A Mind Forever Voyaging cover art

A Mind Forever Voyaging

Infocom's literary text adventure where a sentient computer explores simulated futures of a decaying America.

Here's the argument for where this game sits - disagree freely.
Match your experience?
EXECUTION0 /10READS0 /10VARIANCE3 /10OPTIMIZATION4 /10

the cheat-test profile

The four axes - the argument

Each axis is rated on its own - how far one cheat would trivialize the game here. They don't trade off; low on all four means the game is an experience, not a contest.

  1. Execution

    cheat: Aimbot - perfect inputs

    0/10

    Typing commands; no physical ceiling.

  2. Reads

    cheat: Out-predict an adaptive opponent

    0/10

    Simulated futures are authored, not adaptive.

  3. Variance

    cheat: See what's hidden / map the RNG

    3/10

    Discovery-driven; futures hide their decay until observed.

  4. Optimization

    cheat: A perfect solver / coach

    4/10

    Light puzzle load; recording the right scenes is solvable.

How to read this

Each axis is named by the cheat that would break the game along it. Execution is the hands. Reads is out-thinking an adaptive opponent. Variance is hidden information & RNG. Optimization is the solvable systems layer. A game's region is the top one or two axes.

These four aren't one rating split four ways - they're independent 0-10 questions. A 9 on one axis takes nothing from the others, and a game low on all four isn't missing data: it's telling you there's no skill here to cheat.

The basis is how the majority actually plays this game - not a niche mode or a personal run. For a game with very different modes (a story campaign versus ranked multiplayer), that's the version most people mean.

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Game details

Released
1985
Developer
Infocom
Platforms
C64, Atari-ST, Mac, DOS, Amiga, Apple][
Modes
Single player
IGDB users
78/100
AdventureScience fiction