thisispete13 Apr 2024
Don't even think about trying to play this without a copy of the "feelies" to hand -- at the very least, you'll want your friend Tamara's letter explaining what you're actually supposed to be doing, and the tourist brochure for the castle in which the game takes place, which contains a number of the room descriptions. (The game itself simply informs you that the rooms in question are "even lovelier than they sound in the tourist brochure" and doesn't even point out the interactable nouns in several cases!)
This is a mystery adventure aimed at beginners that actually has four distinct "routes" based on what you state your favourite colour to be at the start -- red, blue, green or yellow. (If you say something else, one of the four is picked randomly.) The subsequent mysteries are all structured similarly, but the details and overall solution are different.
The theme of the game is that you are an American supersleuth, and your pal Tamara has asked you to come see her in good old Blighty because she thinks someone is trying to kill her. The previous ladyfriend of her fiancee Lord Jack Tresyllian died under mysterious circumstances, Tresyllian Castle appears to be haunted, and there's even a treasure hunt to be getting on with, too. Don't forget to dress for dinner!
Moonmist is enjoyable, but most of the routes can be easily beaten blind in less than an hour, so I wonder how many people felt a bit short-changed if they bought this back in the day. Still, it's a fun introduction to how adventure games work, even if it leaves a few parts a little threadbare.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_OMjfuzk7k
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