Ad Verbum

aka: Venenarius Verborum
Moby ID: 22538
Windows Specs

Description

The city finally having secured an eviction notice, the demolition contractor is contractually obligated to conduct an inventory of the Wizard of Wordplay's manor before knocking it down, clearing the spooky space for cheap condos or a mini-mall. The only problem is that with his peculiar and punny powers pervading the property, the poor prestidigitator's possessions pooh-pooh playing possum, putting punitive and perilous portents into play, preventing the project from proceeding. (Phew!)

Surely this is a job for a veteran text adventurer such as yourself! In your previous adventures, you only engaged grues and dwarfs with language -- here (as in spiritual predecessors Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It and T-Zero), you're climbing into the ring with language itself, grappling everything from an abundance of asinine alliteration to dinosaur etymology within the first few rooms. Not since the raconting of Racter has a text environment (Oulip)owed so much to the playful linguistic experimentation of the avant-garde and simpleminded -- a perplexing source of inspiration most works of interactive fiction have been only too eager to a void. Here at last, to triumph, you will have to truly demonstrate that the pen is mightier than the sword!

Groups +

Screenshots

Credits (DOS version)

13 People

by
Primary software tester
Software testers
Computer-related snaps
  • K.C.
  • Jon
for their comments on "Top Row Retort"
  • poets of the Boston University creative writing program
created using the Inform compiler and libraries by
Z-Machine by

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 74% (based on 1 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 4 ratings with 0 reviews)

Be the first to review this game!

Trivia

Awards

  • Annual Interactive Fiction Competition
    • 2000 - Miss Congeniality prize (favourite game of the competing authors)
    • 2000 - #4 out of 53
  • XYZZY Awards
  • 2000 - Best Puzzles
  • 2000 - Finalist in the "Best Use of Medium" category
  • 2000 - Finalist in the "Best Individual Puzzle" category

Nick's awesomely alliterative acceptance speech can be viewed here.

Analytics

MobyPro Early Access

Upgrade to MobyPro to view research rankings!

Related Games

AD Infinitum
Released 1984 on Commodore 64
AD 1066
Released 2008 on J2ME
Ad Exitum
Released 2016 on Windows
Ad Astra
Released 1984 on ZX Spectrum
Ad Infinitum
Released 2023 on Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
Ad Infernum
Released 2024 on Linux, Windows, Macintosh
New 1000 AD
Released 2000 on Browser
Ad Nauseam 2
Released 2008 on Windows
Reductio ad Nihilum
Released 2011 on ZX Spectrum

Related Sites +

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 22538
  • [ Please login / register to view all identifiers ]

Contribute

Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history! If your contribution is approved, you will earn points and be credited as a contributor.

Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Pseudo_Intellectual.

Additional contributors: Patrick Bregger, Kennyannydenny.

Game added May 28, 2006. Last modified February 22, 2023.