Planetfall
A landmark interactive fiction game with a beloved robot.
Planetfall is a science fiction interactive fiction game created by American developer Steve Meretzky and released in 1983 as Infocom's seventh title. It was Meretzky's first published game and became one of his most successful, selling well for the company. The game was originally available for Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, TRS-80, and IBM PC compatibles (as a self-booting disk or for MS-DOS). Atari ST and Commodore 64 versions followed in 1985, along with a CP/M release. It was among five top-selling Infocom games reissued as Solid Gold editions with built-in hints. Planetfall runs on the Z-machine, the engine created for Zork, and was later included as a bonus in the Zork Anthology.
The term "planetfall" is a blend of "planet" and "landfall," occasionally used in science fiction. A novel titled *Planetfall* by Arthur Byron Cover features the game's cover art and is marketed as being in the tradition of *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*. A sequel, *Stationfall*, came out in 1987.
The player begins as a low-ranking Ensign Seventh Class aboard the starship S.P.S. Feinstein. The player's superior, Ensign First Class Blather, assigns menial deck-mopping duties—far from the heroic adventures promised by recruiters on Gallium. The diary included in the game's feelies shows the player considering desertion. Soon, explosions rock the ship, forcing the player into an escape pod that crash-lands on a nearby planet. Signs of civilization exist, but no inhabitants are found. The player eventually meets Floyd, a helpful but childlike robot, and must uncover the mysteries of the sole deserted structure, Resida, while finding a way home. As the fate of the planet's former residents becomes clear, a time limit adds urgency.
The player does not stay on the Feinstein long. Talking to the alien ambassador or scrubbing floors leads nowhere. Wandering the ship earns demerits from Blather, and entering the brig is fatal unless the player returns to work. An explosion then opens an escape pod door. The pod's safety netting cushions the fall, and an escape kit proves vital. After swimming from the pod and climbing to a deserted base, the player pieces together clues.
The nearly uninhabited island is one of the last landmasses on a planet nearing destruction.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Planetfall
- Developer
- Infocom
- Designer
- Steve Meretzky
- Engine
- Z-machine
- Released
- Release 20: July 8, 1983 / Release 26: October 14, 1983 / Release 29: January 18, 1984 / Release 37: October 3, 1985 / Solid Gold: May 31, 1988
- Genre
- Interactive fiction
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Apricot PC, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, CP/M, Rainbow, Kaypro II, Mac, NEC APC, Osborne 1, MS-DOS, PC-9801, TI-99/4A, TRS-80.
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Planetfall begins with the player as a lowly Ensign Seventh Class on the starship S.P.S. Feinstein. After a series of explosions, the player escapes in a pod and crash-lands on a planet showing signs of civilization but no inhabitants. The player eventually encounters Floyd, a childlike robot who provides comic relief and critical assistance. The plot reveals that a plague forced the planet's inhabitants into suspended animation while automated systems sought a cure. The planet's orbit is decaying, and the player must repair systems and retrieve a Miniaturization Card to access a malfunctioning relay station. Floyd sacrifices himself to obtain the card, and the player ultimately repairs the main computer, defeats a giant microbe, and reaches a cryo-elevator that leads to the survivors. The game includes 41 ways to die and requires managing sleep and hunger.
Reader's Guide
Planetfall is significant as Steve Meretzky's debut game and a best-seller for Infocom. It was one of five top-selling games re-released in Solid Gold versions with in-game hints. The game's most enduring legacy is the character Floyd, whose death has been described as a minor milestone in gaming, evoking genuine emotional responses from players. Critics praised Floyd as 'the most imaginative and cleverly written part of the entire game' and noted that the scene could make players cry. The game was remembered for aligning story and gameplay to directly evoke player emotions, transforming the experience into an 'evocative theatrical experience.' Planetfall was also added as a bonus to the Zork Anthology and influenced later interactive fiction.
Did You Know?
- The ID card included with the game had a phone number that was the telephone number of MIT's student newspaper, The Tech, as part of a prank by Meretzky.
- Floyd's death was described by Softline as comparable to emotional moments in Charlotte's Web or the death of Bambi's mother.
- The game includes 41 ways to die, and the player must sleep and eat to avoid succumbing to infection.
- A sequel, Stationfall, was released in 1987.
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