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jacks.z5
Requires a Z-Code interpreter. Visit IFWiki for download links.
jackwalk.txt
Walkthrough
Walkthrough and map
by David Welbourn

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Jacks or Better to Murder, Aces to Win

by J. D. Berry

Espionage
1999

About the Story

In this short game of intrigue, you play as the venerable A, the highest-ranking member of your religion's Hierarchy. During a formal service at a remote holding, you sense a conspiracy to eliminate you is underfoot, and you note that the speaker is rambling, deliberately delaying the service's natural end. You must act, without breaking protocol, or you'll likely soon be dead.


Game Details

Off-Site Reviews

SPAG
Should be great, but has many flaws
In fact, the game cries out for a sequel. Using this short scenario as a way of imparting background information is a great way to introduce a world and a character which could be developed further. I'd like to see a game with a similar tone which isn't so linear, and with a greater scope for politicking. The church isn't actually fleshed out that well - it feels more like a surface sketch - but its hard to tell whether thats because of the game's length (or lack thereof) or because the author was actually writing it off the top of his head. The pseudo-science aspects of the randomly generated church dogma lead me to feel its the latter, but the world, sketchy though it is, is engaging enough that I'm sure the author could do a game with much more depth there if he wished.
-- Joe Mason
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>VERBOSE -- Paul O'Brian's Interactive Fiction Page

Jacks is another fairly non-interactive entry into this year's competition, but through technical innovation, fresh milieu, and shrewd design, it partly makes up for what it lacks in gameplay.
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Page Update History

v.5: 30-Jan-2020 07:42 - Paul O'Brian (Current Version) - Edit Page - Normal View
Changed external review links
  v.4: 30-Jan-2020 07:42 - David Welbourn
Changed description, download links
v.3: 19-May-2013 06:59 - Edward Lacey
Changed external review links
v.2: 02-May-2008 12:52 - Paul O'Brian
Changed external review links
v.1: 16-Oct-2007 01:48 - IFDB
Created page