Hello! I want to talk about this game that was on an old Apple II computer I got my hands on. A customer came in asking me to move the computer’s information to something more modern for him to properly access it.

During the transfer I noticed something from the disk. Though it took a bit of maneuvering, having to use another old computer I had in my workshop, I was finally able to access it.

''Ananke''

I opened it up and was taken to a menu entirely composed of text. I quickly closed it, finished the transfer process, and returned the floppy back to its owner.

On my day off I decided to play it with the intent of documenting a game that seemingly had never been heard of before.

I opened the game on the same computer and was greeted by the same menu as before. In spite of the game’s text-based method of displaying graphics it’s all well done.

I notice at the bottom a text prompt.

“Welcome to Ananake, a game developed by SchicksalComputer Co.©”
“Start? (Y/N)"

With that being my only prompt I decide to type "yes" to continue.

"Good luck on your adventure!”

I was then greeted by a normal-looking face with the following text:

You will be controlling the entity called ''Oliver Lewis.”

The screen went black for a bit until an eyeless deformity appeared, making me recoil in fright.

He was dressed in a poncho and a panama hat, the void encompassing his eyes staring at my soul.

''I present myself with fear Oliver. I am the Judge. I judge and observe. I come bearing news. Your destiny was written by The Great Scribe. He made a fatal mistake. Your destiny has a beginning and an end but the end was not concrete. I was personally entrusted to warn you that you have 3 more days.''
''You can return to the earthly world.''

He disappeared and the game began to describe my location.

“You wake up in an unidentified pit on your back and barefoot, the stench of death filling your nostrils. Around you are the corpses of men, rats crawling through their entrails, a woman, and a couple of children.”

Prompted to do something, I inspected the pit.

“You don’t have much breathing room here. The corpses are stacked up high enough for you to climb out.”

Telling the game that I want to climb the corpses my interest wanes from the Judge towards my current situation. I dismiss my encounter with him as merely a cliche typical of many role playing games, the stereotypical nobody who starts off my journey.

“Climbing the pile of corpses your feet defile each body you stand on. Now out of the pit you see a little village devoid of life as if it were stopped in time. What will you do?”

I ask what locations are nearby and get the following description:

“You look around at the locations nearby.
There is a bakery.
There is an abandoned house.
There is a road.”

I decided to go to the bakery for resources.

“Entering the bakery you notice the shop has been picked clean, crumbs and rat carcasses littering the room’s floor. The only sign of activity here are the few rats still alive, nibbling on the remains of their kin.”

I ask for a description of the building.

“The walls are made up of mud and stone. Above you is a thatched roof.’
“The rats stop eating to look at you.”

Considering the building’s interior, the rats everywhere, and the fact I was just in a grave a couple minutes ago I piece together me being a black plague survivor. Still though, I’d like to remain a survivor instead of catching it again. I exit out of the building and decide to head down the road instead.

“Walking down the street you eventually get out of the village, meadows waiting for you soon after. Journeying through the fields of grass you catch sight of a castle in the distance."

I type out that I’d like to go to the castle but am instead greeted by a warning.

“Are you sure you’d like to go to the castle? As a resident of the village closest to the castle they’d likely know of the plague that’s infected you and your ilk. It’d be beneficial for them to kill you.”

Taking the game’s advice I decide to avoid the castle, looking over the horizon for any other prospects instead.

“Over the horizon you see a carriage approaching on the road.”

I ask the game to put me in front of the road and wave at the carriage, hoping that the carriage would be my trojan horse into the castle.

“Coming to a halt, the carriage’s host peeks his head out to look at you.”

An image of his face is drawn on the screen.

“‘What are you looking for?’”

My response was the following:

“My horse died recently. His leg broke in a puddle so I had to put him down. Do you think you could let me join your carriage and ride into the castle with you?”

As I lie through my teeth typing this out I hope it’s enough to convince him. Sending my message through the game responds back.

“The merchant looks at you suspiciously.”
“‘Unfortunately I cannot do that. Even if what you say is true as soon as they see you they will think you are infected and that would mean me getting executed for aiding you. I cannot take that risk.”

Every message I give pleading for his assistance returns the same response.

“The merchant pays no attention to you. He gets ready to head towards the castle again.”

At this point my options were to either sleep next to the plague-ridden cannibalistic rats and be eaten or sleep out in the open and freeze. It’s a bit funny that even something as minute as the common cold would kill me right now, especially since in real life I could easily head to my medicine cabinet and get some NyQuil.

I instead pick the third option and inspect the ground.

“Besides the floor of dirt beneath your feet you see the occasional rock laid on the ground. One stands out from the rest in terms of size.”
“The merchant has started moving towards the castle again.”

Just what I needed.

I ask the game to pick up the biggest rock on the ground.

“You pick up the biggest rock. Though it’s heavy it fits perfectly in the palms of your hands.”

With the merchant still nearby I command the game to throw the rock at him.

“The rock hits the merchant, knocking him onto the ground and stopping the carriage.

I inspect the carriage afterwards.

“Inspecting the carriage you find water, money, clothing, and some food. You eventually uncover a sword hidden by sheets of cloth.”
“The merchant’s head begins to pour blood.”

I grab everything in the carriage, put on the clothing, and leave. I leave the merchant to the horses and expect both a kick from them and his wound to finish the job.

Now looking like a completely different person I head again to the castle.

