Search DOS Game Zone
Browse Games
Account Login
Browse by Year
Browse by Language
Other gamers are playing..
Dot Valley
Brazil
Oil Cap Pro
Poland
Temple of Loth
Brazil
Crystal Caves Vol. 2- Slugging..
Argentina
Aquanoid
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Eishockey Manager
Germany
Pentix
Slovenia
3D Construction Kit
Austria
Beetle Run
Netherlands
Championship Manager Italia '95
Sweden
Search / Browse
Play Mindwheel
Mindwheel
Last Updated: Mon, 9 August 2021 @ 10:08
Copyright: © 1984 Broderbund Software, Inc. (40 Titles)
Platform: DOS
Language: English
Version: 1.0
Filesize: 277 KB
Genre(s): Adventure Interactive Fiction
Screenshots: 1
Rating: (348 Votes)
Last Played: A few days ago in United States.
Mindwheel Screenshots
About Mindwheel
Synapse's last game and also its most ambitious, unfortunately ends up as an ideal example of a great concept that is horrendously botched by frustrating puzzles that are not illogical, but are poorly integrated with the amazing storyline. Written by Robert Pinsky, one of the most acclaimed young poets in the 20th century, Mindwheel simply has one the best and most unique sci-fi plots you'll ever come across, with many layers and metaphors that will take repeat playing to appreciate. At its most basic level, the game is about telepathy: you will time-travel into the kaleidoscopic minds of four deceased geniuses. You will encounter the Cave Master, inspired father of the primary visions, retrieve the Wheel of Wisdom, civilization's one key to salvation, and witness some of the most crucial moments in history. Unfortunately, this wonderful premise is shattered by absurd puzzles that bear no relation to the game's larger plot. Most of the game's puzzles revolve around finding words to complete the various sonnets posed by different characters, and answering obscure riddles. The problem is that it is often almost impossible to know if you have found the right word, and why. Worse still, some words are written only in the manual/novella that comes with the game, with almost no clue to the effect. The parser is decent, although its range of synonyms are very limited (for example, in one case it will only understand LADY but not WOMAN). Mindwheel is one of those rare games you really want to like, but simply can't. The illogical and frustrating puzzles simply get in the way of enjoying the game, which is extremely well-written. It would probably have been a true classic had Pinsky opt for a "true" (i.e. passive) electronic novel (e.g. Activision's Portal) than a real game. The storyline and writing are among the best you'll ever find in a game (or books, for that matter)-- it's just unfortunate that they are trapped inside a poor shell of puzzle-solving, merely for the sake of utilizing the "interactive" medium. The few nuggets of sonnets and poetic fragments in the novella alone are proof of why Pinsky is regarded as one of the most talented poets of his generation. The bottom line: read the novella that comes with the game's manual, and play the game only as an afterthought.
Mindwheel Image Gallery
Download Mindwheel
Enter the code to download Mindwheel.