Voices of Spoon River
Design Document
INST 7870
Dr. Brett Shelton
Authors
Jared Bernotski, Tom Caswell, Jon Scoresby, Tim Stowell
Table of Contents
Problem Statement and Learning Objectives .................................................................... 1
Existing Approaches .......................................................................................................... 2
Existing SRA Instruction.......................................................................................................... 2
How existing approaches informed our work ........................................................................ 3
How existing approaches are lacking ...................................................................................... 4
Design Principles/Rationale .............................................................................................. 4
Design ................................................................................................................................. 6
Constraints................................................................................................................................. 6
Design Process ........................................................................................................................... 7
Description of Game’s Key Features ..................................................................................... 10
Breakdown of Game Clusters ................................................................................................ 11
Within the game, we created Elsa and Thomas Greene’s house. Both Elsa and Thomas
appear as NPC’s. Thomas appears and bars the player from progressing along the path:
................................................................................................................................................... 14
Scenarios for use of game................................................................................................ 16
Evaluation ........................................................................................................................ 16
Future Directions ............................................................................................................. 16
Conclusion........................................................................................................................ 17
References ........................................................................................................................ 19
Appendix A ....................................................................................................................... 20
Screenshot of game.................................................................................................................. 20
Appendix B .............................................................................................................................. 21
The Map ................................................................................................................................... 21
Appendix C .............................................................................................................................. 22
Approaches and content we considered but did not incorporate ....................................... 22
Appendix D .............................................................................................................................. 26
Timeline, including snippets of code...................................................................................... 26
Appendix E ....................................................................................................................... 28
Appendix H....................................................................................................................... 37
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Voices of Spoon River Design Document
Participants
Jared Bernotski, Tom Caswell, Jon Scoresby, and Tim Stowell
Problem Statement and Learning Objectives
Problem Statement
9th grade English students often struggle to comprehend literature. An
additional related issue is that some students lack interest in learning poetry. With
this in mind, how is it possible to make a particular text come to life and become
meaningful, such as Edgar Lee Masters’ classic work, Spoon River Anthology, so
that it teaches and delights a 9th grade English class?
Learning Objectives

Our overarching instructional objective is reading comprehension. This
comprehension will be demonstrated as players find relationships between
characters through reading epitaphs. Selected epitaphs present particular
issues that affect the epitaph’s speaker as well as other objects and
individuals within Spoon River. Resolving each issue is the basis for the
game, which requires close reading, interpretation, and application of
Masters’ epitaphs within the game context. Various objects and characters
mentioned in the epitaphs take tangible form within the game. Players can
talk to ghosts, examine, take, and move objects, but always with game
play progressing based on reading comprehension.
Here are the secondary learning objectives:
o Students will learn problem solving that goes beyond the obvious. The
first answer to a puzzle may or may not be the solution within the
game. However, if an answer is not obvious, a hint system will provide
clues, arranged from less directive to more revealing, that provide justin-time instructional scaffolding.
o Students will learn spatial reasoning to orient themselves in this
environment. Unlike with Masters’ book, turning pages is not enough
to get from one epitaph to the next. By typing directional commands,
students must be able to find their way from epitaph A to location B
and so forth. To achieve this goal, students will need to create mental
images and formulate a mental map. If students actually draw out a
map, that would be an added bonus. However, if needed, we have
provided a map in supporting help materials.
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o Players will recognize underlying patterns in the game (Koster, 2005).
They will learn commands to navigate and operate in the game
structure that work consistently. Also, objects in the game will work in
a consistent manner.
o Players will learn to recognize symbolic objects within the game.
From reading the epitaphs, we have taken described objects and given
them tangible form within the game. This makes the symbol
something that students can grab onto and use to resolve issues.
o The game will provide opportunity for reflection. Players will be
presented with problems that need solutions and questions within the
hint system. The pacing naturally available within a text adventure
also promotes the reflection required to resolve issues in the game.
Existing Approaches
Existing SRA Instruction
In advocating this approach, we have first examined existing methodologies to
show a need for this text adventure and consider its relationship to existing teaching
materials. An online search through 9th grade teacher recommendations revealed an
approach called Live Gigs where students and other actors perform poetry on stage.
Through memorization and presentation of poetry, Gillian Clarke (2005) believes that
this approach helps students “make the ‘story’ their own and the language new”.
Similarly, he writes how such students:
“listen quietly to the poems, some of them tough texts, many, on the face of it, far
from their own experience: poems set in history, in myth, in landscapes far from
the towns and cities where most of them live. But they recognize love, birth and
death wherever it happens. They know relationships. The heart is touched, and the
world opens. So poets were teenagers too, once! Suddenly they’re talking to us,
writing to us. It’s that connection which can free them to read, listen, think, write,
get the best grades they can.”
Here, Clarke discusses certain areas that students of this age identify with, such as
relationships, love, birth, and death. Live Gigs provides one method to get students to
connect to the human emotions and needs inherent in poetry.
With the Spoon River Anthology, Masters has created a very human drama. It first
appeared in print serials beginning in 1915, sort of like an early version of TV episodes.
It was only later collected into the 244 epitaphs now available in print. However, this
poetry collection has enjoyed enduring popularity especially based on its human and
narrative elements. It has been called a “national treasure” (Horton, 1996). Such
appreciation for the work led Charles Aidman to develop a play with 70 of these epitaphs
set to music. This play, written in 1963, is still frequently performed in high school and
community productions.
However, in our research we could not find a computer-based adaptation of
Masters’ work. Such an adaptation could be particularly useful in teaching our planned
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learning objectives. Students could not only watch the text being performed, as in a
theater production or Live Gig, but be able to interact with the text. A teacher’s guide to
helping students with homework put out by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of
Educational Research and Improvement discusses how part of the problem stems from
competing “with Nintendo” (Paulu, 2003). As with homework, a similar struggle to
compete with video games could also cause a problem in classroom learning. In other
words, we advocate that since students at this age have a definite interest in video games,
an instructionally relevant game could potentially help overcome the motivational
difficulties mentioned previously. To meet students on their level, therefore, we have
designed a text adventure game. This activity, like poetry, provides a text-based
environment. We would not recommend that a classic text be turned into an XBox, firstperson shooter. However, the game-like elements within our text adventure are designed
to better pique students’ interest than traditional formats. Since play fills a fundamental
human need, our game-like elements, such as scoring, challenge, and puzzles provide a
framework to facilitate play and, since aligned with instructional objectives, learning
through play. As lion cubs learn to hunt and survive through play, play for humans
fulfills a similar basic survival, as well as enjoyment need (Crawford, 1997).
