Anchorhead
Michael S. Gentry
Platform: Z-code?
Rating: 8.7
Total Votes: 85
Std. Dev.: +- 1.6
Average Playtime: Between 6 and 12 hours
Genre: Horror / Mystery / Pornographic / Adaptation
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Author's Comments:This might seem obvious, but just in case it's not... there is no pornography in Anchorhead. It is not a pornographic game. It contains no pornographic content.
The Genre The Author Thinks Best Fits:Horror
Audience Comments:2/18/07 12:19 AM
Rating:10
1/30/07 01:03 PM
Rating:8
12/22/06 04:38 AM
Rating:9
7/11/06 05:10 PM
I played this game on recommendation from a friend. I don't care for horror as a genre, but this game is written well and while I don't think I'd ever replay it because it's quite horrific, I appreciate the prose well enough to give the game the score I did. It's saying something that I played this game to completion even despite the horror, at any rate. I pretty much followed the walkthrough from about the middle of day two, but the ending is suitably ambiguous and I think a good reward for having finished the game. So I guess I'm mixed on this one. I can't say the game was necessarily enjoyable in the sense that I'd replay it, but it was, by design and writing, challenging and well-crafted, so in those aspects, a worthy addition to the IF out there.
Rating:8
3/15/06 12:35 PM
Atmospheric, involving, beautifully written. Manages to maintain a high level of originality in feeling, despite its heavy debt to H.P.Lovecraft. It's a modern horror classic, equal in art to anything by Stephen King or others.
Rating:10
1/29/06 11:59 PM
Phenomenally written - better than many of Infocom's games. This is a huge game, easy at first but becoming exponentially more difficult - and darker - by the third "day". I like the way the character histories and records are carefully interlinked to form a sinister subtext for the game that the player can unearth. My only complaint is that from the second day to the third day, the game seems to go completely over the top - from scary to almost silly - and the game becomes much less accessible due to difficulty. And there are some details that just don't ring true - foremost of which is your character's willingness to sleep in the house after the first night (she even says she could get *used* to living there on the third day, which is plainly ridiculous!)
Rating:9
10/12/05 12:36 AM
Good game, intuitive pazzles,beautifull atmosphere
Rating:8
9/19/05 04:12 PM
An amazing game, I loved playing it. There were a few times I put myself in an un-winable state and had to restart. The puzzles and the location of items needed to solve there was the main reason for this. The big problem I'm having now is finding the next game to play.
Rating:9
9/05/05 05:29 AM
Rating:9
9/04/05 11:19 PM
Anchorhead is a nice mistery and horror game that is particularly engrossing on its first two days of play (the game takes place over four days). Its atmosphere and realism during that time is engrossing, with only the handling of inventory being unrealistic.
Its puzzles are tricky but are in general well hinted at. The game, however, may offend some people, as it deals with issues of sexual abuse of children in a somewhat open way.
The final two days of the game are, unfortunately, not as strong as the others and the ending does seem more like a Hollywood horror movie more than the Lovecraftian mood and terror that came before it.
Rating:8
9/01/05 08:05 AM
(Note - I haven't finished Anchorhead yet). There are lots of things I would normally dislike about Anchorhead - it's unapologetically genre-based, it's quite traditional in it's N, S, E, W, x desk approach, the puzzles are tough (to me), some of the scenes (e.g. mention the family name in the Inn and it goes quiet) are cliched - yet I've really enjoyed playing it. I think it may be the thought that's gone into the story and how the game reveals things, the attention to detail and the fact that it's unpretentious and very focused. The fly buzzing round the estate agent's office, the ominous weather - these are the sort of things that accumulate to create a genuinely foreboding atmosphere. Highly enjoyable.
Rating:8
7/29/05 02:35 PM
Very good; better than the tales of Lovecraft by which it was heavily inspired. Great atmosphere, great build-up of tension, and at points genuinely frightening or disgusting - but with enough points of light to be cathartic.
Rating:9
7/21/05 08:50 AM
Utterly absorbing, puzzles very well integrated with the story, fantastically atmospheric.
Rating:9
7/12/05 03:57 PM
Very atmospheric writing, great puzzles, one of the best IF games ever.
Rating:10
3/31/05 09:58 AM
The best horror IF game so far, bar none. Lovecraftian. Very well written; good use of research mechanics to explain backstory to the PC without long infodumps. Puzzles are generally medium in difficulty, with one or two challenges. Possible to lock yourself out of victory if you're not carrying certain objects at certain times.
