History VideoGame / ThePrisoner1980

1980 text-based adventure game initially written for the [[UsefulNotes/AppleII Apple ][]] by David Wallich and Edu-Ware. It's a SpiritualAdaptation of the [[Series/ThePrisoner1967 television series of the same name]], although it never held any official license. The 1982 release ''Prisoner 2'', advertised as a sequel, was actually a VideoGameRemake that added better graphics and ported the game to other platforms, as well as making a few minor gameplay changes.

* PlayingThePlayer: Another potential theme of the game. Some of the ways to mess with the player target ''the player'', not the player character.

A 1980's text-based adventure game initially written for the [[UsefulNotes/AppleII Apple ][]] by David Wallich and Edu-Ware. It's a SpiritualAdaptation of the [[Series/ThePrisoner1967 television series of the same name]], although it never held any official license. The 1982 release ''Prisoner 2'', advertised as a sequel, was actually a VideoGameRemake that added better graphics and ported the game to other platforms, as well as making a few minor gameplay changes.

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* VisualPun: In the original text-based version the player character is represented by a "#", which can represent the number sign.

A 1980's text-based adventure game initially written for the [[UsefulNotes/AppleII Apple ][]] by David Wallich and Edu-Ware. A SpiritualAdaptation of the original Series/ThePrisoner1967, although it never held any official license. The 1982 release "The Prisoner 2", advertised as a Sequel, was actually a VideoGameRemake that added better graphics and ported the game to other platforms, as well as making a few minor gameplay changes.

The NoNameGiven hero is issued with a three-character "resignation code", and then allowed to pick a destination to travel to. Wherever they pick, though, they end up on The Island, where repeated surrealistic scenarios are played out in an attempt to have them reveal the resignation code. The player must avoid these traps while working out how to escape from the island.

* BookBurning: appears in the Library in both games. In the text-based game, books are burned as penalties for giving incorrect answers to questions. In the graphical version, the player must directly prevent them being burned.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: the game never does this, but ''your character'' gets the option to. [[spoiler:It's the only real way to escape.]]
* CrossOver: the game is also filled with references to Literature/NineteenEightyFour, including the ArcWords from the Ministry Of Truth, and the rebellious "Brotherhood" who assist the player.
* InterfaceScrew and PlayingThePlayer: so frequent that it could almost be the theme of the game. Your control keys are repeatedly switched around, abstract graphics are used to deliberately confuse, and the game can fake crashing and fake exiting, all in attempts to have you accidentally type your resignation code.
* KaizoTrap: of a sort. [[spoiler:After you finally "unplug" the simulation and apparently "win," the game tells you that you need to enter your resignation code in order to "compute your final score." It's just one last trap.]]
* KnockoutGas: the most common result of messing up any of the internal scenarios, without revealing your resignation code. Fortunately, no matter how many times you are gassed, you never die.
* NothingIsScarier: in the text-based game, if you accidentally enter your resignation code, the screen shows a large group of "#"'s (which represent the player) turning into X's, making it unclear what has happened to them. In the remake, they instead turn into sheep.
* RedHerring: quite a few of the ways to escape are this.
* SchmuckBait: the game's first attempt to have you select your resignation code from the menu will be about 30 seconds after the game starts.
* SerialNumbersFiledOff: very few changes are made compared to the original. "The Village" from Series/ThePrisoner1967 is renamed "The Island" - but it's still reached by train (not boat or plane), is surrounded by a wilderness patrolled by a sphere-like enemy (not by water), and the filename on the disk for its data is PR.VILLAGE. The player character's house is number 6, and the "Caretaker" in charge of the island lives at number 2.
** In the remake, the sphere is replaced by Pax, a creature who - [[WordOfGod according to the official design document]] - "looks like Pac-Man, but not enough to get sued".
* SpoilerCover: the original text game shows a man trapped inside an Apple logo; the remake's cover shows a computer screen being broken ''from the inside''. Both of these act as spoilers for [[spoiler:the correct way to escape]].
* SwitchingPOV: in the Hospital sequence, you temporarily play as the Caretaker, interrogating the prisoner. [[MindScrew Or do you?]]
* TechnologyMarchesOn: several of the puzzles assume that the player will be familiar with the built-in programming language of the computer and will enter commands from it. Seems strange now, but in 1980 it was very unusual for the owner of a home computer not to at least try to learn to program it.
* TheManIsStickingItToTheMan: the ending implies that the game represents [[spoiler:the player escaping from having their thoughts dominated by the imaginary worlds of video games]]. Quite a thing to make a video game about.
* VisualPun: in the original text-based version the player character is represented by a "#" - which, at that time, was known as a "number sign"..