Another problem for students to connect with the story within the Spoon River
Anthology is that Masters’ work does not provide explicit, intertextual connections.
However, as with any real world small town, there are many links between characters.
Making diagrams with such connections between this body of hundreds of individuals in
Spoon River is not something that Masters attempted. In searching online, however, a
high school class has built a searchable database that provides background for Spoon
River characters. As this example illustrates, Masters’ text by itself may not be enough to
make connections between characters or to literary devices easily apparent, especially for
a high school audience.
How existing approaches informed our work
The emotional link students found through Clark’s approach of Live Gigs has
similarly informed our game. We have given characters within the game believable
emotions and storylines. To provide one example, Jack McGuire shot the Town Marshal
in a drunken rage, after which he spent 14 years in prison and learned to read and write.
The words which Jack’s ghost speaks in the game provide an emotional drama that make
his situation easier to relate to:
“I didn't always make the right choices. I loitered in bars tipping my jug till I
couldn't see straight. The saloon was my prison before I was put behind bars. One
fatal night, I killed the Town Marshal in a drunken rage. Later, in jail, they
wouldn't give me liquor, so I broke my drinking habit. I spent my time learning to
read and write instead.
Oh how I wish the Town Marshal could know that I changed! If only I could lay
my learning and my empty jug in front of him. But, alas, all that’s left of him is
his grave.”
While this text adventure game does not introduce live performances, it hopes to achieve
the same goal as Live Gigs of having poets speak more directly to high school-aged
readers. Our game brings love, birth, and death from Masters’ poetic pages. To solve
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puzzles, readers must analyze character motivations. This sort of exercise is in keeping
with Masters’ story-like structure. He has created a fictional town and given characters
relationships to each other within this environment. As such, players within the game can
talk to characters and receive additional explanations about their motivation. These
explanations serve as clues to help players on their detective journey to resolve issues and
mysteries.
How existing approaches are lacking
Many existing approaches to teaching classic texts do not tap into technology. As
has been mentioned, teachers already have a problem competing with Nintendo.
However, Fromme (2004) mentions that video games are young people playing video
games more often than any other form of modern media. Terdiman (2004) similarly
writes that playing video games can help youth be better students. Since video games
appeal to so many people, young and old, The Royal Shakespearean Company has been
collaborating with a group at MIT to produce a game called Prospero’s Island. Squire and
Jenkins write about this game: “Prospero’s Island is a space of dreams and magic, and
students are encouraged to decipher symbols, manipulate language, and uncover secrets
(in short, to perform literary analysis)” (2003). In a similar manner, Voices of Spoon
River, is programmed to require students to read sections from Masters’ text. It would not
be possible to solve puzzles within our game without understanding character
motivations and issues revealed in their epitaphs.
Online, the most frequent materials relating to online texts are not very
interactive. For example, http://www.bartleby.com provides a searchable database of
classic texts. However, it provides no explanation or footnotes for the poems. Since
relationships between characters are not clear to high school students, a high school
English class has put together a searchable database based on the Spoon River Anthology:
http://filemaker3.mcps.k12.md.us/spoonriver/FMPro?-db=spoonriver.FP5&lay=Layout%20%231&-format=search.htm&-view. This database does not represent the
whole text, but students appear to have written the explanations behind each character
and made connections to other characters within the poem. While this database is a useful
tool, it is only searchable and not very interactive. We feel that students may learn better
in a game format.
Design Principles/Rationale
Audience
9th grade English students and teachers of those students are our principle
audience. The younger group’s interest in video games and their reading level have
guided our work. This meant that Jared had to limit his vocabulary, puns, and keep it
clean. For example, Jared had written if players tried to open a drawer in the prison desk
with one of the keys, “You could drop your own drawers, but this lock is stripped.”
Understanding our audience required some revisions to tone it down and simplify.
Another example referred to Dante. Dante is mentioned in Lucius Atherton’s epitaph,
where he says that:
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There is a mighty shade here who sings
Of one named Beatrice;
And I see now that the force that made him great
Drove me to the dregs of life.
A student in the online database previously mentioned did not catch that Beatrice comes
from Dante’s poetry. They wrote, “It the end of his poem he says that there was a person
named Beatrice, and he says that the thing that made Beatrice great was the same thing
that drove Atherton to the dregs of life.” After debating this topic among group members
and consulting with Jon’s wife, who is a 9th grade English teacher, we decided not to
include this epitaph and not to explain the complexities surrounding Dante. Such a
decision was guided by the desire to keep materials at a 9th grade level.
Instructional Theories
In terms of relevant theories, we draw on Koster’s use of pattern recognition as an
essential part of video games. Within the Voices of Spoon River game, keys are used
consistently as “red herrings.” While unexpected at first, this pattern promotes reflection
and problem solving since keys normally open doors. Cluster 1 originally had two keys in
the prison that opened things. We ended up changing that so these are red herrings. The
justification for doing that is to be consistent with the pattern from the other team. Also,
we did this to promote reflection, that things need to be examined and considered.
Shooting the cell door locks with a shotgun opens doors in the prison. Similarly,
elsewhere other items besides keys open things. From this pattern, students should learn a
sublevel objective that the first thought may not always be the best answer. In this
context, keys are used in a consistently ironic fashion. An additional an easter egg section
of the graveyard can only be opened through throwing keys in the river. Such an action
would not happen in the real world. Nevertheless, in the game context, keys not opening
doors is a consistent pattern. Players may not realize that they should throw the keys in
the river until they reach the end of the game and receive this direction from Masters’
ghost.
In addition, the game uses a scoring system that is consistent with learning
objectives. Bernstein (2001) writes that scoring helps make games more appealing. While
this is not an arcade game, scoring serves a similar role within the game. As the right
objects are collected or the correct actions performed, players receive points. This serves
as a clue that the player is on the right track and as a motivation to do new things, so as to
earn more points. However, the 8 issue countdown is the most important key to guide
game play. Having a decreasing score could be seen as slightly unusual. However, this
countdown gives players a benchmark to know where they stand within the game. Once
the number zero has been reached, the game has been won unless players continue with
the easter egg.
Also, we have considered Dr. Brett Shelton’s (2006) game criteria of proclivity,
challenge, and uncertainty. Proclivity is addressed through the game itself. Players of this
age group especially feel a strong proclivity towards video game play. Our game draws
on this proclivity and connects it to a classic text. In terms of challenge, solving character
issues, the text adventure environment, the potential need to draw a map, and the size and
scope of the game add to its challenge and uncertainty. Players are given some directions
6
through examining objects and talking to characters. However, uncertainty remains until
the last issue is resolved. Basically, the whole environment is based on uncertainty.
