Wishbringer

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An accessible old-school masterpiece, March 17, 2024

Released in 1985, Infocom's Wishbringer was an attempt to create a simplified adventure to ease new and younger players into the often baffling and brutal world of early text games. Forty years later it may not be the best introduction to IF in general (the story is simple, there's plenty of deaths, a surprise maze, and it's easy to render the game unwinnable within a few turns) but the game remains an excellent and accessible example of old-school text adventure in the Infocom house style. In fact, it's one of the very best text adventures I've ever played.

The story is fairy tale stuff, combined with some early computer nerd wish-fulfillment: you play as a small town postal worker who fantasizes about being a heroic adventurer. Luckily for you, a special delivery to a joke shop turns out to be a ransom note, the proprietor is a witch, and you must set out on a quest to travel across town and rescue her kidnapped kitty with the help of a magical stone which grants wishes. Upon climbing down the town's northern hill, you find that the village of Festeron has been transformed into the dark and threatening Witchville. Like in all good fairy tales, there's a great deal of frightening atmosphere. Some scenes actually gave me the creeps, especially one set in a movie theater. But the darkness is balanced by a lot of whimsy: you're pursued by literal foot soldiers and a hungry mailbox, and just wait till you learn the truth about the (Spoiler - click to show) platypus.

The game's most unique mechanic is the one that seems to annoy people the most. The magical stone Wishbringer can grant seven different wishes, depending on which items you hold. Many items exist only to enable the casting of wishes, though a couple double as solutions to puzzles. Using wishes is optional, a feature intended to provide "easy mode" puzzle solving and give hints to inexperienced players. Here's the rub: you don't receive points for solving puzzles using wishes, meaning that if you want the highest possible score you can't use the titular item at all.

In the game's defense, I think this approach works for Wishbringer's stated purpose of introducing players to text adventures. You can choose to wish your way through puzzles just to enjoy the story, but you are encouraged to solve them through traditional adventure game logic once you feel ready. It's a confidence builder. The wishes also provide the game with replayability: beat it once with wishes, then see the alternative solutions! All this said, in practice the Wishbringer implementation is flawed. There are only a few puzzles that can actually be solved by using wishes, and I'm not sure if I would say that using the wish solutions are easier at all. In fact, I wasn't able to figure out how the wishes were useful for solving the majority of obstacles in the game - the "hard" solutions were easier for me!

The excellent game prose by implementor Brian Moriarty is what elevates Wishbringer above most of its contemporaries. It's funny, evocative, and has that extra literary quality that's present in the best Infocom games. The feelies are minimal but essential for solving a puzzle and wishing, and they contribute a lot to the complex and wistful tone. There's a theme of doubling throughout the game that I found fascinating: there are two versions of the village with two hills on either end, on top of which (Spoiler - click to show) live two witches and two black cats. The doubling theme extends to the gameplay. There are two ways of solving the game, using wishes or using adventure logic. Meta-textually, this echoes the way that there are two ways to play any adventure game: do you follow a walkthrough to experience the story without any challenge, or do take the time and effort to solve the game yourself? But maybe these doubles aren't quite so binary. After all, the name of the "good" town is named Festeron (fester on), implying that there's an element of darkness even in the light.

Contemporary players might find some frustrations in Wishbringer, particularly the harsh timer in the game's opening and a few easily missable but essential items that can softblock your game if you don't get them in time. But I think that even these elements are fun in an old-school way, and their presence helps gently familiarize players with these conventions. This is an excellent game for those who want to get into classic IF or experience a simple but satisfying adventure.

- Artran (Taipei, Taiwan), February 10, 2024

- Max Fog, January 25, 2024

- ENyman78 (Gold Beach, OR), October 30, 2023

- jonathanhuston, September 17, 2023

- SandwhichMeat, September 9, 2023

Everybody Loves Wishbringer, July 13, 2023

That isn't true, of course.

There is no such thing that "everybody" loves, unless it is a good night's sleep. Still, Wishbringer is emblematic of the shifting critical fortunes of Infocom games over the years. If we consider this site's aggregation alongside Victor Gijsbers's top 50 polls, we might guess that only a handful of Infocom's games retain the stature that they enjoyed, say, twenty-five years ago. At last polling (2019), those most-loved games include Spellbreaker, Wishbringer, Zork I, A Mind Forever Voyaging, Suspended, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Trinity. The mix has shifted slightly in each successive poll, but Wishbringer has remained a constant. The aggregation tells an entirely different story: Planetfall, as only one example, is on the front page of IFDB games listed by rating!

