Now here's an example of a well-written effort from a trio of guys using The Quill, a nice sense of humour and a lot of imagination.

In Sheerluck Holmes and Dr Witsend you play the great detective of the title, your task to get on the trail of the evil Orri Marti who, it appears, has kidnapped the Queen of England! From the great artwork of the cassette cover, to the very neat loading and credit screens, this program has obviously had a lot of care and attention lavished on it. Presentation is always more than half the battle, and in this case it makes the adventure a delight to play.

Speccysoft has a light touch with humour, and manages to whip up the atmosphere and a good picture of London in all its sleazy glory without any graphics, with Witsend getting on your nerves and various other characters playing their parts.

There are plenty of objects to use, and plenty of puzzles, though in the main, these are not too difficult despite an occasional lapse in logic.

I'll be looking out for more games from Speccysoft.

First effort from a very promising new outfit. Good ideas and great presentation make it worth a look.