Objects and locations are only found through exploration and examination. It even
continues beyond resolving the last issue since there are two hidden easter eggs.
To add to this sense of challenge and uncertainty, Elsa’s cluster can be solved in
two different ways. You can put Hamilton’s photo next to her photo in Elsa’s house. Or
you could take her photo and put her next to Hamilton in the Greene house. This gives
more possibilities as far as solving the puzzle. It also could add to replayability, since
players could find one solution and return to play again and implement another solution.
Also, Jack McGuire’s issue can be resolved through dropping the jug and journal on the
Town Marshal’s grave. However, more points can be earned if the player breaks the jug
with the Prohibition loaded cane. Breaking the jug this way also points to our sublevel
objective of symbol recognition. Jack’s drinking habit was broken in prison. However,
the jug still remains, and Jack wants this jug to be broken in front of the Town Marshal’s
grave. Through this symbolic mechanism, the player should understand Masters’ poetic
meanings on a deeper level.
Another common element in games, according to Crawford (1997), is nose
thumbing. In Voices of Spoon River, you can spit on things, and resolving Judge Somers’
second issue requires burning his photo. Players can also hit anything with the cane, but it
tells you that violence is not the answer. Thus, players are sometimes allowed to destroy
things which they probably normally would not destroy in the real world. However, such
actions are channeled to capitalize understanding of desires expressed in the epitaphs.
Violence really is not the answer to using the cane except when symbolically breaking
Jack’s jug. Similarly, Judge Somers talks about not having the memorial he deserves. He
has no tombstone, and Penniwit caught him cross-eyed. Therefore, burning the photo in
this context is not a simple nose-thumbing destructive act, but is crucial to understanding
both Somers and Penniwit’s epitaphs.
Another relevant game theory from Grodal (2003) is that video games are
couched in a context of higher order goals but have lower order processes along the way.
In our game, the higher order goal is saving the ghosts from their issues. However,
achieving this goal takes the player through a series of lower order processes, including
examining and taking various objects. Another higher order goal according to the Agency
(2001) study is putting the learning objectives within an interesting story context. Ideally,
the learning objectives will become transparent. These objectives are not explicitly listed
within the game. The goal would be to have students learn without realizing that they are
progressing through an educational module.
Design
Constraints
Our main design constraints were the nature of the text adventure environment,
time limitations, and staying true to Masters’ text. Inform comes with a limited
vocabulary of commands. However, we were given that operating environment as a class
assignment. At times, we extended and replaced verbs (and wrote functions) to modify
these commands. However, even still, Inform provided a limiting setting within which to
7
program. At best, though, we hope that commands will become intuitive once players
have consulted the Readme or hints and become familiar with the environment.
Also, this was only a one semester class and class members had conflicting
schedules. We had to work around each other’s schedules and limit scope keep. This
helped us finish the project, though it still required some late nights of work. Also, this
meant modifying some originally envisioned ideas. For example, we decided to change
one of our originally planned clusters since it included so many characters. Quite a bit of
work had been done on this cluster, but it actually ended up being less work to change
plans (See Appendix C). Also, we think that the change in plans makes our game tighter,
more meaningful, and more understandable.
Design Process
Our design process began with research, proceeded to identifying needs,
continued to creating a problem statement, and then went to content gathering:
Identify Needs, Create Problem Statement and Objectives
All of us had experienced some struggles understanding poetry, especially during
our younger school years; certainly we could remember other students who had. We
identified this understanding as a need, along with motivation since understanding poetry
is not an easy task. This thought process, along with teacher recommendations, led us to
consider student reading comprehension as our overarching objective. We created related
sublevel objectives.
Gather Content
From the 246 epitaphs in Masters’ original work, we selected 5 to base the game
on. We could have chosen a larger number. However, we wanted students to have a
limited scope where they would be required to read closely. To make our choices, we
found relationships that sounded meaningful. Also, we searched for ones that had a
limited number of characters involved. Many epitaphs listed an issue that did not connect
to any other characters within Spoon River. Based on this process, we distilled our
choices down to the four clusters within the game. We also chose a variety of issues,
from insecurity to drunkenness, to unjust treatment, to hidden marital infidelity and child
birth.
Sketch Design Concept/Map of Game
To help us in game construction, we sketched a map in a program called CMap.
This map not only helped us keep things straight, we will include along with the Readme
document to give to potential players (See Appendix B)
Create Design Goals
We sought to make issues within the game solvable, give life to the story and to
the characters. We wanted to help players connect with those characters in a new way
beyond just reading the published book version of the text.
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Develop basic product
We played other text adventure games, such as Adverbum and Blue Chairs. Then,
we went through some examples from the Inform Manual and an online Alice tutorial.
The first assignment was to create two rooms and connect them. This started us on the
coding process which became increasingly more involved. Some ideas for the game
developed in the middle of coding. Others were conceived first and coded later. In initial
designs, we had planned to make Jack McGuire’s paper go inside the jug. However, later
on, we felt that this was probably unrealistic. The most important paper had evolved into
being a journal, which would have been bound and hardback. If we had forced such a
journal to fit into the jug, it could have provoked shock which would have taken the
player out of the game’s flow (McMahan, 2003). Another modification happened due to
reading the epitaphs more closely. At first, we had a saloon and had added various
objects within the saloon to make it seem more realistic. However, the Town Marshal
mentions that the Prohibitionists had hired him when saloons were outlawed. With this in
mind, we closed down the saloon to keep it consistent with Masters’ text.
Listing all the code and parser modifications would take many pages. However, to
include just one example, we hacked the scoring system to include issues and to position
it to fit inside the bar. (See Appendix A) Such hacking happened to guide learners
through the instruction. Again, a study from Agency (2001) argues that students need to
be reminded of objectives, or they will very likely forget. The hacked scoring system
fulfills this purpose. Also, we decided to build our own header file so as not completely
rework existing parser functions. This SRA.h adds to built in Inform features to include
the functionalities we needed, such as various classes to make coding easier and our own
functions.
For example, if you tried to hang a photograph on a nail, it caused an infinite loop
since we had a supporter on a supporter. This was something build into Inform. To get
around this problem, we changed a section in the parser within SRA.h to make nails be
considered like a wall:
[ BeforeParsing flag;
for (wn = 1 ::)
switch(NextWordStopped())
{
'nail': if (flag == true) parse-->(wn*2-3) = 'wall';
'nails': if (flag == true) parse-->(wn*2-3) = 'wall';
'put': flag = true;
'hang': flag = true;
-1: return;
}
];
This code shows how the nail, once put or hang a photo on the nail, gets turned into the
wall.
