Description

This article is from the Computer games and MUDs with a Tolkien theme FAQ, by Fredrik Ekman ekman@lysator.liu.se with numerous contributions by others.

07 PD/Shareware p1 (Tolkien theme games)

This is the section for all the games that are distributed on a non-
commercial basis.

Ringen
Year: 1979(?)
Author: Hansen
System: CNC, Commodore 64, MS-DOS
Type: Text adventure
Language: Norwegian (later translated to English when converted to MUD
format, see comments)
Comment: Was probably developed at the University of Tromsø. It came to
form the basis of the Tolkien areas of Genesis and VikingMUD.

*The Shire
Year: 1979(?)
Type: Text adventure
Comment: It was made for some mainframe or minicomputer.

*Orthanc
Year: 1979(?)
Comment: This has been described as a game where "a little figure is
propelled through a series of corridors and rooms," whatever that
is supposed to mean. Like The Shire, it was made for some mainframe
or minicomputer.

LORD
Produced by: Helsinki University of Technology
Author: Olli J. Paavola
Year: 1981
System: DEC-20
Type: Text adventure
Covers: "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings"
Distribution: PD (I think)
Comment: With 550 separate locations, this game is huge by most
standards. It does not really try to be completely consistent with
Tolkien but mixes elements from many other sources. It is clear,
however, that it is made with a great love for and knowledge about
Tolkien's books.

*Smaugs Lair
Author: N. Brooks
System: ZX81
Distribution: PD(?)

The Dungeons of Moria
Author: Robert Alan Koeneke, James E. Wilson, et al.
Year: 1983
Version: 5.5.2
System: VAX, Unix, MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, Macintosh, X Windows
Name address: herx1.tat.physik.uni-tuebingen.de (version 4.80, log on
as "GAMES") or bbs.runet.edu ([what version is here?], log on as
"bbs")
Type: ASCII-based RPG (Amiga version has simple graphics)
Distribution: PD, FTP from ftp.cis.ksu.edu: /pub/Games/Moria/
Comment: Extremely classic game, but really more influenced by D&D than
by Tolkien.

The Tolkien Affair
System: TRS-80 Model 100
Type: RPG (of sorts)
Distribution: PD, FTP from ftp.eos.ncsu.edu:
/pub/tandy100/games/dragon.ba
Comment: Amusingly stupid game about stealing the Arkenstone from
Smaug. Extremely buggy.

 

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reading, books, Tolkien, computer games, MUD, Eamon, PD/Shareware