A Bear's Night Out

>INVENTORY - Paul O'Brian writes about interactive fiction

ABNO is a delightful game. It is well-written and, for the most part, well-coded, including a number of details which serve to enrich the childlike, enchanted game world. For example, the television runs a very funny infomercial for a hardware z-chip, to turn your computer into "the interactive fiction machine of your dreams!" The cat's random event routines create an endearing illusion of feline unpredictability. Judiciously chosen box quotes enhance the game's sense of magic and wonder. Finally, perhaps the best touch of all, all the elements of the full score are written alliteratively: "furry fashion" for wearing your coat, "kindness to kittens" for petting the cat, etc. The combined result of all these details is a world well worth visiting by children and adults alike.