Similarly, to have more control over the matches, we found some code and
adapted it from a Google Inform group. Unlike the original parser created matches, this
code allows the matches to burn for a limited number of moves (10 in this case).
9
Unfortunately, the matches are currently having a few crash and burn problems, but this
will be fixed in future releases.
We also created the verb, “spit” so that the parser would recognize it. We
extended verbs to give the player more realistic action options. For example, instead of
just push stone, the game now requires that this headstone be pushed into something. To
do this, we extended and modified the verb “push” to be able to push directions, into,
onto; all of which functionality creates a richer, more believable world. According to
McMahan (2003), presence depends on how well a player can interact with and
manipulate an environment. We want players to have an uninterrupted sense of presence
in the game, and such extensions promote this presence sense.
The following code shows how this push verb was extended:
Extend only 'push' 'move' first
* noun
-> Push
* noun 'in'/'into'/'to' noun
-> Push
* noun 'over'
-> empty
* noun 'to'/'the' noun=ADirection
-> PushDir;
Verb 'spit'
* ->spit
* 'in'/'on' noun
-> spit;
We used a similar process to extend or replace other verbs when needed.
Another problem with Inform occurred, when pushing the wheelbarrow into a
new room since the system would not return the desired response. The wheelbarrow
would only show up when the player types, “look.” We have grappled with that for
several hours. Under the Future directions section, another proposed solution to that
problem will be covered.
An additional issue was getting strings to capitalize. Dictionary words are not
capitalized by default. We tried to use possessive apostrophes but ended up just
rearranging the sentence so it said The ghost of Judge Somers instead of Judge Somers’
ghost. This capitalization seemed important, especially since we are distributing this
game to English teachers.
Beyond these issues, we coded some functions based on conscious design
decisions. With the case of the gravesite, the name is not revealed until the epitaph has
been read. Similarly, it is necessary to talk to the ghost before being able to refer to the
ghost by name. This was a design decision to force them to talk to the ghost. Both these
examples make players read the text and enter examine commands in order to learn
needed information. Such a goal aligns with our instructional objectives of reading
comprehension and encourages reflection.
Focus back to instructional objectives
As we have proceeded through the code, we have kept focusing back to the
overarching learning objective of reading comprehension. For example, Jack McGuire’s
gravestone begins with red “Prohibited from Rest” sprayed on. Once this issue has been
resolved, however, we have changed it so that it reads, “Now at Rest.” This change forms
another way to show players their progress within the game.
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Other directive examples would be Judge Somers, once one issue is resolved, and
Elsa providing direction when players do something incorrect. Somers indicates that:
“You have solved one issue. However, because of Penniwitt, there’s still
something in Spoon River that makes me look undignified.” This forces the
player to need to read Penniwitt’s epitaph. Such a connection, leads players to
understand the relationship between Penniwitt and Judge Somers.
Another example of this relationship finding objective is finding out that
Hamilton is Elsa’s son. Elsa reveals this explicitly in her epitaph. However, if
players had not read that epitaph, they could find clues in her house, such as the
scrapbook in the hope chest. Also, players receive guidance when needed. If they
try to put the wrong photo on the wall, Elsa’s voice whispers, “Where is my son?
His photograph must go on this wall!” Similarly, if Hamilton’s photo is placed on
the wall without Elsa’s, she says, “My son Hamilton is on my wall at last, but
where am I?”
Such feedback throughout the game serves to guide the player towards properly resolving
issues.
Description of Game’s Key Features
Scoring system
Players receive points as they take or do something with objects related to
resolving an issue. Taking an object related to an issue yields 1 point. Also, carrying out a
needed action, like shooting the lock off prison cell doors, yields 3 points. Then, when a
player performs the appropriate task with needed items and thereby resolves a character’s
issue, they receive 5 points. Each time this happens, an issue, listed in the top right hand
corner, also goes down by one. The idea is to keep playing till all issues are solved, the
player’s score has gone up as high as possible, and the issues number reaches zero.
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Hint system
Within the game, puzzles are designed to be logical and based on the epitaphs
from Spoon River Anthology. However, if clues from examining found objects and
locations are not enough, a hint system has also been included to provide additional
support. It also asks questions to encourage player reflection. It is divided into 3
sublevels:
1) Epitaphs: In this section, players may review epitaphs without returning to
read them within the cemetery.
2) Am I at peace? As this section is selected, players can find increasingly more
revealing clues about a certain character’s issue.
3) Objects: For every issue, the hint system includes a list of relevant objects.
Such hints reveal where objects may be found, as well as what objects should
be used for. Again, this is done from less to more revealing.
We created a standards document between the two teams to make later integration easier
(See Appendix F). For example, one group design decision was that the statue of Edgar
Lee Masters would be where learners would go for help.
Game-like elements versus opportunities for reflection
As mentioned previously, playing games is a fundamental human need (Crawford,
1997). However, learning is the main goal and learning typically requires effort and
reflection. In the hint system, it not only reveals clues but also asks reflective questions,
such as “What does the jug show about Jack McGuire?” Such a question provides some
direction question but also furthers critical thinking skills.
Breakdown of Game Clusters
Cluster 1
We followed a timeline for developing this project (See Appendix D). For each
cluster, we created a matrix that breaks down characters, artifact locations, artifacts, the
resolution, related activities, and learning objectives related to the activity. This matrix
for Cluster 1 is as follows:
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Characters
Artifact
Locations
Artifacts
Identify
Resolution
Jack
McGuire
Jack's
tombstone
Jug
To show
that Jack
sobered up
and learned
to read and
write.
The Town
Marshall
Marshal's
tombstone
saloon
ledger
keys
Related
Activity
Learning
Objectives
Related to
Activity
Place Jack’s Reading
journal and comprehension
empty jug
on the
Marshal's
grave.
prison
shotgun
saloon
Jack’s jail
journal &
books
cane
(artifact for
bonus
solution)
Broken jug
= broken
drinking
habit
For bonus
points break
jug on top
of grave
also.
Jack’s jail
journal =
Jack learned
to read and
write in jail
Cane =
helps "break
the habit"
(represents
the law)
Within that cluster, we decided that Jack would be the person who needed an issue
resolved. The poem reveals that he was drunk on a certain evening and killed the Town
Marshal. Then, he spent the next 14 years in prison, where he learned to read and write.
