Institute

Name: The Institute
Programmer(s): Jymm & Robyn Pearson & Norman Sailer
Publisher: Med Systems
Year: 1981

Description:

]The Institute is a graphic adventure game published in 1983 by Screenplay for the TRS-80, Apple II, Commodore 64, and Atari 8-bit computers. You play as John, a mental patient trapped in a hellish asylum called "The Institute". This game stands out as one of the more disturbing and creative adventure games of the early 1980s.

The game was created by husband-and-wife team Jyym and Robyn Pearson, who were known for making difficult puzzle games. It was originally published by Med Systems as a text-only game in 1981, then later got graphics when Screenplay released updated versions in 1983. The Pearsons had already made several adventure games before this one, but The Institute became their most famous work.

You control John by typing simple commands like "N", "W", "S", and "E" to move north, west, south, and east. The game uses a basic two-word parser where you type commands like "open door" to interact with objects. You are surrounded by crazy patients and mean doctors, and a sinister psychologist keeps trying to convince you that you're actually insane.

Much of the game happens during drug-induced hallucinations. You spend most of your time lying on a closet floor, drifting in and out of these strange dreams that reveal important details about John's past. The knowledge and sometimes even items you gain from these dreams help you learn more about The Institute and plan your escape. This was a unique gameplay mechanic for its time.

The game focuses more on its dark and surreal story than traditional adventure game puzzles. There are some basic puzzles to solve using objects you find, but the disturbing dialogue and storyline are what make the game memorable. The writing deals with serious topics like mental illness and creates an atmosphere that many players found genuinely unsettling.

The graphics version included illustrations by Rick Incrocci and used The Complete Graphics System by Penguin Software. For an Apple II game, the visuals helped create the creepy hospital setting. The simple graphics showed rooms, characters, and key objects that helped players understand the game world.

The Institute became known as one of the better adventure games of the early 1980s. Gaming historian Will Moczarski called it a "near-masterpiece". The game was challenging in typical Pearson fashion, requiring players to examine everything carefully and think creatively about solutions. Many players remember spending weeks trying to solve it without any hints.

The Institute remains an important piece of Apple II gaming history. It showed that computer games could tackle serious subjects and create genuine emotional reactions in players. While its dark subject matter might seem tame today, it was quite shocking for 1983 and helped push the boundaries of what adventure games could be about.