Rating:10
3/08/05 09:36 PM
This is quite possibly the best piece of IF I've ever played. It's a shame that Gentry isn't part of the community, writing more, these days.
Rating:10
2/28/05 02:13 AM
Pornographic?
Rating:10
2/12/05 07:26 AM
Rating:10
12/23/04 11:52 AM
The first IF game I really loved and the one that hooked me on IF in general. Anchorhead is creepy, beautifully written and totally engrossing. Once I started playing I couldn't do anything else until I finished. The research puzzles were wonderful!
Rating:10
12/16/04 09:24 PM
Rating:8
11/23/04 04:30 AM
Rating:8
10/23/04 12:38 AM
Wonderful, atmospheric, well-crafted, fearful. Good story, good writing, good npcs. Just a bit too difficult (I had to use a walkthrought several times).
Rating:9
9/10/04 10:51 AM
Excellent atmosphere. I found however, that there were things I would never have solved without the walkthrough. That was a little frustrating, including that I played the game into a dead end - with certain equipment in certain locations, you can become stuck.
However, the game admosphere was really great. A modern day H.P. Lovecraft (of whose work this game was modeled) would be proud.
Rating:8
9/09/04 09:04 PM
A very nearly perfect game. I wish they were all this engrossing. Beautiful pacing, masterful handling of in-game research and knowledge puzzles, and quite a few multiple solutions to obstacles. Also, in places it succeeds in being genuinely creepy. Serious puzzle fans will likely consider it "too easy," but I appreciated the authorial decision to emphasize pacing and atmosphere over puzzliness. Very highly recommended for beginners and old-timers alike. (But, uh, who was the joker who labelled this game as "pornographic?" 'Cause just for the record, you know: it isn't.)
Rating:10
8/12/04 02:57 PM
Best work of IF I've played so far!
Rating:10
6/22/04 11:08 AM
I loved the earlier parts of the game. The research-based puzzles were amazing. The ending didn't do it for me, though.
Rating:8
6/11/04 12:54 AM
Totally and completely amazing, gripping, compelling, and wonderful. The amount of care put into the story and the coding is simply awe-inspiring. In my opinion, the best work of modern IF work, period.
Rating:10
6/05/04 01:06 PM
so cool, but I think the ending went overboard... subtle would have been better
Rating:8
5/03/04 12:43 PM
Rating:9
3/09/04 04:29 PM
Rating:10
3/06/04 09:18 PM
A chilling atmospheric Lovecraftian masterpiece, I actually found this piece of IF superior to most of the old Infocom classics.
Rating:10
2/26/04 01:53 AM
Rating:8
2/03/04 11:09 AM
Overall it's superb. Timing puzzles are a pain and several ways to get stuck in an unwinnable situation stop this being perfect, but it's still damn close.
Rating:9
1/16/04 03:03 AM
One of the most immersive IF experiences I've ever had -- I was literally unable to put it down, and terrified of every sound I heard once I did. This game will scare the fucking pants off you. And you'll love it.
Rating:10
12/24/03 09:45 AM
When it comes to capturing mood, this is one of the best games ever. The game had many moments which found me decidedly creeped out. If you are easily disturbed, this may not be the game for you. Otherwise, it's a game to put on the "must play" list.
Rating:10
12/17/03 11:00 AM
The best game I never finished.
Rating:9
12/16/03 08:49 PM
Anchorhead's setting is one of the most memorable in all IF. Nearly every aspect of this game is strong, really - story, characterization, implementation quality, playability. Others have cited the sometimes overwrought writing as a shortcoming, but that's part of the Lovecraftian charm. To me, the biggest weakness is a certain unevenness in the puzzles; some rely too much on guesswork, or being in the right place at the right time, and there are a couple of glaring cliches. Even so, the total package adds up to one of the best IF games around.
Rating:9
11/21/03 08:38 AM
Rating:1
11/18/03 05:09 PM
Rating:10
11/26/03 01:45 PM
Atmosphere - 10,
NPCs - 10, (the husband especially is a great example of how to make an NPC),
Storyline - 10,
Puzzles - 8 (the timing of some of the puzzles at the end is a bit too strict),
Overall - 10.
This isn't the best text adventure game out there, nor is it the best literary work, but it might be the best combination of both. A great game in a great story. - JAA
Rating:10
11/01/03 02:51 AM
Rating:8
10/15/03 01:30 AM
Rating:10
9/08/03 04:23 AM
Showing its age - obvious unimplemented commands. I'd only recommend it to Lovecraft fans.
