Text Zedventure
Now available on Xbox Live Indie Games and Windows Phone 7 is Text Zedventure, a text-only adventure where you must escape a city ravaged by a mysterious infection.
Explore a deserted residence, train station and shopping centre in three unique chapters with multiple endings. Each chapter is designed for replayability, where choices can lead to dramatically different outcomes.
The game is priced at 80 Microsoft Points (£0.65 / $1.00 / €1.00) on Xbox 360 and £0.79 / $1.00 / €1.00 on Windows Phone 7.
Xbox 360 download link: http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-GB/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d802585504e8/
Windows Phone 7 download link: http://social.zune.net/redirect?type=phoneApp&id=a3da6e7b-0132-e011-854c-00237de2db9e
What critics have had to say about the Xbox 360 version:
“Matthew Reynolds’ moody little masterpiece is surprisingly pacy for a text game… This is far more gripping than it should be.” Official Xbox Magazine UK
“Short but enviably sharp, with a streamlined interface and evocative visual design… It’s a relic, certainly, but a charming and very literate one.” Edge Magazine
“There’s a solid understanding of what makes adventure games work here – the story fills out pleasingly as you follow the breadcrumb trail of options, and the simple presentation fits extremely well with the grisly story – playing through the game is a surprisingly tense experience.” The Guardian
“Yet despite its simplistic, bare-bones nature, Text Zedventure creates the kind of tension and atmosphere that most games fail miserably to conjure up… But it’s gripping and there are some interesting situations and dilemmas that really made me stop and think about my next decision.” Gamesradar.com
Please contact crazyreyn@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments.
Q&A
What is Text Zedventure?
Text Zedventure is a text-only adventure where you must escape a city ravaged by a mysterious infection. There are three chapters - a deserted residence, train station and shopping centre – and each one has multiple endings. Each chapter is designed for replayability, where a single choice can lead to a dramatically different outcome.
How do you play the game? Do I need a keyboard?
Nope. It’s entirely controller driven / touch-screen driven, and does not require any sort of text input. While the title suggests that it’s a traditional text adventure, it’s more of a choose-your-own-adventure. You are given choices on each screen and select them using the face buttons. (Green text would be selected with A, for example.) On a phone, all text is in white.
Any differences in the Windows Phone 7 version?
Aside from the redesigned interface, none. It features the same trial length and complete three chapters as the console release.
So this is a charity game?
From the game’s initial Xbox Live release in April 2010 to May 31 2010, all profits went to Save The Rhino after Microsoft’s take. (70% to charity, 30% to Microsoft.)
After this date – i.e. now – 25% goes to charity, leaving 30% to Microsoft and 45% to the developer. (Me.)
The exception is the Windows Phone 7 version, where all funds (aside from MS’s take) go to the developer.
Why do a timed charity offer?
The thought process behind it is that Xbox Live Indie Games are, by and large, a quick impulse purchase. I decided that having a timed offer would incentivise a purchase sooner than later, reducing the risk that the user back out of buying the game.
Hopefully this will raise more money for charity faster and with higher funds raised. Charity games on the service have had a mixed response previously, so hopefully this tactic will improve that.
I intend to post regular sales figures on this blog to show conversion rates and overall purchases, so check back to see how successful it becomes. Please spread the word!
Why Save The Rhino?
For one, I wanted to help a small charity that would need the money most, and Save The Rhino do an awful lot with just a handful of full-time staff members in the UK. Secondly, I sponsored them when I participated in the Virgin London Marathon in April of 2010. This game was my main fundraising idea. Although it wasn’t released until two weeks after the event itself (it was originally supposed to be released around Christmas!) the game will continue to raise funds for the charity, now and forever.
If you’re interested in donating money directly to the charity, then check out the official website, or my marathon sponsorship page here.
I’m colourblind. How do I see the text commands?
Simple. Press the right bumper (the button, not the trigger) to bring up button icons next to each choice.
How many endings are there to each chapter?
Play it and find out! There are a handful in most of them, so experiment with choices and see what you find.
What about the first chapter, though? How many endings in that?
A lot of people are asking this, so I thought I’d address it here…
(SPOILERS – HIGHLIGHT TO REVEAL) There is only one outcome in the House, and that’s through the garage. You will always end up there, and both choices at the end will have the same outcome. Please note that the other two chapters have multiple outcomes, so do feel free to explore more in those! (END SPOILERS)
Is there somewhere I can discuss the game?
You can discuss Text Zedventure at both Xbox.com and GameFAQs. I’ll be keeping an eye on both venues, so expect a word from myself from time to time!
