Quest for the Scarlet Letter

Quest for the Scarlet Letter is a text-based adventure game for the Apple II based upon the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

A young woman, Hester Prynne, is found guilty of adultery under the Puritanic law of Boston in 1642. As a recompense for her sins, she must wear the letter 'A' and live an isolated existence with her daughter, Pearl. Her partner in passion, the reverend Arthur Dimsdale has chosen to not reveal himself as the father of Pearl. Meanwhile, the rightful husband of Hester, Roger Chillingworth, arrives incognito and becomes intent on revealing the identity of the man that has brought shame upon him.

The player is part of an investigating team tasked with traveling back in history to the city of Boston to obtain evidence confirming various events of the story. The player must report on character traits and themes that gave direction to the inhabitants, and to bring back the famed scarlet letter if possible. The player is armed with a camera that can record emotion present at different locations, but can only take a total of 4 pictures. The player has a total of 7 years (1642 - 1649) for the completion of this task, or they will be permanently bound to the 17th century.

Gameplay is via menu options. Time, available travel directions, people present, and status of current location are displayed at the top of the screen. The bottom of the screen contains all available commands. The player can enter/leave their time capsule, go to a new location, take a picture, take an object, or change the settings on their energy phasor.