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What's a nice guy like me doing in a game like this? All the blurb in Franklin's Tomb, Salamander's latest jaunt for the Dragon, suggests it's about private dicks, seedy bars, damp cigarettes and invariably sticky lamposts.

But the game rapidly descends into yer-run-of-the-dungeon adventure. Franklin's Tomb is the first of a series so bits of it will provide clues for future releases... all good clean fun.

The objective is simply to "solve the riddle". Despite a 20-page (one reasonable bilge and thirteen of seedy illustrations) booklet, it's not clear what your aim is. Oh well, visit everywhere and collect anything that's not nailed down. It's a shame there is no scoring system.

For an adventure written in Basic, Franklin's Tomb does very well. Response times are not so slow as to be unbearable. You get a 'window' display with where you are, possible exits and your ill-gotten gians always on display... it saves everybody a little hassle.

Apart from an opening theme that reminds me of a certain brightly coloured cat, the only attempt at sound and graphics is a beep when each command has been dealt with. Conversation is limited to the usual two-word commands such as READ BOOK, OPEN DOOR and PLAY GAME.

There's the welcome and much needed ability to SAVE a game in midplay. But it could do with a few rough edges clearing up. There's no cursor. It won't take D for Down.

Other than that, there are no surprises. Well... none that wouldn't spoil the game if I told you. Franklin's Tomb isn't as difficult as some. The caves feel crammed rather than desolate. Books with messages in them, statues hiding keys and so on won't be beyond most players. You're also helped because the caves are essentially unpopulated.

Franklin's Tomb is a competent little game. It is going to appeal more to first timers than the hardened cave crawler... though the threat of a continuing series is very attractive. Still, "when you have been in this business as long as I have, sugar, one dungeon looks pretty much the same as the next..."