Deadline (1982 video game)

Infocom
Company type	Private
Industry	Video games
Founded	1979
Founder	Marc Blank (one of the founders)
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Marc Blank
Products	Interactive fiction games, including Deadline

Deadline is a detective-themed interactive fiction game developed by Marc Blank and released by Infocom in 1982. As Infocom's third title and their inaugural mystery genre entry, it represented a shift away from the Zork series. Initially available on systems such as the Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, IBM PC (bootable disk), Osborne 1, and TRS-80, the game was subsequently ported to the Amiga and Atari ST platforms.

The game introduced groundbreaking features including sophisticated non-player character (NPC) behaviors that operated independently of player input, alongside an enhanced parser that enriched the interactive experience. Deadline also pioneered the inclusion of "feelies"—physical artifacts provided to players to assist in unraveling the mystery—which justified its premium pricing compared to other text-based adventures of the era.

Plot

Players take on the role of an unnamed detective tasked with probing the suspicious death, officially ruled a suicide, of affluent industrialist Marshall Robner at his estate in Connecticut.

The list of suspects, each with personal motives, comprises:

Leslie Robner, the deceased’s spouse
George Robner, his son
Mr. McNabb, employed as the gardener
Mrs. Rourke, serving as housekeeper
Mr. Baxter, business associate of Robner
Ms. Dunbar, Robner’s secretary

Gameplay

Commands are specifically designed to complement the investigative nature of the game: players can interrogate or arrest suspects at will. Making accurate accusations may lead suspects to disclose concealed information. To successfully detain a suspect, players must present definitive proof establishing motive, means, and opportunity; failure to do so results in the suspect's release and ends the game. Traditional commands like look and inventory are supplemented by actions such as examining items and instructing Sgt. Duffy to analyze evidence.

Although only two scenarios result in player death, Deadline is classified as "Expert" difficulty due to the volume of clues—both relevant and deceptive—that must be carefully sifted through within a strict time limit.

Development

During Deadline's creation, Marc Blank found inspiration in rare 1930s novels by Dennis Wheatley. The project’s initial working title, "Who Killed Marshall Robner," was a nod to Wheatley’s Who Killed Robert Prentice?. Blank’s goal was to deliver an authentic detective experience, reflected in both the game's design and its accompanying physical materials. Unlike other Infocom games that tracked moves and scores, Deadline featured a countdown timer necessitating a custom-built interpreter, which complicated its adaptation for various hardware.

Due to constraints imposed by the 80KB disk capacity, it was impossible to include all textual content digitally. Collaborating with a new advertising firm, Infocom created tangible items to enhance narrative immersion and clue discovery:

An Inspector's Casebook housed within a police folder
A sealed plastic bag containing three white pills discovered near Robner’s corpse
Transcripts from police interviews with principal figures
A summarized report from the coroner’s investigation
Correspondence from Robner’s lawyer addressed to the Chief of police
An official communication from the Lakeville, Connecticut police department
Laboratory analysis results for the teacup used by Robner prior to his demise
A photograph depicting the crime scene including a chalk outline

Subsequent "grey-box" releases consolidated many of these documents into a single Casebook rather than distributing them as separate inserts.

Reception

Deadline was lauded for its authenticity, comprehensive documentation, and intricate command language. Computer Gaming World praised its demanding mystery and the presentation of evidence, although it noted some reservations about the resolution. BYTE characterized the game as "captivating," highlighting its multiple conclusions as a significant innovation within the mystery genre. PC Magazine described it as "meticulously researched and rigorously tested," deeming it "nearly impeccable." The New York Times Book Review emphasized its storytelling and interactive elements. K-Power awarded it an 8 out of 10, drawing favorable comparisons to Zork. Additionally, InfoWorld's Essential Guide to Atari Computers recognized it as one of the premier adventure titles for the Atari 8-bit platform.

At the 4th annual Arkie Awards, the title earned the accolade for "Best Computer Adventure," commended particularly for its sophisticated text parser that allowed natural language commands beyond basic verb-noun inputs. In 1996, Computer Gaming World placed it at number 104 in their list of the top 150 games, describing it as a challenging text adventure that fully immersed players in a detailed police procedural set inside a mansion.

Reviews

The V.I.P. of Gaming Magazine #3 (April/May, 1986)

External links