Uninvited

Overview

Uninvited is a point-and-click adventure game developed by ICOM Simulations and published by MindScape (the NES version was developed byKemco/Seika). It makes extensive use of windows to store inventory items and commands, similar to ICOM's other MacVenture games Shadowgate and Deja Vu. In the game, players take control of an unnamed protagonist who stumbles into a mansion searching for his lost sibling.

There are several versions of the game, the first of which being adapted to the Macintosh. As with most MacVenture games, it features no sound, instead guiding the player by narration only. Many ports followed, including a NES version published by Kemco and localized into Japanese (the Japanese title of the game is Akuma no Shoutaijou, or "Demon's Invitation"). The NES version added music and changed many lines of text, altering key plot points along the way. Some notable changes include the sibling swap mentioned below, and the change of the address assigned to the mansion itself. The address was originally Master Crowley, 666 Blackwell Road, Loch Ness, Scotland, but was shortened to just Master Crowley due to Nintendo's strict policy for family-friendliness.

Uninvited had a rather good reception, despite the fact that the game was relatively unknown. Many people compared the game to Deja Vu (a well-received point-and-click adventure game), or claimed that it was better than Deja Vu. Nintendo Power had Uninvited in their section called "Playback," in which they feature classic games which they feel were great and deserve to be replayed.

Plot

The game starts the player in a car that has been recently crashed--and is about to explode. After regaining his senses and slowly realize that he in danger, the unnamed protagonist manages to escape the exploding car. After recovering from that shock, the hero realizes that his sibling is missing (a younger brother in the original Mac version, or an older sister in the NES port). After looking around, the player will notice an ominous mansion several steps away.

The rest of the game is just the player exploring the mansion, and discovering things about the mysterious owner. The mansion is apparently haunted; ghosts, skeletons, and goblins greet the player around every corner. Eventually, it is revealed that the vile Dracan plans on sacrificing the hero's sister. After rescuing the sibling, the game ends, and all is well again.

Gameplay

The game is a standard point-and-click adventure game that revolves around a mystery in the same vein that Deja Vu and Shadowgate do. The player can choose from several different actions to perform on various objects and in various places, which range from things like move, open, and take. The main goal is that the hero's sibling has gone missing, but that will shortly play second fiddle to the player's survival. Throughout the story the player slowly gain access to new areas, and unravel a bit of the mystery shrouding over the mansion.

Items gathered in the mansion can then be used via the menu for a variety of effects. Some items kill the player (for example, using an axe on self causes death), while others are needed to proceed in the game. Most of the items are useless--just there as decoration--but can still be taken.

One of the first items found in the game is a spellbook that teaches the player a few spells. Spells can be acquired and then used. Although several are not used throughout the entire game, a few of them are needed to finish the game.

The Mansion

The mansion is--for the most part--non-linear. The player is free to explore its many rooms and various passageways. The mansion contains many oddities, from a maze filled with zombies to a jail cell that will trap the player for eternity. In addition, the mansion is filled with all kinds of enemies from the infamous Scarlet O'Hara skeleton ghost that can immediately kill the player in the beginning of the game to the aforementioned zombies. The mansion also takes a toll on the player, so spending too much time in it will cause the player to sink into insanity, triggering a game over. At first, the mansion appears to be a regular mansion, but after exploring for a while, it is obvious that that is not the case.

After spending time exploring the mansion, the player will find many strange things about not only the owner of the mansion (Dracan), but the nature of the mansion itself. Many of Dracan's servants have quarters scattered throughout the mansion, leaving clues for the player to continue the quest. When the player finally figures out that the evil Dracan plans to sacrifice the player's sister in order to resurrect himself, an underground secret lair of some sorts is discovered, leading the player not only to Dracan's resting place, but eventually to the sister.