Pawn_ The
Platform: Commodore 64
Gametype: Undefined
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The aim of this interactive fiction with graphics is to escape from the land of Kerovnia, where strange occurrences are routine. The Roobikyoub dwarves have been banished from the kingdom, which is not good as they produce high-quality whisky. King Erik is not popular for this decision, as some feel that ale brewers and mineral water bottlers have influenced him. Honest John the trader and Kronos the Magician play a key role in your journey, each offering sub-quests to attempt.

The package includes a novella complete with map and decipherable hints, which are accessed by typing 'hint' followed by the code into the computer. Therefore, those with only a pirated copy would struggle to complete the game.

Your score and the number of locations visited are both displayed in the title bar. The parser allows whole words to be deleted and unaccepted previous entries to be re-edited.

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Trivia

Release history
 The game was initially released for the Sinclair QL (Quantum Leap) as a pure text adventure. Since it was not very successful on that platform, Magnetic Scrolls released it a little later for the other home computers of that time and added graphics (at least for most of the platforms). 
Translations
 The parser system was originally designed to allow easy translation to other languages. But, according to programmer Anita Sinclair, the German and French grammar proved to be too impossible to implement. 

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Awards

Happy Computer 
1986 - Best Graphics Adventure of the Year (Atari ST version)
Issue 04/1987 - #10 Best Game in 1986 (Readers' Vote)

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Description from the packaging:

Man-years in the making, The Pawn is already acknowledged as a classic.
Set in the mythical world of Kerovnia, this amusing and complex tale is subtle enough to appeal to the beginner and hardened adventurer alike. A revolutionary text-handling system allows input of complicated sentences and complete interaction with characters (including some very intelligent animals!). The Pawn represents all its characters and objects as if they existed in a real world, storing complex information about their attributes and properties linked to their particular position or context in the game.

Your objectives are manyfold: The simplest is to escape from Kerovnia, but you will find others as you wander about the land and communicate with the characters you meet. The Pawn combines a rich text adventure, with stunning color graphics, and a language parser that will set the standards for years to come.

"Adventurers will find The Pawn a delight." - QL World.
"The Pawn is a staggeringly clever... adventure." - Popular Computing Weekly.
"Long live King Erik and The Pawn." - Sinclair User.
If you enjoy adventures in the classic tradition prepare to meet a new master. Watch out for future releases from Magnetic Scrolls and Rainbird.
