Jigsaw (video game)

Jigsaw is an interactive fiction (IF) game,^[b][c] written by Graham Nelson in 1995.^[d]

Jigsaw
Jigsaw (online version)[a]
Developer(s)	Graham Nelson
Publisher(s)	Self published
Designer(s)	Graham Nelson
Programmer(s)	Graham Nelson
Engine	Z-machine
Platform(s)	Z-machine for PCs, plus later[when?] browser[a]
Release	1995
Genre(s)	time-travel romance,[1] Interactive Fiction, Adventure
Mode(s)	Single player

The game begins on New Year's Eve of 1999, with the player discovering a time machine enabling them to travel throughout the twentieth century (including voyage of the Titanic, discovery of penicillin, codebreaking of the enigma machine during World War II,^[1] opening of the Suez Canal, and the recording of Abbey Road) to ensure history unfolds 'correctly' despite the activities of 'Black', a character who starts out as an antagonist but becomes the player's love interest. 'Black' has no explicitly stated gender, allowing players to choose that for themselves.^[2]

Jigsaw contains references to other interactive fiction games, including Trinity.^[e] Features of the game include attention to detail,^[f] and a romantic relationship between the player's character and another central character whose gender is never revealed^[2] (allowing the player to project the gender of their choice onto both).

Jigsaw has been described as "acclaimed,"^[3] "epic...notable,"^[1] and as "[perhaps] one of the most fun educational games in existence".^[2] The gameplay is challenging.^[2][d]

See also

• Carmen Sandiego^[2] (1985+ educational videogame series)
• Trinity (video game) (1986 game by Infocom that is referenced^[e] in Jigsaw)
• Curses (video game) (1993 game by Nelson which has some linkage^[vague] to Jigsaw)
• Forrest Gump^[2] (1994 movie where the protagonist appears at the scene of many major historical events)

Notes

1. "Jigsaw"an online version of the game which can be played in a web browser{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
2. Laurel Halbany. "XYZZYnews Game Reviews: Jigsaw, release 1". Archived from the original on 2013-07-18. Retrieved 2015-07-13.
3. Christopher E. Forman (February 5, 1996). "Society for the Promotion of Adventure Games: Game Reviews -- Jigsaw".
4. "The Interactive Fiction Database: Jigsaw by Graham Nelson". Forgiveness Rating: Cruel
5. Nelson, Graham. "On Jigsaw and 'I'". XYZZY News. Eileen Mullin. Archived from the original on 2008-05-24. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
6. Paul O'Brian (November 2002). "THE TEMPEST by Graham Nelson as William Shakespeare". Archived from the original on 2008-06-08. Retrieved 2015-07-13. ...attention to scholarly detail [in Nelson's 1997 interactive fiction videogame The Tempest] recalls some of the finer moments of Nelson's epics, especially Jigsaw.