Sherlock - The Riddle of the Crown Jewels

Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels is an interactive fiction game designed by Bob Bates of Challenge, Inc. and published by Infocom in 1988 as the first title in their "Immortal Legends" series. The game is set in 1887, just 48 hours before Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. The Crown Jewels have been stolen from the Tower of London, and Scotland Yard is baffled. Sherlock Holmes suspects his arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty, but fearing a trap, he delegates the investigation to his trusted companion, Dr. Watson — whom you control. You travel through a detailed recreation of Victorian London, hailing hansom cabs, exploring locations like Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square, and solving poetic clues left by Moriarty. The game features a real-time clock: you have exactly 48 in-game hours to recover the jewels.

DOS

Released in December 1987 for MS-DOS, a month before the Commodore 64 version . The DOS version supports CGA and EGA graphics, though the game remains primarily text-based with a standard Infocom layout: status bar at the top, scrolling text descriptions below . Movement around London is achieved by walking or taking hansom cabs; the latter can be unreliable if you don't know what you're doing . The game uses the Z-machine Z5 format, which was larger than earlier Infocom titles. A copy of the fictitious London Thames newspaper and a detailed map of London are included as "feelies" . While the prose and atmosphere are praised, critics note that some room descriptions omit possible exits, forcing trial-and-error exploration . Occasional anachronisms — such as a sign reading "HAVE A NICE DAY" — break immersion, but the game remains an above-average adventure . Sold over 20,000 copies across all platforms during 1987-1988 .