Inner Worlds

The protagonist is a female werewolf able to transform between human and wolf forms at will so long has enough mana has been collected. While this is an action side-view platformer game there are enough RPG elements to make this game mainly of the RPG genre. The main character can increase in ability as she progresses in the game. The game appears at first to have a linear design but exploration of the levels will reveal a complex map layout, some levels can be skipped, and completed or skipped levels can be relocated and played again. Certain areas are only accessible via one form or the other. The game has an inventory for various weapons, keys, scrolls, and potions. Normal weapons can be enchanted. Collecting amulets allows for increases in maximum mana or maximum health. Defeating certain enemies grants new abilities.

Was developed and compiled on Linux. It was cross compiled for DOS and Windows. The Linux version is actually hidden on the full version CD-ROMs of the Windows and DOS versions. It is also 299 files rather than a monolithic executable (like the DOS and Winders versions were)

The DOS version comes in a shareware package consisting of the 1st of 3 episodes. This is not the case with the Linux version and never was. The Linux version only exists (for the public) on the CD-ROMs of the DOS or Windows versions and includes all three episodes. While the full DOS version was made available for download from Sleepless, Inc's website, the Linux and Windows versions were not and are not. They are freely redistributable "whereever you can get it", as stated by Sleepless. As of 2017, it is available on the Internet as file iw12-linux.tgz. And at the Internet Archive.

The CD-ROM version is known to have been published in the USA and France. There are very likely other places and languages as well.

Inner Worlds was the first proprietary and commercial game developed on Linux. Also the first Linux that you could actually buy on store shelves despite the product being hidden on the disk. It was preceded by Doom which required downloading the Linux version after purchase. Succeeded by Civilization: Call to Power published by Loki Entertainment; the first Linux game on store shelves that was not packaged in a product for another operating system.

zerothis # 2014-05-05 22:18:59

software: C++ programming language, Custom,

hardware: 486DX CPU, Keyboard,

display: raster

ported to
Inner Worlds (MS-DOS)

similar to
Heroes of the Lance (MS-DOS)

version of
Inner Worlds (Windows)