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Byte is a text adventure. The object is to enter a three dimensional maze to find the ten computer circuits needed to build a computer. The inlay card specifies the ten circuits to be found, and they may be lying about or hidden in boxes or caches. As well as the electronic bits and pieces there are also monsters sent to get you by the great computer Byte.

These can be dispatched either with bribery or by fighting them mentally or physically. Mental battles take the form of a spelling or maths test. If you choose a physical combat, this is shown graphically, for instance, a bow and arrow which you must position to aim at the monster. If you miss the monster has a go.

Before entering this maze of words, you must select a skill level. There are seven with level one having only 27 rooms and level seven having as many as 125. You must also decide just what computer you are going to build ranging up from a Jupiter Ace (they'll have to update that one!) to an IBM PC. The ZX Spectrum comes in at number three, by the way.

Keyboard play: reasonably responsive
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: clear, neatly drawn when not text
Sound: average
Skill levels: 7

The instructions are rather complicated to follow at first what with the computer you want to build, and a complicated set up called TRAITS. But once into the adventure it is fairly conventional. Instead of the more common scrolling up of text and input commands this game presents you with a description and a 'press any key' cursor, it then tells you what you can see in the room, your traits (strengths) and an enter command in the centre of the screen. Simple abbreviations may be entered which saves all that typing in.

For what is largely a text adventure, this has some very colourful lettering, but the constant use of reverse flashing gets a bit tiring on the eyes alto a while. The game itself is a standard type adventure, but on meeting monsters you do seem to have a fair chance of survival. I suspect that the technical terminology of this game may put off a lot of people although a technical knowledge of computers is hardly essential. A reasonable adventure generally with plenty of skill levels.

I think the story is novel, unfortunately the processing of commands seems unnecessarily long-winded, and after a while it becomes irritating. Good use of colour though.