudly, accompanied by a flashing red light in the ceiling.
The technician runs through the rows of servers, out of sight.

A siren blares.

log on database terminal
Error - No disc in drive bay.

A red light flashes in your eyes.

open toolbox
You open the toolbox, revealing a screwdriver, an overall and a data disc.

A red light flashes in your eyes.

take disk
You can’t see any such thing.

take disc
Taken.

A red light flashes in your eyes.

put disc in database terminal
That can’t contain things.

A red light flashes in your eyes.

put disc in drive bay
You put the data disc into the drive bay.

A red light flashes in your eyes.

login database terminal
That’s not a verb I recognise.

log in database terminal
I didn’t understand that sentence.

log on database terminal
You download the files to the data disc in the drive bay, you have what you came
for. Now to advance your own agenda: you upload a trojan horse into the server,
and log off.

A red light flashes in your eyes.

take disc
You grab the data disc and make your escape by way of elevator to the roof. You
reverse you suit jacket, turning it into a harness. A few minutes later, a
glider soars overhead, a cable trailing below it. Executing a perfectly timed
run, you grab the cable while hooking it into your suit harness - You soar
silently out of sight.

Your mission was a success!

*** The End ***[/rant]

A couple of comments:

  • I didn’t have too many problems with figuring out what I needed to type, but allowing for different wordings would be nice.
  • I thought some of the wording in the intro was a little bit odd. For example, “The spacious foyer 
 carries indistinguishable sounds along the sterile tiled floor and angular furniture” How does a foyer carry sounds? Sounds also don’t usually travel along the floor, and I can’t figure out how they would travel “along angular furniture.” It feels like you are trying to cram too much into this first sentence. What about: “Indistinguishable murmuring(?) greets you in the spacious foyer of the MegaCorp Building. The sterile tiled floor and angular furniture give an impression of cold detachment.” The second sentence of the next paragraph is also a little odd: “The raised desk shields the small stature of the person behind it
” The desk shields the stature of the person? Maybe: “The raised desk shields the short person behind it
” This may seem really nitpicky, but the intro is where the player gets their first impression of your game. The rest of the writing seemed fine (with the exception of a typo at the end (“you suit jacket”)).

I would agree with the others, short, quick, fun. I didn’t save a transcript (kinda new here). One comment, don’t think it’s a spoiler, but again I’m new,

maybe make “tool box” a synonym for toolbox?

My transcript:

[spoiler]A freelance spy is a great job. It pays well and you get to travel to new and interesting places. Unless you get caught, that part is not so great.

You tear open the unmarked envelope and unfold the mission briefing enclosed within: Infiltrate MegaCorp, gain access to the data centre, download the database.

So here you are, one week later - standing in the foyer of MegaCorp, under guise as a repairman.

Code Name Silver Steel
An Interactive Fiction by Special Agent
Release 1 / Serial number 170423 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib 6/12N)

Foyer
The spacious foyer of the MegaCorp building carries indistinguishable sounds along the sterile tiled floor and angular furniture, giving the impression of cold detachment.

You are standing by the reception desk in the centre of the room. The raised desk shields the small stature of the person behind it, oblivious to your presence.

To the north is an elevator, and a door beside it.

(New players should type “help”)

You can see a receptionist here.

x receptionist
A middle-aged woman with red hair, wearing horn-rimmed glasses. She catches you looking at her intently. You shift your gaze.

x door
A white metal door with the words “maintenance” in bold black letters.

open door
“Sir!”, the receptionist calls after you, “You can’t enter there without clearance.” (You could ignore her warning and go ahead, if you dare).

i
You are carrying:
a job card
an overall (being worn)
a toolbox (closed)
a wrist watch (being worn)

show job card to receptionist
She takes the job card from you and scrutinizes it against her records.
“Fine”, she says, handing you a clip-on tag. “Carry this with you at all times. The maintenance door is there”, she points north. “Have a nice day”.

x job card
This is a forged job card that states you are on-site to repair a faulty air conditioning unit. During the past week you gained access to the company intranet, and forged a matching maintenance record on their systems.

x tag
A minimal security pass that entitles you to do maintenance work.

n
(first opening the service entrance)
The receptionist eyes you from behind her fortress-desk as you open the door.

Maintenance Quarters
The room is well lit, however the grey plastered walls seem to drain the feng shui out of the carefully crafted maintenance quarters.

