Difference between revisions of "Hunt the Wumpus"

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[[Image:Oregon - HP2000 - Screenshot - Game Play.png|thumb|256x256px|Example of teletype print out.]]
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{{Video Game
 +
| Title            = Hunt the Wumpus
 +
| Image           = Hunt the Wumpus - A2 - Screenshot - Help.png
 +
| ImageDescription = Apple II - Help screen.
 +
| Developer        = {{VideoGameDeveloper|Gregory Yob}}
 +
| Publisher        = {{VideoGamePublisher|Gregory Yob}}
 +
| PublishedYear    = 1973
 +
| PublishedMonth  = 11
 +
| PublishedDay    = ??
 +
| Platforms        = {{Platform|Altair 8800}}, {{Platform|Apple I}}, {{Platform|Apple II}}, {{Platform|Commodore 64}}, {{Platform|Commodore PET}}, {{Platform|HP 2100}}, {{Platform|KIM-1}}, {{Platform|Sol-20}}, {{Platform|TRS-80}}, {{Platform|Wang 2200}}
 +
| Genres          = {{VideoGameGenre|Maze video game|Maze}}, {{VideoGameGenre|Strategy video game|Strategy}}
 +
| Themes          = {{MediaTheme|Adventure}}, {{MediaTheme|Mystery}}
 +
| Series          = ''[[Hunt the Wumpus (universe)|Hunt the Wumpus]]''
 +
| Distributions    = {{VideoGameDistribution|Freeware}}, {{VideoGameDistribution|Open source}}
 +
}}
  
'''''Hunt the Wumpus''''', also known as '''''Wumpus''''' or '''''Wumpus 1''''', is a [[Maze (video game genre)|maze video game]] developed by [[Gregory Yob]] and first published by the ''[[People's Computer Company]]'' in November 1973. The game was developed in [[HP Time-Shared BASIC]] for the [[HP 2100]]. Because the game's source was later printed several books and magazines, it was unofficially ported to the [[Altair 8800]], [[Apple II]], [[Commodore PET]], [[KIM-1]], [[Sol-20]], [[TRS-80]], and [[Wang 2200]] and, over the years, there were also over a dozen variations made.
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'''''Hunt the Wumpus''''', also known simply as '''''Wumpus''''', and later as '''''Wumpus 1''''', is a [[maze video game]] developed by [[Gregory Yob]] and first published by the ''[[People's Computer Company]]'' in November 1973. The game was developed in [[HP Time-Shared BASIC]] for the [[HP 2100]]. Because the game's source was later printed in several books and magazines, it was unofficially ported to many other platforms and, over the years, there were dozens of variations made. Most notable was the very different commercial release for the [[Hunt the Wumpus (TI-99/4A)|TI-99/4A]].
  
In the game, you play as a hunter who is trying to kill a wumpus (a shadowy indescribable monster) in a network of cave rooms. Each room connects to two other rooms and may be empty or have one of three hazards which include a bottomless pit, a superbat, or the dreaded wumpus. When you enter a new room, you are told if the adjacent rooms contain hazards, but you're not told which room is dangerous, so you have to puzzle out where the hazards are. To kill the wumpus, you must shoot it with one of your bent arrows which can fly through multiple rooms.
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In the game, you play as a hunter who is trying to kill a wumpus (a shadowy indescribable monster) in a network of cave rooms. Each room connects to two other rooms and may be empty or have one of three hazards which include a bottomless pit which kills you, a superbat which flies you to a random room, or the dreaded wumpus. To help prevent you from bumbling into a hazard, you're told when you're in a room that is adjacent to one of the hazards, but not specifically which one. Part of the game's puzzle is trying to map out where the hazards are by collecting and combining partial information. To kill the wumpus, you must shoot it with one of your bent arrows which can fly through multiple rooms, and hit you if you're not careful.
  
Yob said he designed the game after becoming bored with games like ''[[Hurkle]]'' and ''[[Mugwump]]'' which he felt were too simple, so he used a based his game world on a dodecahedron instead of a 2D grid.
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Yob said he designed the game after becoming bored with games like ''[[Hurkle]]'' and ''[[Mugwump]]'' which he felt were too simple, so he based his game map on a dodecahedron instead of a 2D grid. ''Mugwump'' most likely contributed to the titular wumpus. The game was originally played, not on a monitor, but printed on a teletype.
  
