| Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Challenge, Inc.[1] |
| Publisher | Infocom |
| Designer | Bob Bates |
| Engine | Z-machine |
| Platforms | Amiga,Apple II,Commodore 64,MS-DOS,Mac |
| Release | Release 21: December 14, 1987 Release 26: January 27, 1988 |
| Genre | Interactive fiction |
| Mode | Single-player |
Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels is aninteractive fiction game designed byBob Bates and published byInfocom in 1987. It was released for theApple II,MS-DOSCommodore 64,Amiga, andMac.Sherlock is based on the legendary fictionaldetectiveSherlock Holmes, created by SirArthur Conan Doyle. It is Infocom's thirty-first game and is the first of two Infocom games developed by Challenge, Inc. using Infocom's development tools.[1]
The year is 1887, and all ofEngland is gearing up for the celebration ofQueen Victoria'sgolden jubilee, marking her 50th year as monarch.London, naturally, is especially frenzied. Reading the paper one morning, Sherlock Holmes seizes upon one seemingly unimportant notice: TheTower of London has been closed for "reasons of security". The great detective is unsurprised when, moments later, he is asked to investigate the theft of theCrown Jewels. The clues left behind, however, positively reek of a carefully laid trap; Sherlock decides that he must step aside and allowDr. Watson to pursue the thief instead. If the jewels are not replaced within 48 hours, the British government will be forced to admit that their most prized possessions were stolen and suffer worldwide humiliation.
The player fills the role of Watson, travelling around London inHansom cabs while attempting to recover the Crown Jewels while encountering many characters from Doyle's stories such as Mrs. Hudson,Mycroft Holmes, andWiggins of theBaker Street Irregulars. A series of riddles and clues lead Watson on a hunt for inscribed jewels hidden at several famous sites across the city, includingWestminster Abbey,Madame Tussauds Wax Museum,London Bridge, andBig Ben. Eventually, the villain is revealed asProfessor Moriarty, who captures both Watson and Holmes. With quick thinking and the help of some humble medical supplies, however, Watson manages to subdue Moriarty and return the Jewels to the Tower in time.
Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels was the first Infocom game to be developed by another company, Challenge Inc, published by Infocom in their "Immortal Legends" genre.[1] The only other game published in this line wasArthur: The Quest for Excalibur, also written by Bates.
"It's a auspicious first offering" in the Immortal Legends series,PC Magazine in 1988 said ofSherlock, "one thatFriends of the Great Detective and adventure gamers alike will enjoy".[2]