The Town Marshal’s epitaph similarly reveals that 14 years was deemed enough for him
to be in prison. However, no mention of any sort of reconciliation happens within these
epitaphs. Many of Masters’ epitaphs serve as opportunities for the characters to reflect
about their issues that were unresolved in life. With this in mind, we decided to make
issue resolution the basis for the game.
In Jack’s case, we took some symbolic objects mentioned in the epitaphs and built
the story around these objects. These included the broken jug, journal, and loaded cane.
Each of these objects fills a symbolic role in the game. To resolve this issue, a player
must drop the jug and the journal at the Town Marshal’s grave.
As the chart above reveals, we refined this concept a bit during development. At
first there was going to be a paper and pencil. We decided that a journal with page 14 as
the most important page to find clues would again symbolically point to Jack’s
reformation during 14 years in prison. To resolve the issue, a player must remember the
jug and loaded cane mentioned in Jack and the Town Marshal’s epitaphs. In addition,
they must find the journal, which is ironically hidden beneath a writing book and Crime
13
and Punishment. These objects serve to point students to the importance of their own
writing, as well as reading other additional works of literature beyond the Spoon River
Anthology.
Cluster 2
Cluster 2 centers around Judge Somers and Chase Henry. Judge Somers was
known as an articulate speaker and expert in his profession. He knew “Blackstone and
Coke by heart,” but when he died, he had no headstone in his memory. In contrast, Chase
Henry got an ornate tombstone by a Protestant church:
Characters
Artifact
Locations
Artifacts
Identify
Resolution
Related
Activity
Judge Somers
Penniwit (not
yet included)
Chase Henry
Graveyard,
Church ->
small grave
yard,
photo lab (not
yet included)
Courthouse
mason shop
camera with
film in it, (not
yet
implemented)
Marble slab
for headstone
Plaque of
judge
Wheelbarrow
Screwdriver
screws
Help Somers'
ghost, who
appears In
SRA's actual
text, feel
recognized.
Restore
"justice" to his
soul.
Find Somers
as a NPC. Put
a headstone
recognizing
him in the
cemetery,
where he
currently has
an unmarked
grave.
Learning
Objectives
Related to
Activity
Reading
comprehension;
understanding
literary terms
In the game, we created all these locations. The Protestant church has a few supporting
objects, such as pews and a stained glass window. Similarly, the judge’s chamber has
some hanging flats. These were added to contribute to verisimilitude, though they do not
relate specifically to issue resolution. However, the player is guided if they try to examine
these objects. For example, with the flags, they learn that they are “too high to reach.”
To resolve the issue, the player needs to find Judge Somers’ headstone and the
plaque from his bench that shows his name, “Honorable Judge Somers.” We made a
mason shop, where a partially carved headstone sits. Again, to add to the game’s reality
of function, it is not possible to pick up the headstone and carry it out. Instead, the
character must push it into a wheelbarrow. The player must take this headstone, with
Judge Somers’ plaque in their inventory to the mound of dirt in the cemetery. To get to
this location, we put Judge Somers by Chase Henry’s headstone. Previously, the player
may have passed an “empty spot” in the cemetery. However, the player needs to talk to
Judge Somers 4 times to be transported magically to this spot. Also, at this moment, we
added a little literary allusion, “What the Dickens! The ghost has just transported you to
somewhere else.” This moment reminded us of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, where
ghosts take Scrooge around the town on Christmas Eve. As with the ghosts of Christmas
past, present, and future, here, Judge Somers wants to teach the player a lesson. The
lesson is a more tangible embodiment of the abstract concept of justice.
14
Cluster 3
In Cluster 3, the issue revolves around Elsa Wertman, who had a child out of
wedlock. Thomas Greene fathered that child when Elsa worked for him. Frances Harris,
Thomas Greene’s wife found out about the little liason, but decided to adopt the child
since she had none of her own. However, to keep her quiet, Thomas had to bribe her with
a farm. The following matrix outlines our planned story structure around this issue:
Characters
Artifact
Locations
Artifacts
Identify
Resolution
Hamilton
Green
Thomas
GreenHamilton's
dad
Frances
Harris
Elsa
WertmanHamilton's
mom
Elsa's house
in bedroom
dresser
drawer with
shoebox of
photos.
photos
To help
resolve
Elsa's pain
the secret of
her secretly
adopted son,
Hamilton,
needs to be
uncovered.
family tree
pencil
scissors
Thomas
green house
has a family
tree on the
wall.
Related
Activity
Learning
Objectives
Related to
Activity
This cluster Finding
is solved
Relationships
either
between
putting a
characters in
picture of
SRA through
Elsa in place reading
of Frances at epitaph.
the Greene’s
house or by
hanging her
son,
Hamilton’s
picture up in
Elsa’s
house, on
the nail next
to her
picture
Within the game, we created Elsa and Thomas Greene’s house. Both Elsa and Thomas
appear as NPC’s. Thomas appears and bars the player from progressing along the path:
The ghost furrows his brow and warns, “I’m Thomas Greene, man of the soil.
You stand on dangerous ground if you dig through my secrets. Convince me why
I should let you pass. Answer me, what did I give to my wife to silence her?”
“If I can help it, no one will ever find out Elsa's secret!”
Thomas Greene actually does not have an epitaph, just his son, Hamilton. However, from
Elsa’s epitaph, we know that Thomas Greene had a farm to give his wife. Thus, we made
him a man of the soil who had been sowing his wild oats with Elsa. Also, Elsa reveals
that she had been forced into silence about Hamilton during life. She had followed his
political career and always wanted to tell him. Moreover, Hamilton thought that he was
the son of Thomas and Frances:
“Of valiant and honorable blood both.
To them I owe all that I became,
Judge, member of Congress, leader in the State.”
15
Certainly, Thomas and Frances had raised him, but Elsa deserves to be credited as his
mother. To resolve the issue, players must read both Elsa and Thomas’ epitaphs. They
must recognize that Thomas Greene gave his wife a farm to get past this NPC. They must
pry off the boards to get into the Greene’s house, which again embodies their secretive
nature.
We decided to create photographs that hang on a family tree in the Greene house.
To solve Elsa’s issue, the player must find a photograph of her to hang by Hamilton and
Thomas Greene. This symbolically positions her as the mother of Thomas Greene.
However, we also created an additional solution possibility in Elsa’s house. This house is
not identified as her house. The reader has to learn that from looking in the hope chest.
