PLATFORM ADVENTURE
Below the Root (Multi, 1984)
Subgenre: ​Quest Adventure/RPG hybrid (5 different playable chars with a few stats and starting positions, learn skills over the course of the game (heal, grunspreke, kiniport), NPC interaction, verb-based world interaction via a menu, item inventory)
Movement mechanics: Hover jumping, ​Can run by default but it's initiated by jumping
Other: Day/night cycle, Fatigue and hunger mechanics (days are divided into a few times of day such as early afternoon and you rest through one of these each time you rest - you also grow slightly more hungry each time), ​Flip screen (no scrolling), Violence (using the sword on people or animals/insects) makes you lose spirit levels and unable to use certain spirit skills
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Mostly linear structure (can get some items in any order in the first area, can explore but not finish the cave before getting the spirit bell and lamp+kiniporting)
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Towns with shops
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Some tools used for traversal ("shuba" garment for hover jumps - can break and be replaced, sword or scissors for thorny vines, lamps for the dark cave, ropes to create bridges across certain gaps - more like keys, spirit bell for finding hidden doors in the cave) and some movement related spirit skills/spells which are leveled up over the course of the game (telekinesis/kiniporting for moving items and same screen teleportation and "grunspreking" which is the ability to make tree branches grow to create temporary bridges across impassable gaps)
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Save anywhere on PC (five slots)
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No in-game map - the game comes with a partial one for the first area (doesn't name houses nor mark animals, NPCs or items), Some signs for directions
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Video tutorial (pick Sample Quest in the menu)
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Background doors
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Can check an NPC's current mood with Pense and when it's upgraded you can get helpful telepathic messages from NPCs with it (used to figure out what some NPCs want and if an NPC will try to kidnap you)
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Can drop items anywhere while outside and they also stay when moving indoors or between screens - doesn't work for honeylamps however
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Unlimited lives (restart back at your home) and can choose to restart back at your house at any point, Can get kidnapped while resting in someone's house - don't try it if you can't use pense on them first​
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One or more sequence breaks possible (hover jump to the temple tree past the locked gate to the west of it)
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Locked doors and keys
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Limited inventory (9 items)
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Can't steal items even if no one is there to see you
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Get knocked out for about 2 seconds from falling more than your own height
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Die/get KO'd immediately from falling into water
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Influenced by: The book, Adventure games, possibly Aztec, Hydrax (C64)
Influenced: Alice in Wonderland, possibly Knight Tyme, Spellbound, Everyone's A Wally, Dan Dare
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