1893: A World's Fair Mystery

A generous use of archival photographs makes up for the sparse demo of 1893: A World's Fair Mystery. The story line diverges from the usual text fare of dragons and wizards to explore the fictional theft of several diamonds at the historical World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893. Through helpful bracketed explanations, the demo teaches you how to move about in the game and interact with people and objects. The screen is divided into the text area, where you type in your commands and read the results, and the graphical area. Examining objects and buildings often causes a relevant picture to appear, such as a photo of the actual rotunda of the administration building. The mystery itself seems elementary, although retrieving the diamonds may be harder. The demo doesn't allow you to explore much of the fair, and you can't save your progress. Still, the attractive presentation and unique setting may compel fans of text adventures and mystery stories to try 1893: A World's Fair Mystery.