The game has been described as being a precursor to the [[survival horror]] genre, but I don't see it. The wumpus never hunts you, it's just deadly prey.
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==Personal==
 +
{{VideoGameStatus
 +
| Own      =
 +
| CantOwn  = No. The game was never sold.
 +
| Won      = Yes. Several times.
 +
| CantWin  =
 +
| Finished = 2022-09-21.
 +
}}
  
==Personal==
+
I remember reading about ''Hunt the Wumpus'' while looking through an old BASIC programming book from my high school library. It had diagrams for several alternate maps and it looked interesting, but I never played it. Later, I remember seeing screenshots for an browser version of the game and, every few years, seeing the game mentioned in pop culture. However, it wasn't until I was in my 40s, when I actually started playing a lot of the earliest video games, that I first played the game. I beat the original version several times.
I remember reading about ''Hunt the Wumpus'' while looking through an old BASIC programming book from my high school library. It had diagrams for several alternate maps and it looked very interesting, but I never played it. Later, I remember seeing screenshots for an browser version of the game and, every few years, seeing the game mentioned in pop culture. However, it wasn't until I was in my 40s, when I actually started playing a lot of the earliest video games, that I finally played the game. I beat the original version it on 2022-09-21.
 
  
 
==Review==
 
==Review==
Line 22: Line 42:
  
 
===Bad===
 
===Bad===
* While I love the idea of using a dodecahedron map, the game ruins this by describing it in the instructions. It would make the game more mysterious to not tell the player how the map works and make them figure it out on their own.
+
* While I love the idea of using a dodecahedron map, the game ruins this by describing it in the instructions. It would make the game more mysterious to not tell the player how the map works and make them figure it out on their own. Later improvements use a variety of alternate layouts.
  
 
===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
 
* The game is far too simplistic. Even if you've never played it before, you can figure out a pretty optimal strategy after only a few game plays, and, after that, you'll win every time unless you get a bad random layout.
 
* The game is far too simplistic. Even if you've never played it before, you can figure out a pretty optimal strategy after only a few game plays, and, after that, you'll win every time unless you get a bad random layout.
 +
* Because it was made before computers had multimedia capabilities, there are no graphics and no music or sound effects.
  
 
==Media==
 
==Media==
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BASIC Computer Games - TRS-80 Edition - Vol. II - 189.png|''BASIC Computer Games - TRS-80 Edition - Vol. II'' - Sample run.
 
BASIC Computer Games - TRS-80 Edition - Vol. II - 189.png|''BASIC Computer Games - TRS-80 Edition - Vol. II'' - Sample run.
 
BASIC Computer Games - TRS-80 Edition - Vol. II - 190.png|''BASIC Computer Games - TRS-80 Edition - Vol. II'' - Program listing.
 
BASIC Computer Games - TRS-80 Edition - Vol. II - 190.png|''BASIC Computer Games - TRS-80 Edition - Vol. II'' - Program listing.
 +
</gallery>
 +
 +
===Screenshots===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Hunt the Wumpus - A2 - Screenshot - Help.png|Apple II - Help screen.
 +
Hunt the Wumpus - A2 - Screenshot - Playing.png|Apple II - Hunting through the rooms.
 +
Hunt the Wumpus - A2 - Screenshot - Pit.png|Apple II - Falling into a bottomless pit.
 +
Hunt the Wumpus - A2 - Screenshot - Victory.png|Apple II - Got the wumpus.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
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* [[Media:Hunt the Wumpus (All Versions).zip|Download]] ([[:File:Hunt the Wumpus (All Versions).zip|Info]]) - All versions.
 
* [[Media:Hunt the Wumpus (All Versions).zip|Download]] ([[:File:Hunt the Wumpus (All Versions).zip|Info]]) - All versions.
 +
 +
==Representation==
 +
{{Representation
 +
| Media                      = Video games
 +
| StrongFemaleCharacterStatus = Fail
 +
| StrongFemaleCharacterNotes  = There are no female characters.
 +
| BechdelTestStatus          = Fail
 +
| BechdelTestNotes            = There are no female characters.
 +
| StrongPOCCharacterStatus    = Fail
 +
| StrongPOCCharacterNotes    = There are no non-white characters.
 +
| QueerCharacterStatus        = Fail
 +
| QueerCharacterNotes        = There are no queer characters.
 +
}}
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
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[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 
[[Category: 1973 Video Games]]
 
 
[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Strategy, Adventure, Action]]
 