Why Wishbringer? Much comes down to the talents of Brian Moriarty, who makes his stunning debut with this "Introductory" game for all audiences. The prose is descriptive and charming, and a "double world" of light and dark fills exploration with feelings of recognition and wonder. Its good-natured humor lacks the snark of so many Infocom games, and the experience is better for it.

The feelies and packaging only enhance the fairy-tale ambiance of the game and include a glow-in-the-dark "wishing stone" and an illustrated "Legend of Wishbringer" story. The story is darker than one might expect, but the quality of the content is excellent.

Regarding gameplay, I have "good news and bad news." The good news is that Wishbringer features multiple solutions to puzzles, which widens its audience and essentially offers multiple difficulties. This is an innovative approach that I'm not sure Infocom replicated elsewhere. (Spoiler - click to show)I wouldn't count Zork III's "hello sailor" solution, since that's more of an easter egg. If you can think of other cases, please mention them in a comment!

The bad news, at least for me as a little boy, is this: making wishes is the "easy" mode and awards no points. As a kid with a game called "Wishbringer" and a glowing wishing stone, I wanted to make wishes. I also wanted a high score. I cannot fault any child, young or old, for feeling disappointed.

I should recognize that this is still an Infocom game from the 1980's, which means that some of it will seem quite unfriendly to contemporary players, despite obvious efforts to make itself accessible to audiences of its time. In particular, one can make the game unwinnable early on without knowing. Wishbringer also punishes the player for (Spoiler - click to show)not drawing a map in a specific place, and it feels quite jarring in a game so friendly.

Still, these are all faults that Wishbringer manages to transcend. Don't let the "Introductory" designation fool you. This game is incredibly charming, very well written, and, whatever its failings might be, quite innovative in terms of its approach to difficulty. Highly, highly, highly recommended.

- Kastel, June 20, 2023

- Sobol (Russia), April 6, 2023

Enchanting, October 4, 2022

I play interactive fiction intermittently, as life often has me too busy to dig into larger games. I decided that I was tired of missing out and wanted to really dig into the classics of the commercial era, the ones I'd heard so much about but never experienced firsthand. What order should I play then in? How about by difficulty? Of the two introductory games, Wishbringer sounded more appealing than Seastalker, so off I went.

I'm pleased to say that I've kept my skills sharp in the gulf between games. I beat the game in an evening with no hints and a 100% score. Moriarty's prose is wonderful and his puzzle design is perfect. The game is a Nasty on the Zarfian Cruelty Scale. You can absolutely make the game unwinnable. However, it's pretty easy to figure out where you've gone wrong, and this is a good thing. It teaches the novice to pay attention and play optimally, as later games will not be as kind.

I struggle to think of criticisms. This is a simply an enchanting little slice of the Zork universe, worth a play by everyone.

- Amun100 (UK), July 25, 2022

- nosferatu, June 5, 2022

- cgasquid (west of house), January 31, 2022

- Nomad, August 22, 2021

- sunmono, August 19, 2021

Good Game with a Major Flaw, August 14, 2021

I'm a newcomer to IF, and so I've been working my way through some of the classics to get acclimated and learn a bit about the history of the form along the way. As a game consciously designed for and marketed to 'adult novices,' I thought this would be an ideal game to play early on in my IF career.

Wishbringer definitely fits the bill as a good game for beginners. The story is charming, the atmosphere is engaging, the puzzles are interesting but not difficult, and the game overall is quite forgiving. I appreciate how the narrator prompts the player to save at key times when an irreversible action is about to be taken, for instance.

The fairy tale tone and the at times whimsical to surreal atmosphere of the town was done to good effect. I also found the map to be perfectly sized, as I quickly internalized the town layout of Festeron. This works well since meat of the game is a non-linear treasure hunt/puzzle solving deal that involves exploring the mostly open map. Despite the relatively small map, there are really two Festeron's that you get to explore since the world goes topsy-turvy after the introductory section of the game. I may play through again just to explore some of daytime Festeron.

While I liked all of those aspects of the game, there's a major flaw (to my mind) in the game design that keeps this a merely good not great game. The game centers around a magic stone, the Wishbringer, that can grant 7 different wishes. However, Moriarty &co decided to make using the Wishbringer optional, a way to make puzzles easier to solve for newcomers and build in more challenging (and more rewarding) ways to solve puzzlers for advanced players. I was looking forward to the magic/wishing aspect of the game, though I never actually used the stone. Even as a newcomer, I was able to solve the game without using the stone. If the wishes had been actually integrated into the puzzles and story, rather than leaving them as an optional feature, I would have loved rather than just liked this game.

- heasm66 (Sweden), August 10, 2021

- Karlok (Netherlands), April 14, 2021

Boot patrol!, December 17, 2020

I have officially finished my first Infocom game!

