Planet of the robots

Name: Planet Of the Robots
Programmer(s): Daniel Tobias
Publisher: Softdisk
Year: 1981

Description:

Planet of the Robots

Planet of the Robots is a text-based adventure game written by Daniel Tobias in November 1981 for the Apple II computer using AppleSoft BASIC. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic future where robots have survived but humans are extinct, though the robots continue their programmed routines unaware of humanity's demise. The game was included on the December 1981 Softdisk "Magazette"

Gameplay

Players navigate through a world of 36+ locations using simple text commands such as "GET KNIFE", "GO NORTH", and "ATTACK ROBOT". The game features:

  • Inventory management with a 150-pound weight limit
  • A money system for purchasing items from robot clerks
  • A hunger mechanic requiring periodic eating
  • Save/load functionality with numbered save slots

The ultimate goal is to find and use a time machine to return to the 20th century (specifically between 1970-1999) to win the game.

Setting and Locations

The game world includes:

  • Shopping malls with various stores (computer store, arcade, restaurant, clothing store)
  • City infrastructure (library, city hall, subway system)
  • Secret government facilities (Project Chronos laboratory)
  • Post-apocalyptic ruins and bombed areas

Puzzles

The game features several interconnected puzzles:

  1. Money Crisis - Players start with negative money (-$119) and must find coins in a phone booth
  2. Dress Code - A tie must be purchased to access certain restricted areas
  3. Jail Break - Players can be arrested and must escape by breaking rusty prison bars
  4. Computer Hacking - Access to a government computer network is required to obtain a laboratory combination
  5. Time Travel - The final challenge involves operating a time machine to return to the proper time period

Enemies

The game features three types of robotic adversaries:

  • Clerk Robots - Protected by force fields, they arrest players who attack them
  • Guard Robots - Check ID cards and block passage to restricted areas
  • Berserk Robot - The most dangerous enemy that kills players instantly, but can be defeated with a ray gun

Special Features

  • An embedded arcade game called "Super Stellar Alien Kapow!" with low-resolution graphics
  • A computer simulation featuring an "Apple X" system with network access
  • A legal system including robot trials and sentencing
  • Randomized elements including passwords and combinations