The Count

Baf's Guide

One of the better Scott Adams efforts. Count Dracula is stalking you, and you need to fend him off while you're assembling the requisite tools to defeat him. Requires long-range planning in a way that almost guarantees you'll have to replay, but it's a minor sin since the game is relatively short (and it also makes the game feel more complex and involved). One of the most interesting features is that the game is spread over three nights (and you need to avoid getting attacked when you fall asleep the first two nights); your dreams, though they flash by too quickly for you to really see, point to something significant that you discover later in the game. Most of the vampire cliches surface at one point or another, but Adams has fun with some of them as well, and generally it's pretty good considering the limited medium. Two-word parser.

-- Duncan Stevens

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The Best of the Scott Adams Games, August 10, 2010
Yes, this is definitely the best of the Scott Adams games (also the very first IF game I ever played, which I played shortly after it first came out - I'm turning 40 next month, and you pretty much have to be about my age to be able to say that).

Sure, it has all the limitations of the other Scott Adams two-word parser games...but it just has more atmosphere than the others. Its a genuinely creepy game in a way that's difficult to define (admittedly, it probably doesn't stand the test of time very well today).

Its actually one of the less difficult Scott Adams games; if you have an IF background (and if you don't, surely you have better things to be doing with your time?), you should be able to figure this thing out. Its not likely to leave you permanently stuck, and that is always a blessing. I recommend playing the graphical version that was released for the Apple II, and maybe other systems, if possible (the Apple II version can be found online). Of all the Scott Adams graphic adventures, this is the one that was most enhanced by graphics. The ridiculously sparse descriptions are given a nice boost via the visuals, and a couple of the sights towards the finale are well-worth seeing, in all their primitive glory.

A minimalistic atmospheric marvel about Dracula, June 5, 2017
Scott Adams created many games in a short time, but the Count is one of the most famous.

I played this game only recently, after experiencing more modern games, but I love its charm and open exploration. I feel like in the 70's, when it came out, and people only had a few games, it's unfairness and picky parser would actually be a bonus, adding many hours to gameplay as you try to figure out something to type.

But even for more modern players looking for a quick fix, it's enjoyable. The ultra-minimalism works really well, here, as you are captured and wake up the next day with little explanation beyond your own dark imagination.

A real keeper. Beating it on your own could take quite a while, though.

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