Download The Thing

DoubleDee 2017-05-11 0 point

May 11 2017

Found THE THING in an Apogee freeware release pack (Adventure Fun-Pak 1989). While maybe not great I though it was an OK game and had some fun with it. Reached the highest score level so was then content and probably won't play anymore. The other comments made above are true but just because the game is a simple copy of another, and better games were made in those years doesn't make this one a bad one for me. That's the thing with these old games, maybe not a lot of replayability but a few days of mindless entertainment can be satisfying.

LAUNCH TIPS:
Use DosBox to run game, obviously. MoSlo not needed for this one as it pauses all the time waiting for your input.

PLAY TIPS:
You are just wandering around collecting gold and trying to avoid the hazards. It's pretty basic text based gameplay. If you haven't found garlic, the bats may carry you off and could drop you in a pit or on the Wumpus. If you haven't found a plank you can fall into a pit. The game gives you a hint when a next door cave contains a hazard so you can go another way to avoid them. Shoot the Wumpus if you have an arrow and follow it to reach more gold. If you shoot but miss the Wumpus you can go pick up that arrow. If your end screen reads "you're the Wumpus Hunter of the Year!" then you've reached the max level.

I got: $51,430 "you're the Wumpus Hunter of the Year!"

It probably won't help me in real life but it was fun for while!

----- GAME FILE CONTENTS -----
The following info was copied from within the main game file by opening it with Windows Notepad and having a look:

Copyright (C) 1985 BORLAND Inc
THE THING
An Apogee Software Production

Inside a vast network of caves lies hundreds of valuable gold nuggets waiting to be found. But also awaiting the adventurer is the fearsome Wumpus, a cave creature no one has ever seen and lived to describe it. Beware the bottomless
pits, too.

Stumbling into the cave of a sleeping Wumpus is sure death, but if you are clever enough you can shoot the Wumpus with an arrow from an adjoining cave. Though this won't kill the Wumpus, it will run down its secret passage to the next lower series of caves. If you dare you can follow it and gather the gold that lies further below.

THE THING
An Apogee Software Production
Have a nice day...
THIS GAME IS NOT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN OR SHAREWARE.

You collected $ worth of gold...
you die broke!
you can barely afford a tombstone!
not bad for a first-timer!
your next of kin won't complain!
you were doing very well!
future Wumpus hunters will worship you!
you've set a new standard, excellent work!
how could you carry so much gold!
you're now in the Wumpus Hall of Fame!
you're the Wumpus Hunter of the Year!

Your goal is to locate the sleeping Wumpus and shoot him with an arrow from a connecting cave. Never enter the cave that the Wumpus is inside!
You will find gold nuggets while you explore the caves, the value of the gold that you find can be considered as your score.
To move around the caves use the four cursor (arrow) keys.
You may find certain objects that will help you to avoid various cave hazards. Press "I" for inventory to see what you've found already.
When you go to the next lower level certain objects that you may have found will vanish from your possession and must be located again.
To use your bow and arrow press "S" for shoot, the game will then ask you which direction. Press the appropriate direction key.

You have a sturdy bow
You find gold nugget!
You find an arrow!
You find a long wooden plank.
You find a clove of garlic.

You hear loud snoring.
You smell a strange odor.
You feel a small draft.

Bottomless pit
Huge bat
Giant bat
Wumpus

Merkley 2015-08-10 0 point DOS version

...I guess it's an automatisated description for games nobody of the stuff wants to write about!
"With perspective..." ...there should be 2D, Isometric, 3D etc. perspective if the tag was given, but without perspective there's nothing XD

Larry 2014-05-12 1 point DOS version

What a joke! How can the description say that this is an "excellent game"?

This game is nothing more than a "Hunt the Wumpus" clone (the original dates back to the early 70's: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunt_the_Wumpus)

Is that the best they could do in 1988? I mean, even the beginner programmer that I was at the time could have done it!

Coming from the guys that gave us Cosmo Cosmic, Commander Keen, Duke Nukem, Monster Bash, Wolfenstein 3D, etc., this is PATHETIC!

A "game" to avoid.