The Fool's Errand

Did You Know?

• The game was created with Microsoft BASIC and ZBasic for the Apple Macintosh.
• Johnson learned to program specifically to bring the idea to an interactive format.

Gameplay

The game is structured as a storybook divided into five parts, each containing many chapters that can be read as continuous prose. Not all chapters are initially available, and those that are appear non-consecutively. Many chapters have an associated puzzle called an enchantment; completing one unlocks further chapters. Chapters are often named after a tarot card from the Major or Minor Arcana. Puzzles are designed so their results logically lead into the unlocked chapter—for instance, an acrostic yielding the phrase "No Ship" unlocks a story segment about a watchman reporting no ship. Other puzzles include pictures that depict story elements or clues to other puzzles.

Development

Cliff Johnson, previously a filmmaker, drew inspiration from films such as Sleuth and The Last of Sheila, which presented puzzle-mysteries for viewers. He also was inspired by the 1979 book Masquerade by Kit Williams, whose final chapter challenged readers to find a hidden treasure; though Johnson was not personally fond of the work, he found the concept exciting. He initially planned a similar puzzle-and-narrative project as a 1984 Christmas gift for friends, which evolved into The Fool's Errand. After buying his first PC, a Macintosh, he began coding in 1985, learning programming specifically for this interactive format. His goal was to make the experience pleasant and solvable in a single afternoon. His programming approach was influenced by his animated film work, which involved a tedious frame-by-frame process akin to assembling a jigsaw. Johnson took out a $50,000 loan to self-finance the project and suffered a nervous breakdown during development. By 1986 he had created over 30 data-driven programs, which he later consolidated into one application using ZBasic.

Release

The Fool's Errand was released in 1987 by Miles Publishing. Initial sales were slow, but positive reviews boosted demand, and Electronic Arts took over distribution. The game was ported to MS-DOS, Commodore Amiga, and Atari ST; these ports added color but at a lower resolution of 320×200 versus the original 512×342. In 2002 it was released as shareware on Johnson's website Fools-errand.com, and is now offered free of charge. Johnson recommends PC players use a Macintosh emulator to run the Mac version. Non-Macintosh versions used a symbol-based code wheel for copy protection; the free version disables this mechanism, accepting any answer.

Reception

The Fool's Errand initially sold poorly, but after a very positive July 1988 review in MacUser it became highly successful, with 100,000 copies sold by the end of 1989. MacUser gave it five out of five mice, stating it "goes beyond being 'just' an excellent game" and ventures into myth and archetype. In December 1989, MacUser named it one of the 27 best Macintosh games. Macworld praised its difficult, epic collection of diverse puzzles requiring considerable interaction and ingenuity, and lauded the attractive presentation and beautiful animated prologue and finale. A later Macworld review of Johnson's next game called The Fool's Errand "a new kind of computer game that transcends traditional categories." Computer Gaming World stated, "You feel like you're matching wits with the author directly, instead of playing 'hunt the parser'." Scorpia described it as "one of the best games I've ever played." STarts noted a reviewer who came close to finishing but felt he had "run, and lost, a mental marathon." The Games Machine awarded the PC version its Golden Scroll and a 93% rating, calling it "fresh, original and addictive." Game Player's PC Strategy Guide praised the graphics, consistent challenge, and fair puzzles. .info magazine called the Amiga version "a magnificent achievement in game design" but dropped the rating from five to three stars due to poor port quality, including unused right mouse button, "insufferable EGA" graphics, and poor sound. Amiga Format rated it 70%, praising the puzzle variety and intelligent use of the machine despite reservations about graphics and sound.