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I am in the drawing room - a peaceful place, furnished simply but (if I may say so) elegantly, with soft leather armchairs and a sofa, and deep-piled carpets, all most agreeable in colour. A glowing hearth keeps the night at bay, and lights also the countenance of my father, whose portrait hangs above the mantle. The air of the room is, however, tangibly close, and almost muggy; I fear it threatens thunder.

No, I haven't suddenly become a literary genius - (I've noticed that actually - GT) - I'm just quoting the opening room description of Essential Myth's new game to give you a taste of the atmosphere pervading the whole adventure.

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde - A Gothic Nightmare comes in three parts. Parts two and three are only accessed by inputting the correct password. In part one you have to find the necessary ingredients to make and drink the potion which will turn you into Mr Hyde; for some reason this is a good thing.

In trying to finish part one you will meet several characters who can reveal a few clues if asked the right questions. Your first problem however, is managing to stay awake, so make this your top priority. Perhaps a refreshing cuppa would do the trick.

Some special commands incorporated within the game are (A)GAIN to repeat the last input, (O)OOPS which undoes the effect of the last instruction, E(X)ITS which gives you all the obvious exits from the current location. (L)AST returns you to the last location visited, all of these combine to make the game extremely friendly.

Essential Myth is initially publishing the game itself, but would be highly interested to hear from any company who would like to publish the game on a wider commercial basis. So, if anyone out there wants a well written unusual game to publish, get in touch with Lee.

At the moment Jekyll & Hyde is only available by mail order from Essential Myth at 54 Church Streete, Tewkesbury, Glos GL20 5RZ.

Excellent adventure, best played in the middle of the night to absorb the atmosphere.