Cutthroats (video game)

Infocom
Industry	Video game development
Founded	1979
Headquarters	Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Products	Interactive fiction games, including Cutthroats

Cutthroats is an interactive fiction title created by Infocom, with design credits to Michael Berlyn and Jerry Wolper, and launched in 1984. The game was released across a variety of platforms such as Amiga, Apple II, Atari 8-bit and ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Macintosh, TI-99/4A, and TRS-80. This release marked Infocom's thirteenth entry in their game catalog.

Plot

The storyline takes place on the invented Hardscrabble Island, a former bustling port whose prosperity diminished following the collapse of the fishing trade in the 1920s. Players assume the role of a proficient diver facing financial hardship. The adventure begins when an old companion named Hevlin entrusts the player with a treasure map but is killed shortly thereafter over this very map. Throughout the game, players must navigate relationships with various characters—some reliable, others perilous—in pursuit of submerged riches.

Success hinges on identifying friend from foe; incorrect choices may result in deadly consequences. The underwater exploration targets one of two randomly chosen shipwrecks—the São Vera or the Leviathan—while additional wreck sites act as distractions. The game world comprises 68 distinct locations to investigate.

Release

The Cutthroats release package contained several physical items designed to enrich the player’s experience:

True Tales of Adventure, a fabricated magazine chronicling adventurers' stories
Four Shipwrecks off Hardscrabble Island, a fictional historical account describing the wrecks of São Vera, H.M.S. Intrangisent, The Fianna, and S.S. Leviathan
A diving chart illustrating the positions and depths of these shipwreck sites
A "supplemental price list" from Outfitters International featuring a tide schedule crucial for successful diving expeditions, compensating for the lack of in-game equipment specifications

Reception

In its review, Antic critiqued Cutthroats for its timed puzzles, labeling them as "excessively manipulative," while other challenges were described as "unclear, illogical, and nearly baffling," implying that players might need to request the Invisiclues hint book. The publication ultimately regarded this game as less impressive compared to Berlyn's earlier work, Infidel.

External links

Cutthroats at Infocom-if.org
Scans of the packaging