Dilbert's Desktop Games
A desktop collection of Dilbert-themed casual games.
Dilbert's Desktop Games is a 1997 collection of ten casual games and activities for Microsoft Windows, developed by Cyclops Software and published by DreamWorks Interactive. Based on the characters from Scott Adams' comic strip Dilbert, the title was the first software released under the Dilbert license acquired by DreamWorks Interactive. It is notable for being embedded into the computer desktop and marketed as a workplace distraction.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Cyclops Software
- Publisher
- DreamWorks Interactive
- Released
- October 1997 (NA)
- Genre
- Puzzle, action
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Windows
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The software is embedded into the computer desktop and consists of ten games and activities. Players take on the role of Dilbert and supporting characters, with the overarching goal of assembling the pieces of a Game Machine by completing seven games. Once the Game Machine is completed, players can print a certificate of merit described as a "big reward of time well-wasted". A button allows players to quickly hide the game and save their progress. Many of the games imitate arcade titles. Boss Evaders is a satire of Space Invaders where Dilbert runs across the screen avoiding "pink slips" from bosses and firing back with "status reports" from behind paper-tray shields; points are earned for hitting targets including 10 for the executive, 20 for the vice president, and 30 for his boss. Can-O-Matic 2 is a shooter similar to Missile Command where Catbert shoots employees from a giant cannon at randomly-generated targets. CEO Simulator is a business simulation game where players build a company and manage employee morale by operating a slot machine, with incremental elements and background progress. In Elbonian Airlines, players launch employees into the air with a giant slingshot to hit randomly-generated targets. Enduring Fools is a whack-a-mole type game where irritating characters on the desktop can be shot with Dogbert's stun gun, distorting the screen; it has no win or lose state. Project Pass-Off is an air hockey game set on a meeting table where Dilbert passes good work projects into his zone and bad projects to opponent Zimbu. Techno Raiders is a platformer requiring vertical navigation of mazelike office levels, collecting donuts and gadgets while zapping co-workers with a cell phone and avoiding secretaries; each of its 120 levels must be completed to obtain a Game Machine piece.
Development
Dilbert's Desktop Games marked DreamWorks Interactive's debut under the Dilbert license, produced by Cyclops Software within their Desktop Toys line. Scott Adams, the comic's creator, kept oversight of the project, which was built alongside the Santa Monica-based Cyclops team. Marketed as a lighthearted office distraction, DreamWorks executive Jeffrey Katzenberg called it a "way to kill a few minutes whenever you're waiting on hold on the telephone."
Reception
When Dilbert's Desktop Games hit shelves, critics were split. Some saw it as a decent way to kill time at the office, especially given its budget price. Nick Smith of Allgame called it good for "quick minutes of occasional fun" but warned it wasn't "the kind of gaming experience which you would spend more than an hour at once." Others thought it was a poor use of the Dilbert license. Hugo Foster of Gamespot found the games "entertaining but lightweight," noting many were just knockoffs of arcade classics and lacked the strip's humor. Gary Whitta of PC Gamer was harsher, branding it a "lazy cash-in" and complaining that "ten uninspired products bundled together just make one bigger uninspired product." Looking back, GameSpot placed the game alongside other satirical office software like Microshaft Winblows and The Laffer Utilities. Nick Douglas of Lifehacker Australia said its tone matched the comic's light satire and singled out CEO Simulator as the best parody of office life. Despite the mixed reviews, the game won Best Home Entertainment Product/Game at the 1999 3rd Golden Satellite Awards.
More in Puzzle Games of the 1990s
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