You Are A Detective

Today's exhibit: You Are A Detective from Susan Drake Lipscomb and Margaret Ann Zuanich's BASIC Fun - Computer Games, Puzzles, and Problems Children Can Write, an ancient volume of instructional type-in BASIC programs. The program we've selected from the book is a very, very simple gamebook put forth in BASIC "spaghetti code" with GOTOs statements to line numbers -- here realised as hyperlinks! A reminder that plotting out gamebook branches is just another, very simple form of programming.

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100 YOU ARE A DETECTIVE. YOU RECEIVE A CALL FROM MR. DREW. HE ASKS YOU TO COME OVER. HE BELIEVES HIS LIFE IS IN DANGER.

• IF YOU DECIDE TO GO TO HIS HOUSE TYPE YES.
  
  
• IF YOU DECLINE TYPE NO.

I NEED A YES OR NO ANSWER. TRY AGAIN.

200 MR. DREW MEETS YOU AT HIS HOUSE. HE TELLS YOU HE SUSPECTS HIS WIFE IS TRYING TO KILL HIM. HE ASKS YOU TO STAY FOR DINNER SO YOU CAN MEET HER AS WELL AS HIS NIECE LUCY AND A FRIEND DR. QUIMBY.

• IF YOU ACCEPT HIS INVITATION TYPE MDREW.


• IF YOU DECIDE TO GO HOME TO WATCH YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW SAYING YOU'LL CALL MR. DREW IN THE MORNING TYPE CALL.

I NEED A MDREW OR CALL - TRY AGAIN.

300 YOU OBVIOUSLY AREN'T VERY INTERESTED IN KEEPING UP YOUR BUSINESS. SOON YOU ARE FORCED TO FIND ANOTHER JOB. BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME!

400 MRS. DREW, A RATHER PLUMP PLEASANT WOMAN IS VERY GRACIOUS AT DINNER. AFTER DINNER MR. DREW OFFERS HIS GUESTS A GLASS OF BRANDY. SINCE YOU DECLINE YOU DECIDE TO STROLL AROUND THE GARDEN. SUDDENLY YOU HEAR A CRASH FOLLOWED BY A SCREAM! YOU RUSH IN TO FIND MR. DREW HAS BEEN POISONED! THE POLICE ARE CALLED. BEFORE THEY ARRIVE - YOU DECIDE TO INTERVIEW THE WITNESSES.

• IF YOU CHOOSE TO SPEAK TO THEM AS A GROUP, TYPE GROUP.


• IF YOU INTERVIEW THEM INDIVIDUALLY TYPE ONE.

I NEED A GROUP OR ONE - TRY AGAIN.

500 YOU CALL THE DREW'S HOUSE IN THE MORNING. THE POLICE ANSWER THE PHONE. MR. DREW WAS MURDERED LAST NIGHT. HE WAS POISONED AT DINNER. YOU ARE WANTED AS A WITNESS BUT YOUR DETECTIVE SERVICES ARE NOT REQUIRED. TOO BAD!

600 WHEN YOU INTERVIEW THE GROUP, YOU FIND OUT NOTHING USEFUL. YOU ARE FORCED TO TURN THE CASE OVER TO THE POLICE WHEN THEY ARRIVE. OUT OF LUCK!

700 DURING YOUR INTERROGATINO OF MR. DREW'S NIECE, SHE MAKES A FATAL SLIP. YOU DISCOVER SHE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT ARSENIC IN MR. DREW'S BRANDY BECAUSE SHE WANTED HER INHERITANCE MONEY NOW! WITH THE POLICE COOPERATION SHE IS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH HIS MURDER. GREAT GOING! MRS. DREW REWARDS YOU HANDSOMLY!