The Jewel of Knowledge

A seemingly stereotypical fantasy setup -- a quest to retrieve a jewel granting unlimited power from a dragon's lair -- is used as the backdrop to a rather more human story. After a first-move "puzzle" that's trickier than it was meant to be, the game moves into standard explore-the-cave territory, picking up again at the end when you fight the dragons. An interesting game with expansive, well-written text, if a bit emotionally manipulative at times.

-- R. Serena Wakefield