And I liked it a lot. Wishbringer brought me a lot of moments of joy and laughter. Once you complete the introductory task, it seems the game-world turns dark and sinister. Once the boot patrol turns up though, it turns out to be whimsical and funny. The little town of Festeron (Witchville in the dark) is full of surprises, secret passages and absurd characters. When I found my way to Misty Island I laughed out loud. Phineas and Ferb is one of my favorite cartoons, and here I saw an island full of Agent Ps...

The puzzles are fun and on the easy side. I would recommend that you look at the official feelies and the original game-booklet before playing though. (Widespread on the web.)

Then why only three stars? Because it's possible to make the game unwinnable when you are at the doorstep of victory by not reading a certain note before it becomes forever inaccesible to you. And because the Magick Stone that this game is supposedly about is hidden without clues, like an inside joke from the makers. And because things like that are extra frustrating in an easy-going whimsical adventure such as this one.

But do play it. It's fun.

- Ry (Philippines), June 9, 2020

- Zape, June 3, 2020

- ShadyBanana, March 29, 2020

- Durafen, November 9, 2019

A fairly easy but fun adventure where every puzzle has multiple solutions. , May 2, 2019

Touted as an adventure game for beginners by Infocom and Wishbringer certainly fits the bill. I played this text adventure when I was fourteen and required no hints for the duration. But this romp is still enjoyable for people of all ages and abilities.

You play a postman with a directive from your boss to deliver a package to an old lady who lives at the north edge of town, and by 5 o’clock or you’re fired! Delivering the package is easy enough, but what’s in the package, as you later discover, triggers a series of events that unveils the dark secrets of your town, spilling it in darkness and terror. Of course, the fate of the town rests in your hands, but you must first discover what the hell is going on.

The wishbringer itself is a magick (sic) stone that can cast several spells if one is carrying the proper items. While the spells can help the beginner get out of some sticky situations, solving the puzzles without the aid of the stone yields better results (and more points!). The experienced gamer will likely never need the stone, but it does provide replay value.

As per usual with Infocom adventures the writing is top-notch and plenty of humor finds it way into the normally creepy ambiance. While Wishbringer offers no surprises, it should be a pleasant and rewarding experience for most players.

- SchnickelFritz (TX), December 29, 2018

- e.peach, December 29, 2017

- stet, November 22, 2017

- Integer Man (Columbus, Ohio), October 7, 2017

- Laney Berry, August 22, 2017

- Guenni (At home), August 2, 2017

- jamesb (San Antonio, Texas), July 12, 2017

- ulmo, April 25, 2017

- ifMUD_Olly (Montana, USA), April 21, 2017

- TheAncientOne, March 25, 2017

- Spike, February 26, 2017

- winterfury (Russia), December 11, 2016

- Xavid, December 7, 2016

- Denk, September 1, 2016

- NinaS, July 3, 2016

- Matt Bates, March 28, 2016

Infocom game for beginnners with a light world/dark world concept, February 3, 2016

This Infocom game is directed towards younger players but is appropriate for adults; in fact, the game is still very challenging. The fantasy elements are charming and fun (and sometimes pretty creepy): an army of boots, a witch who steals cats, ghosts who murder you...

All the puzzles can be solved with sufficient exploration and minor logic; I missed a few areas and items in my exploring, though, because the world is rich and beautiful.

As far as I can tell, the game is for beginners because there are only the n,e,s,w directions (no ne, se, nw, or sw); most puzzles have multiple solutions; most items are easily visible (except for the most important one); and death won't come unless you have been repeatedly warned.

The game is split into two sections; one where the player explores a quaint village with minor annoyances (such as locked gates and a poodle); and a second section where the village has turned dark and evil (with murderous ghosts and a hellhound).

As many have stated, this is a memorable game, more so than most of the Infocom games I have played, or interactive fiction in general. As usual, I played this game on the Lost Treasures of Infocom app on the iPad.

- Robb Sherwin (Colorado), August 5, 2015

- Pegbiter (Malmö, Sweden), June 15, 2015

- Pope of Gainz, June 3, 2015

- chux, May 20, 2015

- Thrax, March 11, 2015

- punktbild, March 8, 2015

Gentle and clever, January 14, 2015

Wishbringer is a whimsical fantasy adventure of intimate scale. Your goal seems mundane at first; to rescue the cat. That is until you comprehend the true meaning of your journey through a very touching ending sequence.

Like Trinity, Brian Moriarty's masterpiece, the game prefers a loose narrative structure over a strong linear plot. This freedom allows the player to focus on other tasks when facing a particularly hard problem. The story is more suggested than revealed, through subtle, sensible prose. I can't help but to feel the obvious love of the author for metaphors, in a very similar tone than his other game.