There is all manner of piping running along the roof. There is a panel in the north wall.

close door
You close the service entrance.

x panel
A gray steel panel. This one seems to cover a tunnel.

x piping
Pipes of various sizes run along the ceiling. You guess they carry water, gas or waste.

open panel
The panel is screwed shut.

i
You are carrying:
a maintenance tag
an overall (being worn)
a toolbox (closed)
a wrist watch (being worn)

open toolbo
You can’t see any such thing.

open toolbox
You open the toolbox, revealing a screwdriver, a data disc and a suit.

x disc
A round silvery disc for storing digital data.

unscrew panel
Perhaps you meant to turn screws?

turn screws
You don’t have any tools to unscrew those.

take screwdriver
Taken.

turn screws
You loosen the screws using the screwdriver. The panel swings open.

enter panel
You sense that you should change your disguise first.

wear suit
(first taking the suit)
You remove the overall and drop it on the floor.

You put on the suit.

enter panel
Deftly, you step through the access tunnel and into the emergency fire escape stairwell. You ascend the stairs in the dim light and emerge surreptitiously in the administrative level of the building. Your arrival goes unnoticed.

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. There is a doorway to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see a copy machine here.

x cubicle
It is the closest cubicle to the copy machine.

In the cubicle are a security pass and an elderly man.

x pass
A security pass attached to a lanyard. The print on the card reads “elevator access”.

x elderly man
He is an elderly man with receding brown hair. He seems preoccupied with his paperwork.

w

Breakroom
You are in a bare room without furniture. You guess MegaCorp doesn’t want relaxed employees.

There is a pot of coffee on a counter here.

You can also see a coffee mug here.

i
You are carrying:
a suit (being worn)
a screwdriver
a maintenance tag
a toolbox (open)
a data disc
a wrist watch (being worn)

x mug
A white unmarked mug.

x coffee
(the coffee mug)
A white unmarked mug.

pour coffee in mug
That’s not a verb I recognise.

e

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see a copy machine here.

x copy machine
It is a chunky piece of machinery with many tiny buttons. You notice stains on top of the machine.

x stains
They are coffee ring stains, their location suggests it is where a cup is prone to spill. Somebody has a bad habit of putting their cups on the copy machine.

w

Breakroom
You are in a bare room without furniture. You guess MegaCorp doesn’t want relaxed employees.

There is a pot of coffee on a counter here.

You can also see a coffee mug here.

x pot
A pot of hot coffee.

take pot
Perhaps you mean to put coffee into mug
put coffee into mug
(the coffee pot into the coffee mug)
Taken.

You fill the mug with hot coffee.

take mug
You already have that.

i
You are carrying:
a coffee mug
a suit (being worn)
a screwdriver
a maintenance tag
a toolbox (open)
a data disc
a wrist watch (being worn)

e

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see a copy machine here.

put mug on copy machine
You make sure nobody is watching, and quietly place the mug on the side of the copy machine.

z
Time passes.

The elderly man gets up from his cubicle and walks to the copy machine. He shuffles his papers and pushes the buttons.

enter cubicle
You get into the cubicle.

In the cubicle you can see a security pass.

Clang!
“What the hell!” the man curses, trying to save his coffee soaked pages.

take pass
Taken.

“Darn it”, the man curses.

x cubicle
It is the closest cubicle to the copy machine.

.

exit cubicle
I only understood you as far as wanting to exit.

exit
You get out of the cubicle.

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see an elderly man and a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.

.

x elevator
A metal elevator with an electronic access system.

.

north
(first opening the elevator)
It seems to be locked.

“Darn it”, the man curses.

The elderly man walks back to his cubicle.

unlock elevator with pass
You swipe the security pass across the elevator scanner, the door slides open and you step inside. You feel gravity reduce as you descend underground


Data Centre
Rows upon rows of server racks fill this room, lengths of cabling run between them like neurons in a brain. The racks are interspersed with computer terminals, these are used to access various systems in the building.

A technician is here, working on a terminal.

You can also see a fire control terminal and a database terminal here.

x technician
A middle-aged woman wearing a long white coat. Her brown hair is tied up.

x fire control terminal
This terminal controls the fire detection and sprinkler systems of the building. You can log on terminal to use it.

x database terminal
This terminal controls the information database. You notice a drive bay attached to it. You can log on terminal to use it.

log on fire control terminal
MegaCorp fire and safety control - Status: no fires - Activating fire drill

A siren rings out loudly, accompanied by a flashing red light in the ceiling.
The technician runs through the rows of servers, out of sight.

A red light flashes in your eyes.

log on database terminal
Error - No disc in drive bay.

A red light flashes in your eyes.

put disc in drive bay
(first taking the data disc)
You put the data disc into the drive bay.

A red light flashes in your eyes.

log on database terminal
You download the files to the data disc in the drive bay, you have what you came for. Now to advance your own agenda: you upload a trojan horse into the server, and log off.

