Bureaucracy

aka: Bureaucracy - A Paranoid Fantasy
Moby ID: 474
DOS Specs

Description official descriptions

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.

Screenshots

Credits (DOS version)

19 People

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 80% (based on 12 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.7 out of 5 (based on 48 ratings with 4 reviews)

Hilarious and difficult with a twisted logic of its own

The Good
Bureaucracy is a text adventure or interactive fiction produced by Infocom. The true story that inspired game author Douglas Adams to write “Bureaucracy” was a mix-up where a bank sent his new credit card to an old address. The basic story of “Bureaucracy” involves a similar bank mix-up, but the aptly self-described “paranoid fantasy”, takes many humorous, eccentric and strange turns. Even the items in the game box, including the “Popular Paranoia” magazine humorously reflect the high degree of paranoia in the game. The story manages to remain engaging and highly amusing throughout the game’s duration. The NPCs in the game are typically limited in the amount of development and dialogue they have, but given the nature of the game they are appropriate since they serve their functions well and provide laughs.

As in his first game produced from Infocom, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, Adams makes interesting and unorthodox use of the medium of interactive fiction. At the beginning of the game players are informed that they are required to fill out a registration form for submission and approval prior to playing the game. Interestingly this is more plausible with the advent of the internet than it was at the time of the game’s release. Cleverly, the information you enter into the form is used throughout the game.

Another unique feature of “Bureaucracy” is the blood pressure measure on the status line. Typically adventure games will track the player’s score or the number of moves they have made in the game, but “Bureaucracy” shows the player their systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings in the top right corner of the game window. Amusingly, stressful situations or mistakes made by the player will lead to a rise in blood pressure. If the player’s blood pressure increases enough, they die and have to restore a saved game or restart. Luckily, blood pressure tends to normalize if the player avoids stressful actions. The player’s score is still kept, but more discreetly than blood pressure. It is nice that the game still tracks the player’s score, because successfully solving a puzzle is still denoted by an increase in score.

Another appealing aspect of “Bureaucracy” is that the player is generally free to explore the game area without fear of time limits or not being in the right place at the right time. Some effort also seems to have been made to limit the amount of dead ends the player can reach. For example, I left a critical inventory item behind at one point in the game, but it was returned to me later. However, the puzzles still remain very challenging, but very entertaining and tongue-in-cheek with a twisted logic of their own. The game’s parser is generally good about responding to player commands, although it may be difficult to phrase the puzzle solution correctly in a few spots.

The Bad
The blood pressure measure, while amusing, is also somewhat inhibiting. Part of the appeal of parser interfaces is the freedom to experiment by typing commands, but the potential to die from high blood pressure limits this to an extent. However, the most frustrating aspect of “Bureaucracy” is its difficulty. While the twisted logic associated with the puzzles makes them enjoyable, it also makes solving them very hard. Even seasoned adventure gamers will likely find that they need clues or even a walkthrough to solve “Bureaucracy”.

The Bottom Line
“Bureaucracy” is a text adventure and interactive fiction from author Douglas Adams based on a bad experience he had with a bank. It has a humorous story which takes the form of a “paranoid fantasy” that proves comical throughout its duration. The gameplay includes unique and interesting features, such as the use of player provided information during the game and monitoring the player character’s blood pressure.

The game’s puzzles have a strange logic behind them which makes them whimsical and challenging. However, the difficulty of the game can also be frustrating and will likely lead players to seek clues or a walkthrough. While the player is generally free to explore the game area, the amount of interaction the player can have with the parser may be limited by increases in blood pressure, which can cause sudden death. Overall, “Bureaucracy” is worth playing for its humorous and at times unorthodox gameplay despite its difficulty.

DOS · by Ingold (119) · 2009

Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art?

The Good
Very realistic present-day feel, yet just silly enough to help you remember you're still just playing a game. We've all had days like this -- Bureaucracy helps us laugh at ourselves and relax a bit. (Blood pressure gets measured in the game, and you drop dead if it gets too high!)

The Bad
The designers did a GREAT job of imitating the frustrations of paperwork and red tape found in real life. Good for the game, irritating if you just came home from waiting in line at the bank...

The Bottom Line
Play it. You'll like it. Just don't destroy your computer in frustration.

DOS · by Mirrorshades2k (274) · 2000

Awesome, laugh-out-loud, text game

The Good
Bureaucracy is a very funny game, as one would expect from Douglas Adams. Apparently he drew on several real life events to frame the story. You have just moved to a new house and are awaiting a check so you can travel to Paris. Unfortunately your bank hasn't caught up with you yet, the postal system runs from faulty to diabolical, and suspicious men seem to be stalking you.

This game takes potshots at poor service, banks, airlines, cannibals, etc. Nothing is safe from Adams' razor wit. The parser was very good and the story kept my interest. In addition to overcoming the usual puzzles (like bypassing a llama and scaring a baby) you also have to monitor your blood pressure. This was fun and an added challenge. Several sections require you to fill-out forms with snide comments about your parentage, scruples, and name. Also, based on the initial form, you can receive phone calls from formerly loved ones and play within your neighborhood.

The Bad
There seemed to be at least one point where if you failed to solve a puzzle, the game became unwinnable. Instead of letting you know that you just made a huge mistake, the game allows you to continue playing. I think when you make a error like that, the game should let you know it's time to restart.

The Bottom Line
This game is a comic gem and a highlight of Interactive Fiction. Very challenging though; some sections will have you reaching for the Invisiclues.

DOS · by Terrence Bosky (5397) · 2001

[ View all 4 player reviews ]

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

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Tony Van.

Commodore 128 added by Corn Popper. Amiga, Macintosh added by Terok Nor. Apple II added by Servo. Atari ST added by Belboz.

Additional contributors: Jeanne, Pseudo_Intellectual, mo , Havoc Crow, c64fan, Patrick Bregger.

Game added November 26, 1999. Last modified March 9, 2024.