Tajemství Oslího ostrova
A Czech parody of Monkey Island that launched a local industry.
Tajemství Oslího ostrova, or The Secret of Donkey Island, is a 1994 Czech point-and-click adventure game. Often shortened to Too, it was the first PC game distributed nationally in the Czech Republic and among the country's earliest commercial releases. A parody of the Monkey Island series, its story acts as a direct sequel to The Secret of Monkey Island, disregarding the events of Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge. Petr Vochozka’s company Vochozka Trading handled its June 1994 distribution.
Quick Facts
- Publisher
- Vochozka Trading
- Programmer
- Petr Vlček
- Artist
- Jarek Kolář
- Released
- 1994
- Genre
- Adventure
Facts from the source article.
Production
Development of the game began in 1992 on school computers at the gymnasium of Slovanské náměstí in Brno, where Jarek Kolář and Petr Vlček were students. They aimed to use their own game-making tools alongside ZX Spectrum tools they had previously worked with. In 1993, Petr Vochozka sold Světák Bob, the first Czech commercial adventure game for the Amiga, and later that year founded Vochozka Trading in Polička. Tajemství Oslího ostrova became the publisher's debut title. The development period spanned 1992 to 1994; during the first year, the developers used their school computer with permission from their computer science teacher. Limited information on game development was available to Czech developers at the time. Visual assets from other adventure games were used, and in 2018 the magazine Excalibur expressed surprise that no licensing issues arose. The developers created the sound effects themselves using computer speakers. The game was among the first Czech titles to feature developed graphics. Originally, Kolář and Vlček had no commercial plans; they created the game to prove Czechs could produce a game on par with international productions. After seeing an advert by Vochozka in Excalibur, the only Czech game magazine at the time, they joined Vochozka under the Pterodon Software brand. The game sold 2,000 copies at 240 crowns each, a considerable increase over Světák Bob's few hundred copies. Vochozka arranged an exclusive contract to distribute Pterodon Software's games. The retail version was initially wrapped only in a plastic bag; a paper-box edition appeared in November of the same year, alongside the second Pterodon game, 7 dní a 7 nocí. The game was released five years after the Velvet Revolution, when few Czechs understood English. By the end of 1996, Vochozka Trading had produced twelve games. An English fan translation was released in 2023.
Critical reception and legacy
The game transformed both Vochozka’s life and the broader Czech gaming landscape, serving as a major catalyst for the local industry. It was considered groundbreaking because it emerged at a time when very few Czechs understood how to create computer games, and there was almost no documentation or tools to help aspiring developers. Upon its release, Czech audiences were impressed by its sophisticated gameplay and original themes, and it retained value in the Czech freeware scene even years later. The title is regarded as a key event in gaming prehistory, packed with clever humor, pirate tales, colorful cartoon visuals, and adventurous spirit. A notable flaw was the absence of music outside the opening credits. One critic dismissed it as a simple game that should be forgotten today, despite acknowledging its commercial success. Another reviewer found it hilarious but argued that older magazine ratings, such as a 95% score from Excalibur, were inflated—especially since that review was written by Vochozka, the game’s publisher. Nevertheless, its engaging gameplay, low cost, and status as one of the earliest Czech games helped players overlook its rough edges, turning it into a hit. It is also considered the first commercial Czech game for personal computers and a historic milestone in home gaming.
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