Contraption Zack
| Contraption Zack | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Presage Software[1] |
| Publisher(s) | Mindscape |
| Platform(s) | MS-DOS,[1] Amiga[1] |
| Release | 1992: MS-DOS 1993: Amiga |
Contraption Zack is a video game from California-based[2] developer Presage Software. It was published by Mindscape for MS-DOS in 1992, then the Amiga in 1993. The game involves the player, as Zack, fixing broken machines.[3][4][5]
Gameplay
Contraption Zack casts the player as a rookie repairman at Gadgetco, thrust into chaos on the player's very first day. With tools mysteriously "borrowed" and malfunctions rampant, the player's mission is to outwit the workplace and assert control. The game unfolds across a sprawling six-level, 60-room maze, but navigation alone will not suffice—each room presents a logical puzzle that demands careful sequencing and deduction. No special gear is needed; instead, the player must decipher interactions like buttons that raise or lower colored cones, crafting solutions from deceptively simple mechanics. The modular structure lets the player tackle puzzles one at a time, saving progress between breakthroughs.[6]
Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Aktueller Software Markt | 8/12[7] |
| Computer Game Review | 87%[3] |
| PC Joker | 66%[8] |
| PC Player | 63%[9] |
| Power Play | 59%[10] |
PC World said "Contraption Zack is highly appealing, particularly for short coffee breaks".[6]
References
- ^ a b c "Presage Products - Contraption Zack". Presage Software. Archived from the original on June 14, 1997. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ "Overview". Presage Software. Archived from the original on June 14, 1997. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
- ^ a b "Contraption Zack". Computer Game Review. January 1993. p. 64. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ Lynch, Dennis (April 30, 1993). "Brain Busters". Chicago Tribune. p. 146. Archived from the original on May 12, 2025. Retrieved May 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Schwabach, Bob (March 29, 1993). "DOS serves as Boss". Indian River Press Journal. p. 21. Archived from the original on May 12, 2025. Retrieved May 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Goodwin, Michael (June 1993). "Underground, in a maze, and on the green". PC World. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2025 – via Gale Research.
- ^ "Contraptions". Aktueller Software Markt (in German). March 1993. p. 25. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ "Contraptions". PC Joker (in German). February 1993. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ "Contraptions". PC Player (in German). March 1993. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ "Contraptions". Power Play (magazine) (in German). February 1993. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2025.