Games With Unfair Beginnings - an IFDB Poll

By this I mean games that can be made unwinnable near the start or have hellish opening puzzles.

	Christminster, by Gareth Rees 5 votes "I gave up twice on this game because of its opening puzzle. " [+]"I gave up twice on this game because of its opening puzzle. " ( - Full review) --Rovarsson... "One of the first..." [+]"One of the first and best works of the mid-1990s Interactive Fiction renaissance. But that opening puzzle … talk about a college that’s hard to get into!" () --NorkaBoid... (No comment) [+](No comment) --bkirwi... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Mr. Patient... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Greg Frost... Vote for this game

	Savage Island, Part II, by Scott Adams and Russ Wetmore 3 votes "Toughest Of The Old Scott Adams Adventures" [+]"Toughest Of The Old Scott Adams Adventures: A weekend for two somewhere in a guano infested cave if you can guess the verb necessary to escape the airlock at the beginning of this oldie. " --Canalboy... "Can be made unwinnable before the first move" [+]"Can be made unwinnable before the first move: SPOILERS: The game prompts you for a password that you received in the ending of Savage Island Part I. However, Savage Island Part I pulls a trick wherein if you complete that game without a crucial item, it gives you a different password than if you do have the item. Needless to say, if you enter the itemless password into Savage Island Part II, you've already made the game unwinnable AND have to replay Savage Island Part I." --P-Tux7... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --NorkaBoid... Vote for this game

	Not Just an Ordinary Ballerina, by Jim Aikin 2 votes "Massive Toy Hunt With A Yuletide Theme" [+]"Massive Toy Hunt With A Yuletide Theme: You're in exploding brain territory right from the start with this one. The solution to entering the shopping mall would tax Einstein's smarter brother (if he had one)." () --Canalboy... (No comment) [+](No comment) --NorkaBoid... Vote for this game

	Zork I, by Marc Blank and Dave Lebling 1 vote "Even Zork’s..." [+]"Even Zork’s most devoted fans must admit that it is famously easy—perhaps even likely—to get things wrong with the thief without even realizing it. " --Drew Cook... Vote for this game

	Midnight. Swordfight., by Chandler Groover 1 vote "You can die in the first move!" [+]"You can die in the first move!" --pieartsy... Vote for this game

	Questprobe Featuring The Hulk, by Scott Adams, John Romita Sr., Mark Gruenwald, and Kem NcNair 1 vote "The very first move." [+]"The very first move.: You're tied to a chair and will play Guess the verb until you escape. If you manage that, you'll likely die a few turns later. One of Scott Adams' weakest efforts." ( - Full review) --Blake... Canalboy says: I agree that this is a poor entry in Scott Adams's adventure compendium. Obscure verbs and dull gameplay with repetitive locations reminding me of Epic Software's location descriptions. Vote for this game

	The Statue Got Me High, by Ryan Veeder 1 vote "Because of the business with the place cards" [+]"Because of the business with the place cards: Doesn't make the game unwinnable, but engenders frustration (deliberately) nonetheless." --JTN... Vote for this game

	Quondam, by Rod Underwood and Peter Killworth 1 vote "Move And Die. Examine And Die. Save Game And Die. Give And Softlock." [+]"Move And Die. Examine And Die. Save Game And Die. Give And Softlock.: There are a handful of ways to die or softlock the game in the first four locations. In the first 58 locations you can die in 19 different ways; this is not counting unwinnable situations." ( - Full review) --Canalboy... Canalboy says: This is the only text adventure I have ever played where approaching an object from a particular direction and picking it up makes the game unwinnable. if you approach it from the other (correct) way the item is described differently. There are however no clues as to which path is correct and which incorrect. This game is laden with such unfair puzzles. Even the fair ones are very very tough. Vote for this game

	Dunnet, by Ron Schnell 1 vote "Not the toughest text adventure, but one you'll have to restart many times" [+]"Not the toughest text adventure, but one you'll have to restart many times: It seems to start off easy - that is, if you're familiar with Unix. So why can't you log into FTP? Why do all your objects keep turning into worthless protoplasm? And why does your score keep ending up zero?" --mjhayes... Vote for this game

	Fyleet, by Jonathan Partington 1 vote "Another neural cell battering from Dr. Partington " [+]"Another neural cell battering from Dr. Partington : Massive, old fashioned, uncompromising, pencil and paper exam hall reminiscence of a game. Superb." ( - Full review) --Canalboy... Vote for this game

	Corruption, by Rob Steggles, Hugh Steers 1 vote "All games by..." [+]"All games by Magnetic Scrolls are terribly unforgiving, but Corruption and The Pawn are the worst IMO. Right from the start. " () --Karlok... Vote for this game

	Worldsmith, by Ade McT 1 vote "Though I love the first "puzzle" it is more a strategy game which might prevent many from reaching the more traditional game right after this first "puzzle"" [+]"Though I love the first "puzzle" it is more a strategy game which might prevent many from reaching the more traditional game right after this first "puzzle"" () --Denk... Vote for this game

	The Ferryman Awaits, by John Nevins 1 vote "BBC Micro game by Kansas City Systems" [+]"BBC Micro game by Kansas City Systems: You begin the game strapped to a pentagram, about to be made a human sacrifice by a demonic priest. The first time you play, death is inevitable. On subsequent playthroughs you can escape by means of information learned in that first, fatal attempt. But even then it's a case of out of the frying pan, into the fire..." () --J. J. Guest... Canalboy says: I must try that. A good poll would be "games where you have to die at least once to finish." I can think of one other off the top of my head; Acheton. Vote for this game

	Monsters of Murdac, by Jonathan Partington 1 vote "A Fiendish Game From The Phoenix Stable" [+]"A Fiendish Game From The Phoenix Stable: Unless you take a certain direction at the very start of this game you will be locked out of victory half a dozen moves in as an obstacle will be in your way. You won't realise this until later though." () --Canalboy... Vote for this game

	Philosopher's Quest, by Peter D. Killworth and Jonathan Mestel 1 vote "Diamond Hard Former Mainframe And Acornsoft Game" [+]"Diamond Hard Former Mainframe And Acornsoft Game: No easing you into the world of Cambridge Mathematics Masters with this one either as you have to take more objects out of the opening location than seems possible. Only someone blessed with Cassandrine powers could know which objects to take and which to leave behind. Uncharitable to the umpteenth power. Err, is this bona mathematical parlance Jonathan? No, I thought not. " ( - Full review) --Canalboy... Vote for this game

	Warp, by Rob Lucke and Bill Frolik 1 vote "Large And Tough Mainframe Game" [+]"Large And Tough Mainframe Game: There is a cruel trick at the start of this game. You have to visit a certain building very early on (this building is not near the start of the game) or it cannot be completed. There is no prompting for this. Completely unfair but of its time." ( - Full review) --Canalboy... Vote for this game

Is there another game that you think should be on this list? Just fill in the title of a game you'd like to vote for.

Poll created on October 7, 2021