A red light flashes in your eyes.

u
You can’t go that way.

enter elevator

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.

n

Data Centre
Rows upon rows of server racks fill this room, lengths of cabling run between them like neurons in a brain. The racks are interspersed with computer terminals, these are used to access various systems in the building.

You can see a fire control terminal and a database terminal here.

s

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.

d
You can’t go that way.

w

Breakroom
You are in a bare room without furniture. You guess MegaCorp doesn’t want relaxed employees.

There is a pot of coffee on a counter here.

I beg your pardon?

e

Administration
You are standing against the wall in a large room. The space is divided into a dozen cubicles - people sitting inside their small cells. The room has the dull hum of a funeral parlour.

A cubicle is nearby. The Breakroom is to the west, and an elevator to the north.

You can see a copy machine (on which is a coffee mug) here.

n

Data Centre
Rows upon rows of server racks fill this room, lengths of cabling run between them like neurons in a brain. The racks are interspersed with computer terminals, these are used to access various systems in the building.

You can see a fire control terminal and a database terminal here.

x racks
Large steel racks where the servers are kept.

A red light flashes in your eyes.

x fire control terminal
This terminal controls the fire detection and sprinkler systems of the building. You can log on terminal to use it.

log on fire control terminal
Status: Drill in progress


A red light flashes in your eyes.

i
You are carrying:
a security pass
a suit (being worn)
a screwdriver
a maintenance tag
a toolbox (open but empty)
a wrist watch (being worn)

A red light flashes in your eyes.

take data disc
You grab the data disc and make your escape by way of elevator to the roof. You reverse you suit jacket, turning it into a harness. A few minutes later, a glider soars overhead, a cable trailing below it. Executing a perfectly timed run, you grab the cable while hooking it into your suit harness - You soar silently out of sight.

Your mission was a success!

*** The End ***[/spoiler]

Agree with the other folks–this is a nice little game. A couple comments:

As you can see, I had some trouble with the navigation at the end. Maybe make the map connections more clear. As it turns out, once I remembered to take the disc everything was automatically taken care of for me, but maybe you can convey that by refusing to let me leave the room without the disc.
Also, you can maybe make clearer that I’ve taken the elevator down.
Also also, you’re not supposed to use the elevator in a fire drill!

In any case, nice job.

Thanks everyone, for the feedback, it is appreciated! I took all of it and fixed up the story.

change list - for spoiler eyes only

[spoiler]Version 2

  • Simplify and reduce room descriptions.
  • Fix typo “you suit jacket”.
  • Let the elderly man use the copy machine every few turns and immediately returns to his cubicle.
  • Add a “talk to” action. Talking to the receptionist can make it clear that she’s interested in your security clearance and nothing else.
  • Add synonym for “tool box”.
  • Prevent leaving the data centre, and prevent exiting maintenance room without the data disk. Also also, you’re not supposed to use the elevator in a fire drill!
  • Taking the mug should auto fill it with coffee (the intent to fill a mug is clear, so let’s save the player from this extra step)
  • mention the poster in the break room description.
  • going through, opening or entering the locked elevator while carrying the security pass, will automatically unlock it for you.
  • removing the overall drops it to the floor.
  • automatically drop the toolbox when entering the maintenance room, we can’t walk around in a suit carrying it.
  • add scenery for “tunnel” and allow “go/enter tunnel”.
  • “unscrew panel” directs the action to “turn screws”.
  • The maintenance tag is now wearable.
  • Add synonyms to security pass, overall, toolbox, data disk.

Note: Merriam-Webster’s defines “disk” as “a round flat plate coated with a magnetic substance on which data for a computer is stored.” It goes on to say that an “optical disk” (like a “videodisc” or a “CD”) is usually spelled “disc”. For this reason I renamed this item to the “disk” variant, but both spellings are now understood by the game.[/spoiler]

I tried it and had fun. Unfortunately, I don’t usually critique games on the forum, so I forgot to get the transcript.

I did notice, on the second playthrough, that you made it possible to win either by pulling the fire alarm or putting the scientist to sleep. Nice little detail.

Just as a detail, I’d welcome a synonym or two for the elderly man (“old man” wasn’t accepted, and that broke mimesis a bit).

I added testing credits to the game file and submitted to the ifdb for posterity. Thanks everyone :slight_smile:

SpecialAgent, I was just playing your game again on IFDB, and I noticed that one of the “Play Online” links worked and one didn’t. The grey one at the top of the page seemed to have an older version of the game that won’t let you get past the first room, but the bottom one that goes to github worked out well.