Ludography
SwordThrust cover

1981 · Donald Brown · Adventure · Role-playing

SwordThrust

1981 video game

Released
1981
Platforms
Apple II
Genres
AdventureRole-playing
Developers
Donald Brown
Publishers
Startly Technologies
Modes
Single-player
Perspective
Text
Themes
Fantasy
Country
United States

About

SwordThrust is an interactive text adventure game for the Apple II, created by Donald Brown and published by CE Software in 1981. It consists of seven separate adventures (each sold separately) and is the commercial successor to Brown's Eamon (1980).

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Story

Players take on the role of a warrior/adventurer in the magical, feudal world of Diurla. Play begins at the Main Hall of the Guild of Free Rogues, where the player creates a character, buys equipment and learns spells before venturing out to gain wealth and experience. Each scenario has a different goal, and typically a time limit. A save option is available, allowing the player to suspend the game and pick it up later.

Reception

Forrest Johnson reviewed SwordThrust in The Space Gamer No. 43. Johnson commented that "SwordThrust is not the best game of its type; it's the only. It has flaws, but so does every milestone."

Debuting in May 1981, Swordthrust #1 sold 1,000 copies by June 1982, appearing on Computer Gaming World's list of top sellers. A 1982 review in the magazine praised the game's departure from the typical Dungeons & Dragons character class system, instead allowing a character to advance in any skill, closer in style to RuneQuest. Computer Gaming World stated in 1991 and 1993 "It's a pity that Swordthrust did not survive into the graphic era, as it had great potential".

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Apple II31 December 1981North America

Editions and related releases

Downloadable content
Swordthrust 2: The Vampyre CavesSwordthrust 3: The Kidnappers CoveSwordthrust 4: The Case of the Sultan's PearlSwordthrust 5: The Green PlagueSwordthrust 6: The Eternal CurseSwordthrust 7: The Hall of Alchemie

Games like this

Collections1 collection

Platform libraries

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.