Savoir-Faire
One of the strengths of interactive fiction is that it is able to simulate a rich world, even one that has unusual physical and magical laws. In Savoir-Faire, the (usually cliché) elements of a treasure-hunt and a world suffused by magic are situated, unusually, in 18th-century France; a young man has come back to his childhood home to ask for a loan and has found it oddly abandoned. The special workings of Savoir-Faire's world open memories and unlock relationships between things, adding resonance to this intricate, difficult play of puzzles.
(Source: Electronic Literature Collection, Vol. 1).
To Begin ... Mac: Download and install Spatterlight if you do not already have a z-machine interpreter. Download Savoir.zip and open the resulting file Savoir.z8 in your interpreter. Windows: Download and install Gargoyle if you do not already have a z-machine interpreter. Download an unzip Savoir.zip and open the resulting file Savoir.z8 in your interpreter. Instructions: Type commands to the main character at the ">" prompt and press enter. Input can take the form of imperatives such as "look," "examine the pedestal," or "touch" followed by some object. Typing the names of directions, such as "north", "east," and "south," can move the character. Other possible verbs include "remember" followed by a topic to remember and "link" which links one object to a similar object. This last ability, the "link" command, reflects a magic power of the character and, as Savoir-Faire unfolds, more is revealed about how to use this power to solve puzzles and overcome problems in the piece. There are many other possibilities for interaction. Type "help" to learn more.
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