Puzzles are clever and logical, offering a reasonable, still rewarding challenge to IF newcomers. I love the fact that there is multiple ways of resolving a particular situation. There is the risk of rendering the game unsolvable, but it is short enough so that starting over won't be a hassle. Here is definitely a game that can be beat without hints.

Wishbringer is without a doubt a terrific introduction to IF. It is relatively short, forgiving but not trivial, and its simple but meaningful story is written with style and economy.

- E.K., August 29, 2014

- Captain Sidekick, May 2, 2014

- shornet (Bucharest), March 23, 2014

For Me, Very Memorable, March 19, 2014

I first played this game with some friends back in the eighties shortly after it's initial release, continued trying to advance through it without the use of hints or walkthroughs here and there throughout the years, and have finally finished the story. Yes, it took me almost thirty years to complete this introductory-level work of interactive fiction. But, I'm pleased with myself for just being persistent, knowing that one day I'd get through it without resorting to hints and walkthroughs. And, I'm pleased and always have been pleased with the story that takes place in Wishbringer. For reasons I'm not exactly sure of this has always been one of the more memorable pieces of interactive fiction that I have ever played. Possibly, I guess, because it was one of the first that I ever played. Or, maybe, it was just so masterfully done, leaving lasting impressions on my IF-gaming mind, seemingly, forever? I don't know, but, for me, Wishbringer was very memorable.

Wishbringer is a fairly short story with some puzzles that you may or may not find to be a little difficult, a little frustrating. How short of a story is it? I didn't actually put it to the test to make sure but would guess that if you sat down with the exact commands to get you from start to finish that you could pass through the entire story in ten minutes or less. Just to give a general idea of the size of Wishbringer, for those looking for something a little shorter to get involved in.

If you're new to IF I definitely recommend Wishbringer. And just because it's considered to be an introductory-level game doesn't mean that you won't get stuck here and there, so keep in mind that everyone thinks differently and what may come easy to one person may not come so easily to another. Just stick with it. You may find that saving your spot and trying again later, with a fresh mind, is all it takes. Playing with a couple of friends who'll see things a little differently than you do sometimes is advisable as well.

- lisapaul, January 10, 2014

Adventure Classic Gaming

The strongest points of this game are its rich text, humor, and clever puzzles. It is a well designed game for a novice adventurer and a great introduction to the entire genre. Multiple solutions to puzzles and good dose of nonlinear puzzles stand as testimonials to its design strength. The puzzles are a bit too easy and the game is far too short. Occasionally, the time constraints can be a little frustrating. There are times I recall which I have to restart the game because I have not done or gotten something that I need in a later part of the game. Luckily the game is short enough that this shortcoming does not pose a serious problem.
-- Ernest Petti

- Hotspur, September 23, 2013

- hyst3ria, March 23, 2013

- pcbrannon, February 24, 2013

- iranon727, December 7, 2012

- nico, November 6, 2012

- Puddin Tame (Queens, NY), October 27, 2012

- AADA7A, September 19, 2012

- liz73 (Cornwall, New York), July 1, 2012

- kala (Finland), May 25, 2012

- stadtgorilla (Munich, Germany), April 17, 2012

- Pinstripe (Chicago, Illinois), March 29, 2012

- Christiaan, March 27, 2012

- amciek (Opole), December 18, 2011

- Nav (Bristol, UK), November 25, 2011

- MonochromeMolly, November 10, 2011

- aparrish (NYC), September 15, 2011

- André St-Aubin (Laval, Québec), May 31, 2011

- Rotonoto (Albuquerque, New Mexico), May 16, 2011

- Jonathan Blask (Milwaukee, WI, USA), April 4, 2011

- JohnW (Brno, Czech Republic), March 16, 2011

- Walter Sandsquish, February 2, 2011

- snickerdoddle, January 27, 2011

Not really Introductory without wishes, December 24, 2010

I read that you could complete this game without using any wishes. Sure its possible, but this is the type of game where one is put into unwinnable situations time and time again, so be sure and save multiple and many times, because everything has to be done in a particular order.

I guess I am a bit miffed that I had to use one wish because (Spoiler - click to show)I screwed up by starting last night on my ipad laying in bed and not fully exploring the city therefore never found the gold coin so could not buy movie ticket

I did enjoy the story overall, and if one uses wishes this game becomes very easy.

Edit: I revised my star rating to 4 because upon reflection, it does deserve it.

