Introduction

Imogen is an animated adventure game. There are sixteen sections, each loaded into memory as required, and it is possible to move about from one to another using a system of passwords.

Each section contains a number of puzzles based on a particular theme.

Imogen is designed to be played progressively, with a save facility, so that each time you load it you gain a little more ground. It is not possible to be killed off, although the number of times you can change character has been limited.

Background Story

When the townspeople of Egmain were besieged by a monstrous fire-breathing dragon they called for the assistance of Imogen, a local wizard with powers of metamorphosis.

Responding to their pleas, he transformed himself into a dragon even more powerful than the real one. The monster was quickly destroyed, but the strain of the transformation was so great that when Imogen returned to his normal state, his mind snapped. He forgot his friendship to the townspeople and used his power to destroy their crops, burn their houses and fill the sky with black clouds so that the town was in permanent night.

After a few weeks of this, a spokesman set forth to seek the advice of the greatest and wisest wizard in the land. When the Great Wizard had heard the story, he said: "The insanity will pass, but until that time he must be imprisoned. I shall design a cave to hold him and your craftsmen will construct it in the mountain the overlooks the town."

"How will we know when the release him?" asked the spokesman.

"He will free himself when the time is right. I shall provide the spell for his release and split it in twain four times. The sixteen pieces will then be placed within the cavern and the route to each guarded by a test of stamina and intelligence. Only when he is fully recovered will he be able to retrieve the entire spell and set himself free."

And so the cavern was constructed, and with the Great Wizard's help, Imogen was secured within the first section, ready to begin his quest for freedom.

Game Objective

The objective is to assemble all sixteen spell fragments by solving the puzzles in each section of the game. The completed spell can then be activated to escape from the cavern.

As a wizard, you can hold and use objects discovered in the caves, and also transform yourself into different creatures - amonkey to climb ropes and trees, and a cat to leap rocks and wide chasms. It is possible to swap between these characters at any stage in the game.

There are two ways to enter a new section of the adventure. One is to find and use the spell fragment in the previous section; the other is to type a password which will transport you directly to your destination. Only four passwords are supplied at the start, so you must discover the rest by working forward from each of these entry points.

When you return to a previously visited section, any objects or half-completed puzzles will be just as you left them, so in effect you can have several games in progress at once.

Game Controls

Z - Left, X - Right, RETURN - Action

The Characters

Wizard:
Walk left and right using the motion keys. Press RETURN at the same time to jump. (RETURN on its own will have no effect unless you are holding an object.)

Monkey:
Same as the wizard except you can jump on the spot by just pressing RETURN. Also, the monkey can use the ropes - press RETURN alone to climb up, release to slide down. To hold your position press RETURN and either or both of the motion keys, and to jump off press only the motion key for the direction you are facing. (You cannot turn around on a rope, nor can you jump off backwards).

Cat:
Same as the wizard except the height and range of the leap are greater. The distance covered by the cat while jumping is increased by holding down the motion key during flight. For a short leap release the motion key soon after takeoff.

You can walk almost halfway over the edge of a platform before starting to slip. This is useful to know when attempting to cross wide gaps as you can delay the leap until the last moment.

When jumping onto a ledge keep the motion key pressed, so that you start walking as soon as you touch ground - this minimises your chances of slipping backwards.

If you fail to reach a platform when jumping from a rope, try again from a higher point.

Using The Icons

Left/Right Arrow Keys - Move Pointer, SPACE - Select

All aspects of the game other than the motion of the main character are controlled via icons at the top of the screen. To use a particular icon, move the pointer over the top and press the space bar.

Control Icons

Disc: Used for saving and loading game positions. Follow the prompts in the window that appears at the top of the screen. When asked to "Enter filename:" type up to seven letters or numbers and press RETURN. Use DELETE to correct mistakes or press the space bar to abandon the operation. A separate formatted disc is needed for the files as the game disc is write-protected.

Sound: Toggles the sound effects. A dot is present in the top left corner of the Icon if the sound is on.

Question mark: Selecting this icon will cause a window to appear, along with a prompt to "Enter password". Type in the password of the section you wish to visit and press RETURN. Use DELETE to correct mistakes ot press the Space Bar to abandon the entry altogether. This facility is also used to input commands to the computer, for example:

QUIT - Abandon game and retart
MONO - Display whole screen in white
COLOUR - Normal colouring

Exclamation mark: Gives information about your current situation. Press the Space bar once to find the password of the section you are in. You should use this facility upon entering a section for the first time, and note down the password so you can return later if necessary. A second press of the Space Bar will reveal a list of all sixteen sections indicated those that have already been completed.

Character Icon

The next three icons are used to control the wizard's power of metamorphosis. The change into a cat for example move the pointer over the cat icon and press the space bar.

Object Icons

During the game you will come across various objects that can be held and used. To pick one up, simply touch it - it will vanish and its icon will appear at the top of the screen. It can then be held by changing into the wizard, moving the pointer over the object icon and pressing the space bar. The object will appear in the wizard's hand and can be used by pressing RETURN, provided the wizard is not moving at the time.

What happens next depends on the nature of the object. It may fly into the air, make a noise, burst into flames or do something quite different or nothing at all.

You can walk and jump as normal while holding an object, but if you need to remove it from the wizard's hand you can do so by selecting the object icon a second time, or by selecting the wizard icon.

The spell fragments are objects like any other, except that when you use one you will be transported to the next section of the game. This is in fact the only way to reach sections for which the password is unknown.

If you have collected all sixteen fragments, you can activate the entire spell by using any one of them.

Loading

Tape: CHAIN"" (RETURN)
Disc: SHIFT-BREAK