The hope chest has a scrapbook that contains clippings about Hamilton Greene. To solve
the issue, players may also hang Hamilton’s photo by Elsa and her husband. While
Thomas is part of the resolution equation in his own house, he is not within Elsa’s house.
We made this decision since Elsa had remarried and had little to do with the Greene’s in
later life.
This story structure, again, evolved from the original conception to this present
format. We decided that scissors did not serve a needed role, and we decided to put
captions on all the photo revealing their occupants. Such decisions helped keep the game
tight since there are limited objects that are unneeded for issue resolution.
Cluster 4
Speaking of justice from Cluster 2, we return to this concept in Cluster 4. There,
Judge Somers feels undignified since Penniwit took an unflattering photo of him. This
photo shows him cross-eyed. We decided to include all the characters which Masters
mentions that are related to Judge Somers. Also, the cross-eyed photo underscores the
concept of restoring justice to the judge. To do this, the player cannot be blind. Instead,
they must go to Penniwit’s Photography Lab and find Judge Somers’ cross-eyed photo.
When they go into Penniwit’s Photography Lab, Judge Somers appears and tells them
that there is something they must do there. This serves to remind the player of Penniwit’s
epitaph and Judge Somers’ issue:
Characters
Artifact
Locations
Artifacts
Identify
Resolution
Related
Activity
Learning
Objectives
Related to
Activity
Judge Somers
Penniwit
Graveyard,
Somers' ghost,
Penniwit's
photo lab
Photo of
cross-eyed
man (Somers)
Help Somers'
ghost regain
his dignity
Find photo and
burn it. Know
that the Judge is
unhappy with the
photo.
Burn Somers’
unflatteringphoto
Reading
comprehension
(Penniwitt’s
epitaph)
Drawing
conclusions
matches
In the case of the headstone, restoring justice meant putting an epitaph with the
Judge’s name on his unmarked plot. In this case, however, justice means burning the
unflattering photo. Previously, if character’s have tried to sit in Judge Somers’ bench,
16
they “go cross-eyed.” This clue points to this problem which Judge Somers apparently
had concealed while sitting for Penniwit. Penniwit, however, sought to capture people in
their actual state without making them look their best. Thus, once the player burns Judge
Somers’ photo with one of two matches from the storage shed, Judge Somers appears:
“As the photograph burns, Judge Somers appears and says, “Now Pennywit has
been overruled! My dignity has been restored. The ghost disappears with a happy,
not cross-eyed expression.
Such a resolution connects to the epitaphs and explains the meaning of justice.
Scenarios for use of game
We envision this game being used in a 9th grade English class. However, it will
also be made available to a wider audience, including submission to the annual
Interactive Fiction context.
Evaluation
First, within the group, we did testing and would keep a running list of bugs and
bug fixes. We submitted the game to Dr. Shelton for feedback. Also, we did beta testing
with the other class group playing through the game and finding bugs. This was
performed on a weekly basis with each cluster. However, to include a broader audience
who was not so closely tied to the game, we also had our wives and other friends and
family members play. They played at different stages. For example, Jon’s wife played
cluster 2 once this cluster had been completed. Her feedback and other player feedback
from players is included in Appendix B.
Future evaluations will include more 9th grade students. We would have preferred
to have players of this age test the game earlier on. However, none of us had any contact
with 9th grade students.
Evaluation goals include finding out about player motivations. How long will
players stay engaged? Will their motivation be sufficient to carry them through to game
completion? We also seek to evaluate functionality, whether players can solve issues and
find intended relationships. On a higher level, we wish to determine if players absorb and
retain learned concepts. For example, if a player learns that Judge Somers does not like to
appear cross-eyed and not have an epitaph, will they remember this concept in a day? In a
week? Collecting this kind of information could happen through interviews with teachers
and students or an online survey.
Future Directions
Future directions could include adapting the game for persons with disabilities,
such as a visual or motor impairment. This text format could potentially work well with a
screen reader. Such persons with disabilities may not have access to many games, since
games tend to be heavily graphics oriented. Voices of Spoon River, in contrast, could very
easily be adapted and provide satisfying play for such individuals.
17
In future versions, we plan to fix current 1.0 version’s bugs. The 1.0 release still
has quite the list of bugs. However, we have kept a log of these to address in the next
release. Beyond bug fixes, we plan to bolster descriptions and provide clearer clues. Due
to time constraints, the majority of our focus was on coding in Inform. We developed
story structures but did not always attend to or return to the writing of these story
structures as often as excellent writing tends to require. Certainly, the game has flashes of
very good writing, but we want to make all the descriptions and story of the same high
quality.
Another planned code improvement could be a wheelbarrow daemon. Currently,
when you push wheelbarrow to a new location, the interpreter does not say that the
wheelbarrow is there in the new location. It would show up after typing the look
command, but we want this wheelbarrow to appear automatically. To do this, a
wheelbarrow daemon could be called once in a new location.
Readme file
See appendix E
Graphical integration
This game could be feasibly be brought into a graphical environment. One engine
for doing this would be the Neverwinter Nights Aurora Toolset. On a less 3-D level,
TADS is another text adventure engine that could include graphical elements.
Periodically within game play, a graphic could be inserted to give clues or serve as a
reference or reward. With such future developments, we hope that the story structure is
sufficiently rich to inspire further advances. Many games focus more on the graphics.
This one focuses on the story. We will see responses to the text adventure format. A
graphical adaptation went beyond the scope for this class. However, we believe that it
could help with engagement and make the game richer. As such, we hope that graphics
could be developed at some point in the future.
High school integration
We plan to use this game in an English class to be used as a learning tool. To
work with high school English teachers, we may need to develop an instructor’s guide to
using the Voices of Spoon River game.
Conclusion
On December 14, we demoed the game with users in the department. At first, we
saw some furrowed brows until players understood how the game works better. After
playing for some time, we heard responses back like “This was fun to play.” We also
heard laughing as the game was being played. The department response, on the whole,
seemed very positive. We hope that future feedback is similarly positive. During game
creation, we have focused back to our instructional objectives and aligning these with
18
game play. These objectives, again, are reading comprehensions, with sublevel objectives
of finding relationships between characters, symbolism, pattern recognition, and spatial
reasoning, However, even our efforts to meet these objectives, there are some more
complicated literary elements within Spoon River that we did not address. For example,
we did not include Lucius Atherton, though we had originally conceived a cluster around
him. On the whole, we feel satisfied with this game and hope that future users enjoy it, as
did the department members when we demoed it.