- Wade Clarke (Sydney, Australia), December 8, 2010

- Hulk Handsome (Carmen Sandiago), November 23, 2010

- Alder (San Francisco), August 15, 2010

- Muskie, August 11, 2010

- tekket (Česká Lípa, Czech Republic), June 15, 2010

Easy?, June 10, 2010

Perhaps this was total brain-fart on my part, but annoying is the word I would use, rather than easy.

This is one of those timed games (I supposed most infocom games were timed- either by lantern light or hunger or whatever), which is annoying enough. Then there's the first puzzle.

I'm a big fan of puzzle games, and I'd like to think I am somewhat good at them. Maybe I saw the introductory nature and took too much for granted, but even the in-game hints failed to get me past that damn dog. It wasn't until I saw the map that came with the game (which you don't get when you play online) that I saw how much there was to explore after the dog, and was able to decipher how to get past it. It doesn't help that the game kind of implies that you shouldn't be going into the area you need to go into in order to solve the first puzzle.

In true infocom passion, feelies were used and required. I love feelies, but I hate when they're required to solve puzzles, such as requiring you to look up the letter you're delivering to someone on paper to see what it says, because it's relevant. Back in the day that was what they used as copy protection. I guess I prever the sierra copy protection, where they ask you a question from the manual right up front, then let you continue with the damn game.

That aside, perhaps the game is better once you get into it. Unfortunately, that was something I couldn't do, which suprised me with how much I loved the Zork and Enchanter series, which this appeared initialy like it would be similar to.

- o0pyromancer0o, April 23, 2010

- lavonardo, April 2, 2010

- four1475 (Manhattan, KS), December 30, 2009

- Mr. Patient (Saint Paul, Minn.), December 3, 2009

- Cuxxu (Albany, NY), August 26, 2009

Good introductory game, August 3, 2009

I first played this game in the 1980s... 20 years later, it still holds its charm. This is an excellent introductory game for those new to IF, or a few hours of pleasant diversion for more experienced players. It's a whimsical story that will appeal to almost anyone. Still one of my favorites, with no puzzles that require non-intuitive solutions. If you missed this one, don't be put off by its introductory difficulty... spend an hour or two enjoying a game with puzzles that make you smile...

- Robot Marvin, July 30, 2009

- John D, March 14, 2009

- qwrrty (Carlisle, Massachusetts), February 10, 2009

- albtraum, February 8, 2009

- ArtrexDenthur (Texas), November 27, 2008

- Linnau (Tel-Aviv, Israel), October 31, 2008

- Nathan (Utah), October 25, 2008

- burtcolk, September 3, 2008

- Wesley (Iowa City, Iowa), September 1, 2008

- anova, August 11, 2008

- Hans Möller (Sweden), April 5, 2008

- bolucpap, March 19, 2008

- Ghalev (Northern Appalachia, United States), March 13, 2008

Easy, but too charming to discount, March 12, 2008

Wishbringer was part of Infocom's "introductory" line -- an attempt to bring a wider audience to interactive fiction by creating works that would appeal to those who had never played a text adventure before. Only a few introductory titles were produced, and this one is my favorite by far.

It is also the most effective. Unlike the other introductory titles (Moonmist and Seastalker), Wishbringer provides an easy-to-follow orientation to the IF interface in its opening sequence; the first tasks are going someplace, taking something, looking at it -- all of the basic commands experienced players take for granted. As with all introductory titles, the first few moves use an explicit prompt ("OK, what do you want to do now?") to hold the hand of those who are not sure how IF works.

This courtesy extends throughout the rest of the game. Puzzles are solvable in at least two ways: easy (using a wish) and hard (using your brain). Maximum points are awarded for solving puzzles the hard way, but those who just want to see the story advance will not regret wishing their way to the end -- though they may be prompted to go back and improve their score.

Part of the game's allure is its "once upon a time" tone, which is well-suited to freeing the imagination. This is enhanced by -- or perhaps the product of -- the enchanting writing style of Brian Moriarty (author of Trinity, which many people consider to be the best Infocom title ever). Most of the rest of its allure is probably due to the unforgettable platypi.

Those new to the game will likely have to do without its wonderful "feelies". The glow-in-the-dark Wishbringer replica was a little cheesy, but it was one of my favorites (second only to Planetfall's postcards, stationery, and Stellar Patrol ID). Even without these, Wishbringer is probably the ideal IF primer for young people and those young-at-heart.

- jfpbookworm (Hamburg, New York), February 25, 2008

- NiMuSi (London, UK), February 23, 2008

- Eriorg (Switzerland), February 22, 2008

- Emily Short, February 20, 2008

- Matt Kimmel (Cambridge, MA), February 20, 2008

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