“You approach the castle. The guards at the front gate look at you for a bit before letting you in.”

I’m thankful the merchant was right and had clothing I could use.

Inside the castle I shop around for a bit, purchasing goods with my newfound money as well as looking for an inn for the night. I prompt the game for the sun’s position.

“You look at the sun and see that it is currently setting. Your surroundings are darkening.”

I end my shopping spree and choose what inn I want for the night. Paying the room fee I enter my room and rest there for the night.

“2 days, 12 hours”
“2 days, 11 hours”

I watched the game’s countdown, deciding to wake up only when 8 hours had passed.

“2 days, 5 hours”

7 hours in, the game notifies me of something.

“You wake up from a knock on your door.”

Getting out of bed, I grab my sword and ask “Who’s there?”

“Your only response is the door banging louder. You hear the sounds of armor shuddering outside along with the screams of the merchant you mercilessly stole from calling you a thief.”

My time dwindling, I inspect the room to see if there’s anything other than the door to use as an exit.

“Looking around, the only other way out of this building is the window.”
“The door is now violently being shaken open.”

I spend a bit more time thinking of any other possible solution to this conundrum when the following text box suddenly appears:

“The door swings open, an entourage of enraged guards on the other side.”

As quickly as possible I type out “jump through window.”

“As the guards start pouring into the room you jump through the window, shattering the glass and cutting your body up.”

Should’ve specified to open the window first.

“Falling to the ground the passersby take interest in you before noticing the sword you’re carrying, running away at the sight of an armed psychopath.”

I didn’t want the sands of time to force me to make a shoddy choice like last time. Getting up I run forward and turn the nearest corner in hopes of losing those guards.

“You get up from your pile of glass shards and blood. Sprinting forward, you find the closest corner near you and go there.”

I inspected the area.

“Amongst the merchants cowering in fear and the guards looking to put your head on a pike you notice a sewer that possibly leads out of the castle.”
“Blood continues flowing from cuts.”

I ignore the injuries and tell my character to go to the sewer.

No response.

I type out “go to sewer” again.

No response.

“go to sewer”

…

“go to sewer”

…

“go to sewer”

“Your limbs are too bruised and your body too exhausted to go any further.”
''The stench of death is near. You hear slow and steady footsteps creep up behind you.”

I tell the game that I ready my sword.

''The darkness of the sewer does not allow you to distinguish its form, but as you get closer your eyes can identify righteousness.''

An image shows up on the screen, showing the Judge.

“‘You're immoral Oliver’”

“‘You were given an opportunity to change your fate.’”

“‘Many men would kill for that.’”

“‘Yet you instead used that to spread havoc.’”

“‘Every time somebody tried to right this wrong you punished them for it.’”

“‘These vices have finally caught up with the man who bears them.’”

“‘All this effort put into sinning and what do you have to show for it?’”

“‘A bruised body.’”

“‘A broken body.’”

“‘A deserved body.’”

“‘You can't run anymore Oliver, even if you wanted to.’”

“‘Not from the merchant.’”

“‘Not from the guards.’”

“‘Not from justice.’”

“‘The Great Scribe has fixed his mistake, writing you a deserving fate.’”

“‘And though justice is blind, I know what has been written.’”

I attempted to slash him, the game instead telling me the following:

“You slash at nothing.”
“You hear metallic footsteps get closer to you. They’re following your blood trail.”

Not knowing what to do I wait for my next prompt.

“A group of guards surround you. All of them are wearing medieval armor and carry swords.”

Not having any choices left I threw my sword on the guard and surrendered.

“One of the knights charges up to you and hits you in the head with the hilt of his sword, knocking you out.”

'”2 days and 5 hours”

“2 days and 4 hours”

Two hours pass by and I get something that isn’t a countdown.

“'You have a bag over your head. You hear a crowd of people murmuring.”

“Someone forces you up.”

''Someone pulls the bag off your head.''

I get an image of the man about to kill me.

''You’re face-to-face with your executioner.”

“‘Any prayers before judged?’”

It took me a long time to write before, I tried to make a text lying that I am innocent but the text appeared.

I attempt to send through a plea.

“I didn’t steal from that merchant, I was just acting in self-defense. He initially was attacking me, he was the one that was trying to kill, not me. I picked up a rock because I had no other choice! What else was I supposed to do? Die? Why are you believing the word of a man who constantly lies, of a man who when given a second chance ruined it by destroying the lives of others! I am-”

I stop typing as the game sends another message.

''The executioner put the noose around your neck, he got tired of waiting for you.''
“A moderately well-dressed person with a handkerchief covering his mouth approaches you. Though his handkerchief protects him from the plague, that unfortunately doesn’t include you.”

“‘You have been found guilty of breaking the seventh commandment, “Thou shalt not steal,” the eighth commandment, “Thou shalt not lie,” and attempting to break the fifth,”Thou shalt not kill.”

‘“May God judge you.’”

I try to struggle.

“It would be vain.”
“The executioner pulls the lever.”
“You start choking.”
“Your vocal cords break.”
“Your neck starts to crack.”
“You gasp for air.”
“Your deadweight continues to push against the noose hanging you up.”
“You look into the audience, the only familiar face being The Judge.”
“Your neck finally snaps, everything going dark.”

“Except for him.”

The only thing I see on the screen now is his face.

“‘Your destiny…’”

“‘has always been to die…’”

“‘HANGED’”