Embark on a mysterious adventure with “Cauchemar House,” a classic text-based game originally crafted by an unknown author around 1981 or 1982. Discovered on a homemade cassette by XavSnap, this game has been brought to life on the Apple...

Embark on a mysterious adventure with “Cauchemar House,” a classic text-based game originally crafted by an unknown author around 1981 or 1982. Discovered on a homemade cassette by XavSnap, this game has been brought to life on the Apple II by the talented duo from Brutal Deluxe Software, Antoine Vignau & Olivier Zardini.

What is Cauchemar House?

The elusive original author remains unknown, but the game’s roots trace back to the ZX-81 pocket book published in 1981. “Cauchemar House” is one of the earliest, if not the first, titles of its kind in French for the ZX-81 platform. Now, this intriguing adventure finds a new home on the Apple II.

Porting to Apple II

In their ongoing quest to resurrect captivating French games and port them to the Apple II, Vignau & Zardini discovered “Cauchemar House” and took on the challenge of creating the new Apple II based version. They have not only brought the French version to life but also done an English port as well. XavSnap also provided some of the essential assistance and the data for the project.

How to Play

Dive into the world of “Cauchemar House” by entering one or two-word commands (e.g., OPEN CLOSET, NORTH) and pressing return. If your command is recognized, the game engine responds accordingly. Should you find yourself stuck in the mysteries of the house, a comprehensive manual is available from the Brutal Deluxe website with solutions to guide you through.

Additional Commands in Apple II Version

To enhance the gameplay experience on the Apple II, a few commands have been introduced:

CASSE (EN: CASE): Switch between lower- and upper-case character display. QUITTER (EN: QUIT): Return to your preferred launcher. TEMPO (EN: TEMPO): Enable/disable game tempo routines.

Download

Get ready to unravel the secrets of “Cauchemar House.” Download the game from the following links:

.po Disk Image (French) .po Disk Image (English)

Manuals

The manuals and the source code for the game is also availabkle from the Brutal Deluxe website and can be downloaded in PDF format from the following links:

Cauchemar House Manual Cauchemar House Source code

Conclusion

“Cauchemar House” brings the allure of classic text-based adventures to the Apple II. Whether you’re a seasoned adventurer or a newcomer to the genre, the mysteries of this house await your exploration. Enjoy the game, solve the puzzles, and experience the nostalgia of early French gaming on the Apple II.

Note: If you encounter any issues or have feedback, feel free to reach out to the developers.

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