Increment by Three

Note: The name of this article should really be +=3, but wiki software limits what characters are usable in article names. The "+=" part means "increment by" in some programming languages like C.

Adventure One-room

+=3: A Controversial but Nevertheless Logical Adventure
Author(s)	Carl de Marcken and David Baggett
Publisher(s)	n/a
Release date(s)	1994
Authoring system	TADS 2 (with WorldClass 1.3.1)
Platform(s)	TADS 2
Language(s)	English
License(s)	Freeware
Multimedia
Color effects	none
Graphics	none
Sound/Music	none
Ratings
Cruelty scale	Tough

How It Begins

You're almost there -- 99 points out of 100 and what looks to be a run-of-the-mill troll on the bridge puzzle. Should be trivial for an adventure game god like you. And besides, any puzzle with a logical solution can't be *too* hard to solve. All you have to do is get past the troll, and you will have won.

Notable Features

• There is only a single puzzle, which is (depending on your point of view) either unfair, a comment on interactive fiction conventions, or both.
• The authors write, in the game: This game is not impossible, but it is very difficult. In fact, the authors suspect that few (if any) will be able to solve it the direct way; i.e., by using the clues in the game and common sense to figure out how to solve the puzzles.
• According to Carl Muckenhoupt: Written as an example of how not to write games. Specifically, the thesis it seeks to prove is that it is possible for a puzzle to have a completely logical solution, and yet be nearly impossible to solve except by randomly guessing commands. This was the centerpiece of a heated debate on rec.arts.int-fiction. Not meant to be played and enjoyed.

Versions

Version 1.2

• +=3: A Controversial but Nevertheless Logical Adventure (co-designer: Carl de Marcken, co-designer and coder: David Baggett; 1994; TADS 2).
  • IFID: TADS2-6ACBC6C7D9E402E84E26F5E54C9EA767
    IFID links: IFDB
  • Note: uses WorldClass library version 1.3.1
  • Game: Download 3.gam from the IF Archive
  • Source code: Download 3.t from the IF Archive

Links

General Info

• +=3 (archived) - at Baf's Guide.
• +=3 - at IFDB.
• +=3: A Controversial but Nevertheless Logical Adventure at MobyGames

Reviews

• +=3 - A Controversial but Nevertheless Logical Adventure - at IFReviews.org.

Spoilers

• Walthrough: Download 3.step from the IF Archive