19
References
Agency, B. E. C. a. T. (2001). Comptuer Games in Education Project.
Retrieved November 15, 2005, from
http://www.becta.org.uk/research/research.cfm?section=1&id=2826
Bernstein, C. (2001). Chapter 8: Play it again, Pac-man. In M. J. P.
Wolf (Ed.), The Medium of the Video Game (pp. 93-112). Austin:
University of Texas Press.
Clarke, Gillian (2005). “The thrill, the delight and sorrow of words.” English Teaching
Online ~ the one with all the POETRY. Autumn 2005. Retrieved December 2,
2005 from http://www.teachit.co.uk/newsletters/newsletter_oct05.asp
Crawford, C. (1997). Chapter 2: Why do people play games? In The Art
of Computer Game Design: Washington State University.
Fromme, J (2003). Computer games as a part of children’s culture. The
International Journal of Computer Game Research 3(1), 1-13. Retrieved from
http://itoutreach.ed.usu.edu/%7Ebshelton/courses/instsim/readings/FrommeGames_as_Child_Culture.pdf
Grodal, T. (2003). Chapter 6: Stories for eye, ear, and muscles: Video
games, media, and embodied experiences. In M. J. P. Wolf & B. Perron
(Eds.), The Video Game Theory Reader (pp. 25-46). New York: Routledge.
Horton, G.L. (1996). “Edgar Lee Master's Spoon River Anthology.” Retrieved December
9, 2005 from http://www.stagepage.info/reviews/spoon.html
Koster, R. (2005). Chapter 4: What games teach us. In A Theory of Fun for Game
Design (pp. 48-79). Scottsdale, AZ: Paraglyph Press.
McMahan, A. (2003). Chapter 3: Immersion, engagement, and presence: A
method for analyzing 3-D video games. In M. J. P. Wolf & B. Perron
(Eds.), The Video Game Theory Reader (pp. 25-46). New York: Routledge.
Paulu, N. (2003) Helping Students with Homework: A Guide for Teachers.
http://www.ed.gov/PDFDocs/hyc.pdf
Sydney, S. P. (2005). “Introduction.” English Teaching Online ~ the one with all the
POETRY. Autumn 2005. Retrieved December 10, 2005 from
http://www.teachit.co.uk/newsletters/newsletter_oct05.asp
Squire and Jenkins (2003). “Harnessing the Power of Games in Education.” Insight. Vol.
3 (5). pp. 7-33. Retrieved December 15, 2005 from
http://website.education.wisc.edu/kdsquire/manuscripts/insight.pdf
20
Appendix A
Screenshot of game
21
Appendix B
The Map
22
Appendix C
Approaches and content we considered but did not incorporate
1. In Cluster 4, the Lucius cluster we didn’t include him because of all
the various poems that mention him. We were trying to limit our scope.
Cluster 1, we decided not to include the rotating room mainly because of time constraints.
Lucius was such a player, that his issues stretched throughout Spoon River. The
following section has an extended story that Jared wrote that we did not end up using to
limit our scope:
Lucius:
NPC appears outside Mayer’s restaurant (his epitaph is in the cemetery):
“Anguish for “Beatrice lost” drove a certain poet to eloquence, but me it just took to a
corner booth in Mayer’s Restaurant. To help me, go next door to the restaurant. The
photo lab is key. Remember famed poet’s name to enter. Find how grand I looked when
younger and help me regain my pride.”
Mayers Restaurant
“As my age showed, this was my purgatory. Gazing out the window as the ladies passed
me by, I would sit alone in a corner booth left only to reminisce about “high times and
glory days” when I wooed drop dead gorgeous women in my fine carriage.
To enter the photo lab, west from Mayer’s Restaurant, you must use the key word,
“Dante”
Photo Lab
As you stand at the threshold, you remember that the shade told you to use the name of
poet who pursued Beatrice. This is the key word to get in the door.
Photo_lab_counter
Inside the photo lab, there is a counter. Behind the counter, you see various albums of
gelatin silver prints. You also find a box labeled, “For preferred customer, Lucius
Atherton.”
Inside the box, you find loose photos of Aner Clute, Lydia Puckett, and several other
ladies. There are also various photos of a younger, grander Lucius. He looks ready to
embrace the world (or at least the good looking women of the world).
As you look at Aner Clute’s photo, Lucius’s ghost appears and tells you:
Like Beatrice for Dante, I would descend into a fiery inferno for another chance with that
hottie, Aner Clute. Heck, I’d like at least one other fine lass to boot. Too bad all that’s left
of me and these ladies whose beauty I so flattered is our photos.
23
Threefold photo cover:
This is an empty, threefold photo cover. It looks like photos should go in the middle with
one on the left and another on the right.
After putting photos in:
How great to look good again! Those ladies are looking at me, and I’ve regained my
pride.
KNOWLT HOHEIMER
Your heart pulses faster, like a drumbeat in war time as you look towards this headstone.
There, making rounds before his grave, paces a uniformed, rifle carrying ghost.
His headstone reads, “Tomb of the Known Soldier”
A uniformed ghost is making the rounds here. Unstrapping a military issue firearm from
his shoulder, the ghost sighs, “I’m defeated and would gladly surrender if I could. Sadly,
I’m stuck here on guard duty till someone is recruited to help me.”
He tosses the gun aside with disgust into the bushes. Then, he approaches you and
whispers intently with an anguished rasp, “My epitaph could speak volumes. Please mark
the question on my headstone well. Bring a token of peace back to someone I cared for.
Only then can I be reconciled and reach that far vineyard called the peaceful kingdom.
Somehow, I love her still.”
An angel with folded wings sits fixed atop the tombstone. Above her head, you notice a
tilted, rusty halo. Underneath the angel, you notice an inscription points to the ghost’s
afterlife woes:
KNOWLT HOHEIMER
I WAS the first fruits of the battle of Missionary Ridge.
When I felt the bullet enter my heart
I wished I had staid at home and gone to jail
For stealing the hogs of Curl Trenary,
Instead of running away and joining the army.
Rather a thousand times the county jail
Than to lie under this marble figure with wings,
And this granite pedestal bearing the words, "Pro Patria."
What do they mean, anyway?
Hmm, I wonder where you could go to find what those words mean?
Create a library
Room library
description
24
As you enter the library, the flowering scent of musty metaphor reaches your nostrils.
These books are buds waiting to burst and sow their seeds of secret knowledge. In
perusing the shelves, you’re startled to hear humming. Following the sound, you notice a
pretty lady ghost reading behind a cataloging desk.
