''Killed Until Dead'' is an

adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...

developed by Artech and published by

Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...

in 1986. It was released on

Apple II The Apple II (stylized as ) is an 8-bit home computer and one of the world's first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products. It was designed primarily by Steve Wozniak; Jerry Manock developed the design of Apple II's foam-m ...

, Amstrad CPC,

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...

, and

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as t ...

Gameplay

The game itself seems to be inspired by '' Cluedo'', where the player must eliminate clues as they get closer to stopping the crime, the objective being to stop a murder before it happens. Gameplay revolves primarily around interrogating key suspects and interviewing them about other people, places, and objects. False accusations can lead to the player getting killed, lending to the game's humorous ironic sentiments.

Plot

Five mystery writers have gathered at a mansion and one of them plans to murder another. The player takes the role of Hercule Holmes, who must piece together all aspects of the crime in order to solve the case. The player can search suspect's rooms, confront them with evidence, and order cameras to record secret meetings.

Reception

The game was well-received, garnering positive to moderate reviews. ''

Crash Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch su ...

'' magazine deemed ''Killed Until Dead'' both involved and highly entertaining. ''

Aktueller Software Markt ''Aktueller Software Markt'' (literally ''Current Software Market''), commonly known by its acronym, ''ASM'', was a German multi-platform video game magazine that was published by Tronic-Verlag from 1986 until 1995. It was one of the first magazine ...

'' gave the game a score of 9.6 out of 12, while ''Happy Computer'' offered a rating of 76%. ''

Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website ...

'' praised the humorous cartoon animations and frequent sound effects. Comparing ''Killed Until Dead'' to '' Clue'', '' Compute!'s Gazette'' liked the game's user interface, note system, and humor, concluding that it "fits in very well with Accolade's impressive line of 64 software". Roy Wagner reviewed the game for ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...

'', and stated that "The game is great family or group entertainment. The graphics and animation are tremendous; the presentation is very much like a movie; and the humor in the game is outstandingly funny. All puns are very much intended."

References

External links

* *{{WoS game, id=6534, name=Killed Until Dead 1986 video games Accolade (company) games Adventure games Amstrad CPC games Apple II games Commodore 64 games Puzzle video games U.S. Gold games Video games developed in Canada ZX Spectrum games Single-player video games Artech Studios games