[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Strategy, Adventure, Action]]
[[Category: Video Game Genre - Maze]]
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[[Category: Graphics - Text]]
[[Category: Video Game Genre - Strategy]]
 
[[Category: Altair 8800 Games]]
 
[[Category: Apple II Games]]
 
[[Category: Commodore PET Games]]
 
[[Category: HP 2100 Games]]
 
[[Category: KIM-1 Games]]
 
[[Category: Sol-20 Games]]
 
[[Category: TRS-80 Games]]
 
[[Category: Wang 2200 Games]]
 
 
[[Category: Monochrome Graphics]]
 
[[Category: Monochrome Graphics]]
[[Category: Video Games That Fail the Bechdel Test]]
 
[[Category: Video Games I've Beaten]]
 

Latest revision as of 15:55, 7 March 2024

Hunt the Wumpus

Hunt the Wumpus - A2 - Screenshot - Help.png

Apple II - Help screen.

Developer Gregory Yob
Publisher Gregory Yob
Published 1973-11-??
Platforms Altair 8800, Apple I, Apple II, Commodore 64, Commodore PET, HP 2100, KIM-1, Sol-20, TRS-80, Wang 2200
Genres Maze, Strategy
Themes Adventure, Mystery
Series Hunt the Wumpus
Distribution Freeware, Open source

Hunt the Wumpus, also known simply as Wumpus, and later as Wumpus 1, is a maze video game developed by Gregory Yob and first published by the People's Computer Company in November 1973. The game was developed in HP Time-Shared BASIC for the HP 2100. Because the game's source was later printed in several books and magazines, it was unofficially ported to many other platforms and, over the years, there were dozens of variations made. Most notable was the very different commercial release for the TI-99/4A.

In the game, you play as a hunter who is trying to kill a wumpus (a shadowy indescribable monster) in a network of cave rooms. Each room connects to two other rooms and may be empty or have one of three hazards which include a bottomless pit which kills you, a superbat which flies you to a random room, or the dreaded wumpus. To help prevent you from bumbling into a hazard, you're told when you're in a room that is adjacent to one of the hazards, but not specifically which one. Part of the game's puzzle is trying to map out where the hazards are by collecting and combining partial information. To kill the wumpus, you must shoot it with one of your bent arrows which can fly through multiple rooms, and hit you if you're not careful.

Yob said he designed the game after becoming bored with games like Hurkle and Mugwump which he felt were too simple, so he based his game map on a dodecahedron instead of a 2D grid. Mugwump most likely contributed to the titular wumpus. The game was originally played, not on a monitor, but printed on a teletype.

Personal

Own?No. The game was never sold.
Won?Yes. Several times.
Finished2022-09-21.

I remember reading about Hunt the Wumpus while looking through an old BASIC programming book from my high school library. It had diagrams for several alternate maps and it looked interesting, but I never played it. Later, I remember seeing screenshots for an browser version of the game and, every few years, seeing the game mentioned in pop culture. However, it wasn't until I was in my 40s, when I actually started playing a lot of the earliest video games, that I first played the game. I beat the original version several times.

Review

Video Game Review Icon - Enjoyment.png Video Game Review Icon - Control.png Video Game Review Icon - Appearance.png Video Game Review Icon - Sound.png Video Game Review Icon - Replayability.png
2 3 1 1 2

Best Version: Apple II

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • Using a dodecahedron as a map was inspired. It makes the cave network more interesting than a typical 2D grid.
  • Describing the wumpus in vague terms was a good way to ensure players would create a more terrifying picture in their heads.

Bad

  • While I love the idea of using a dodecahedron map, the game ruins this by describing it in the instructions. It would make the game more mysterious to not tell the player how the map works and make them figure it out on their own. Later improvements use a variety of alternate layouts.

Ugly

  • The game is far too simplistic. Even if you've never played it before, you can figure out a pretty optimal strategy after only a few game plays, and, after that, you'll win every time unless you get a bad random layout.
  • Because it was made before computers had multimedia capabilities, there are no graphics and no music or sound effects.

Media

Documentation

Screenshots

Download

Because Hunt the Wumpus was released as open source, I'm including it here. This download includes the source of four different ports with the FreeBASIC port compiled.

Representation

Strong female character?FailThere are no female characters.
Bechdel test?FailThere are no female characters.
Strong person of color character?FailThere are no non-white characters.
Queer character?FailThere are no queer characters.

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-TVTropes.png