Empire of the Over-Mind

The Good
Empire of the Over-Mind was released by Avalon Hill, a game company famous for its numerous strategic titles for the 8-bit computers. As the player, you must defeat an evil being called the Over-Mind, who has overthrown the great king and vowed revenge on the land that took one-thousand years to fulfill.

The game is a text adventure, much like Zork that was released a year earlier. You are presented with descriptions and you must enter two-word commands, usually a verb/noun combination, to progress through the game. The descriptions are very detailed, and when I read these, I was able to picture what the scene would look like.

Bundled with the game is a 21-verse poem called Rhyme of the Over-Mind. Not only is it interesting to read, it helps you get through the game if you're stuck. Again, I could picture what I read.

Although the game lacks graphics and sound, it doesn't need any of those as it is just a simple text adventure. The idea of adding graphics to an adventure game hasn't been done until Sierra made Mystery House in 1980.

What's really neat about Over-Mind is its acceptance of spelling mistakes, especially when nouns are concerned. Near the middle of the game, I accidentally entered GET BLANJET when I meant 'blanket', and the game responds with “You pick up a blanket.” Amazing.

The Bad
There is nothing wrong with this game, as far as I know.

The Bottom Line
In conclusion, Empire of the Over-Mind is a simple adventure game that is similar to Zork. There are no sound or graphics but you don't really need them. The descriptions are very detailed, and it is quite easy to picture what the scene looks like. Funnily enough, the game also accepts spelling errors when it comes to nouns. Finally, there is a 21-verse poem that comes with the game which I recommend reading if you want hints as you get through the game.