Published by Developed by Released Platforms |
Genre Perspective Gameplay Interface Setting Narrative |
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Description
Bureaucracy is a text adventure game that describes the misadventures of a person who has recently moved to a new apartment and begins to fall victim to various bureaucratic procedures that always go wrong. He can't receive his mail, access his bank account, or generally lead a normal life; all his activities are impeded by needless and confusing hurdles. In order to retrieve the lost mail and put his life back on track, the protagonist will have to meet exotic characters and perform various tasks while being constantly threatened by various bureaucratic occurrences.The gameplay involves typing commands composed out of verb and object combinations, used to interact with the game world and solve puzzles. In addition, a special "blood pressure" meter will gradually fill itself the more the protagonist is bothered by bureaucratic annoyances. Once this meter is completely full, the player character suffers an aneurysm, and the game ends.
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Alternate Titles
- "Bureaucracy - A Paranoid Fantasy" -- Tag-lined title
User Reviews
Critic Reviews
Zzap! | Commodore 128 | Jul, 1987 | 90 out of 100 | 90 |
Your Commodore | Commodore 128 | Aug, 1987 | 27 out of 30 | 90 |
Amstrad Action | DOS | Jun, 1987 | 89 out of 100 | 89 |
Happy Computer | DOS | Jul, 1987 | 87 out of 100 | 87 |
Computer and Video Games (CVG) | Atari ST | Jul, 1987 | 34 out of 40 | 85 |
ATARImagazin | Atari ST | Jun, 1987 | 2 out of 6 | 80 |
Just Games Retro | DOS | May 10, 2008 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
80 |
SPAG | DOS | Apr 19, 1995 | 7.1 out of 10 | 71 |
Commodore User | Commodore 128 | Jul, 1987 | 7 out of 10 | 70 |
All Game Guide | Macintosh | 1998 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
60 |
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Trivia
69,105
Infocom's famous 69,105 number is used in this game to refer to a ticket number and an internal error.Cover
Unlike the other Infocom grey-box releases, which featured positive comments from publications and players on the inside box flap, Bureaucracy (in the spirit of the game's content) reprints some of the complaints Infocom received.Extras
According to the Infocom Home Page, the game package contained "You're ready to move!" bank brochure, a letter from your new boss, a membership flyer for "Popular Paranoia", a red pencil, and a Beezer card application form (in triplicate).Information also contributed by Sciere and Ye Olde Infocomme Shoppe
Related Web Sites
- Infocom Home Page (Fan site that is the last word about all things Infocom.)
- Let's play Douglas Adams' Bureaucracy. [Your blood pressure just went up.] (A playthrough of the game with commentary, originally from the Something Awful forums. )
- Solution to Bureaucracy (by Erik Futtrup, Denmark and Twan Lintermans, Holland )
- The Commodore Zone (All about the game with introduction, images, related links and comments area.)
- The Infocom Gallery (High-quality scans of the grey box package and manual of Bureaucracy.)
Contributed to by Corn Popper (69094), Tony Van (2855), Terok Nor (29641), Servo (57388) and Belboz (6582)
Commodore 128 Credits (2 people)
Interactive Fiction Plus by:
Douglas Adams, The Staff of Infocom