Rating:6
9/07/03 02:00 PM
Loved the atmosphere, etc., but couldn't bring myself to start over when I apparently got the game unwinnable by passing through a certain location too often.
Rating:7
9/05/03 09:13 AM
Definitely professional-quality. Well-written, a great story... a few times I was confused as to what to do next, but in general there are plenty of clues. Go play this one if you can stand horror at all.
Rating:9
8/21/03 12:22 PM
Horror is a hard genre to write effectively, but this game does it perfectly. I actually had to quit playing this when I was alone in the house at night because I was getting too freaked out. For the most part intuitive puzzles that focus on the plot, the only part I really had trouble with was at the end when timing became important.
Rating:10
8/19/03 01:28 AM
Rating:10
8/18/03 10:51 AM
Rating:8
8/18/03 04:51 AM
Good atmosphere, good writing. But : it is too long, too difficult, and I am not a real fan of lovecraftian worlds. I spoiled the end with the walkthrough because I was hurry to finish and to try another IF.
Rating:6
8/14/03 03:19 AM
Rating:10
8/12/03 04:19 PM
Rating:8
11/06/08 04:54 PM
A Lovecraftian masterpiece. Totally sucks you into its ultra-believable world.
Rating:9
8/09/03 06:00 AM
A masterpiece of modern IF. Well-written, logical story. A bit too involved at times, but altogether the definitive horror IF story for the time being.
Rating:10
7/31/03 10:25 PM
Great game. Great story. Play it.
Rating:10
7/12/03 05:25 PM
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Rating:3
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Very well-put-together story that unfolds at an engaging pace; the setting and mood are stellar - very "Shadow Over Innsmouth" meets "Dunwich Horror". Great writing all 'round.
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Despite some genuinely good moments and a promising start, this game eventually disappointed me more and more and made me long for other games I've played.
Rating:6
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Rating:9
6/25/05 12:30 PM
Successful balance of plot and puzzles, with the rate of revelation just about right. The story is in the Weird Tale tradition (Lovecraft, et al.), which works well with the IF medium. I enjoyed it so much I might even call it the gold standard for today's IF.
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
A masterpiece. I couldn't put this game down which is saying something as I'm not a big fan of the Lovecraftian Horror genre. A few sections in the mid-game are among the most chilling bits of prose I've ever read. Challenging, engaging, and well-implemented, all around.
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Rating:7
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Rating:9
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Rating:7
7/10/03 12:10 PM
A hard, but very well done game. Helps to be a fan of Lovecraft (as I am).
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Bored me to tears, which is a shame, since it's well-crafted.
Rating:3
7/10/03 12:10 PM
One of the best amature IF games.
Rating:9
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Depth, atmosphere, storyline, writing, gameplay, were top notch.
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Most deserving of its XYZZY for Best Atmosphere.
Rating:9
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
A sprawling Lovecraftian horror/puzzlefest. Doesn't do anything groundbreaking, it just does it very, very well.
Rating:8
7/11/03 12:46 PM
The single most atmospherically rich game I've ever played, combined with well-integrated and good puzzles, makes this a singular example of what every IF work should aspire to be. -DJW
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
At times quite difficult puzzles, but you can't beat it for pure setting and mood. This also has a great storyline.
Rating:9
7/10/03 12:10 PM
The best IF game I've ever played. Period. Even though I never finished it, the shear amount of atmosphere, good writing, challenging puzzles, and excellent NPCs/PC are more than enough to deserve a 10 in my book. Horror IF is a kind of rarity, and is rarely scarey when done at all, but this game alone almost makes the whole genre stand out.
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Rating:9
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Rating:8
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Nice, solid game.
Rating:8
7/10/03 12:10 PM
The Good: atmosphere, story, writing. The Bad: it made me read Lovecraft.
Rating:9
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Effective Lovecraftian horror; plenty of atmosphere, good puzzles.
Rating:9
7/14/03 01:39 PM
A shining example of how to work puzzles seamlessly into a story; forboding as hell, although the endgame is an Achilles heel.
Rating:9
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Beautifully designed and written. Very creepy.
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Excellent! THE definitive work of IF today.
Rating:10
7/10/03 12:10 PM
Long and quite difficult, but worth it.
Rating:9
4/02/04 12:31 AM
Lovecraftian Horror
Rating:9
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