Encounter

Encounter is a text adventure game set in contemporary England in 1982. The player takes the role of a private investigator tasked with locating and rescuing a kidnapped teenage girl held captive in an upscale manor. The game is entirely text-based with no graphics. It uses a text parser system and requires players to navigate, interact with the environment, and solve puzzles through typed commands.

Movement is controlled by single-letter abbreviations such as N for north or U for up, while most other actions use a verb–noun structure, which can be shortened to three-letter abbreviations (e.g., EMP BOT for “empty bottle”). Some puzzles require the player to manufacture items from materials found during exploration.

The player must contend with time constraints: an overall limit of 500 moves and a special 20-move countdown triggered when an alarm is raised. Mapping the environment is essential for progress, and common commands include GET, DROP, THROW, MAKE, and CLIMB.