Oh, primordial, this one. Early parser interactive fiction, BBC Model B, magnetic cassette tape, I couldn’t have played it later than 1985. I wish I could bring you some sort of fragment of antique wisdom, but all I have here is a really daft joke.

There’s this giant rat you have to chase off with a sliver of rancid potato.

Because the rat flees from the stinking chip…

Twenty years on it still makes me giggle. But I’ll understand if you just want to close the browser now.

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‘Anything Nice’ is is a series of very short posts highlighting things I liked about the treatment of narrative in other people’s games. It’s a deliberately magpie, grab-bag approach. Some of these games I adore, some I don’t even like, but I learnt from all of them.