NPC Lydia Puckett
Talk to ghost
“I’m the ghostly librarian who never lies. Chances are, I’ve even met shades of some
authors whose titles should be checked out here. I’d suggest that you start with the
encyclopedia.”
This encyclopedia would Encyclopedia Cryptannica.
Ghost could also say:
“If only Knowlt could have known how to romance me. You see, Lucius was much more
flowery and literary. Knowlt knew about making war, but there’s another word he sadly
missed. No gift could have pleased me more than my favorite book.”
As you approach the reference section, a thick row of books catches your attention,
Encyclopedia Cryptannica.
A paper falls out when you open it that is Lydia’s epitaph:
Lydia Puckett
KNOWLT HOHEIMER ran away to the war
The day before Curl Trenary
Swore out a warrant through Justice Arnett
For stealing hogs.
But that's not the reason he turned a soldier.
He caught me running with Lucius Atherton.
We quarreled and I told him never again
To cross my path.
Then he stole the hogs and went to the war-Back of every soldier is a woman.
If opened to something other than “P” section, it returns, “There’s nothing to help you
there.”
Under “Pro Patria,” you see a few entries:
The last lines from a famous poem from Willifred Owen about World War I read:
“My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
25
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.
In the footnotes, you notice a translation, “This Latin saying comes from an ode by
Horace. It means that it is sweet and right to die for your country.”
You think to yourself that somehow, that idea had turned bitter to Knowlt in death. Like
Willifred Owen, he didn’t believe it. Instead, you remember how he wishes you would
bring something back to someone he loved but had offended.
Continuing your reading, you notice, “The greater the state, the more wrong and cruel its
patriotism, and the greater is the sum of suffering upon which its power is founded.” Leo
Tolstoy
Hmm, that entry is highlighted in red. Could be that that author is important.
You look through the library under “T” and find shelves and shelves lined with War and
Peace by Leo Tolstoy. It would appear that somebody wanted to make sure this book was
in easy circulation.
On the cover of War and Peace, you notice an engraved olive branch.
Bring that book to Lydia, the librarian. You need to write, “From Knowlt” on the inside
cover. If you do this, Knowlt will appear and Lydia and Knowlt will g off together,
joyfully reconciled.
Adjustment rationale
Somers has two issues. Why? To limit scope creep and further promotes problem solving.
Players really must analyze Judge Somers’ problems based on his epitaph. While we
considered just addressing the problem of not having a headstone, we decided to be more
complete based on the text and also include the cross-eyed photo problem.
26
Appendix D
Timeline, including snippets of code
Timeline
Sept. 6 – Week 1
Play IF games (Zork)
Sept. 13 – Week 2
Play Blue Chairs and Adverbum to get a feel for IF
Sept. 20 – Week 3
Create two cluster ideas for SRA
Sept. 27 – Week 4
Create two more cluster ideas for SRA
Create two locations with an object in each location. Be able to pick up the objects and
create an action between them.
Oct. 4 – Week 5
Assign points. Created multiple ending with broken jug idea. Create a winning and a
losing scenario.
Oct. 11 – Week 6
Build an NPA, a class of photographs, extend existing verb.
Oct. 18 – Week 7
Develop 1st iteration of cluster 1
Oct. 25 – Week 8
 1st cluster – 2nd iteration
 2nd cluster – 1st iteration
Design, (programming,) Development, (testing,) and repeat
Develop one more module each week
Send inf files for first each cluster to other team by Saturday night with readme
Nov. 1 – Week 9
 1st cluster – 3rd iteration
 2nd cluster – 2nd iteration
 3rd cluster – 1st iteration
Nov. 8 – Week 10
 1st cluster – 4th iteration
 2nd cluster – 3rd iteration
 3rd cluster – 2nd iteration
27

4th cluster – 1st iteration (not coded – just an idea)
Nov. 15 – Week 11
 1st cluster – 5th iteration
 2nd cluster – 4th iteration
 3rd cluster – 3rd iteration
 4th cluster – 1st iteration (attempt)
Nov. 22 – Week 12
Work on integrating existing cluster modules.
 1st cluster – 5th iteration
 2nd cluster – 4th iteration
 3rd cluster – 3rd iteration
 4th cluster – 2nd iteration (attempt)
Nov. 29 – Week 13
(Thanksgiving – no class, just fixed bugs on existing classes. We decided to scrap the 4th
cluster because we found weaknesses in the cluster design. We also came up with a new
4th cluster idea.)
Dec. 6 – Week 14
 combined 1st and 2nd clusters
 3rd cluster – 3rd iteration
 4th cluster – 1st iteration (new cluster)
 We also combined the 4th cluster and finally the 3rd cluster at the end of the week.
Dec. 13 – Week 15
Integration with Team B
Dec. 15 – Game Presentation
28
Appendix E
General Readme Document
Team A SRA Game Readme
Portions adapted from A Beginner's Guide to Playing Interactive Fiction
(By Fredrik Ramsberg) http://www.microheaven.com/IFGuide/
What is interactive fiction?
Interactive Fiction (or IF for short) is both a computer game and a book, or rather
something in between. You usually take on the role of the main character in a story. The
game tells you what happens to the character, and you tell the game how the character
should act. This is not always simple, but can make for a very rewarding experience. The
game's output is usually text based, and you communicate with the game using text as
well.
There are many authors active in interactive fiction today that provide games of excellent
quality, regarding literary aspects as well as puzzles. This guide will help you find some
of the finest games ever produced, show you how to get them running on your computer
and teach you how to play them. As a bonus, almost everything related to IF today is
offered free of charge. You can play the best games around without paying a cent (or
penny for that matter).
How do I play?
Movement
To go to another location, most games expect you to type in which direction you want to
go. You can type GO SOUTH, but just SOUTH will also do the trick, as will S (which is
the commonly accepted abbreviation for SOUTH). Other directions and their
abbreviations are NORTH (N), EAST (E), WEST (W), NORTHEAST (NE),
SOUTHEAST (SE), NORTHWEST (NW), SOUTHWEST (SW), UP (U), DOWN (D),
IN and OUT.
Common verbs
Here are some of the most important verbs, with examples:
LOOK or L (L or LOOK AT BOB or LOOK IN JAR or LOOK UNDER BED)
TAKE (TAKE ALL)
DROP (DROP ALL)
EXAMINE or X (EXAMINE DESK or X DESK)
SEARCH (SEARCH DESK)
INVENTORY or I
29
OPEN (OPEN DRAWER)
CLOSE (CLOSE DRAWER)
LOCK (LOCK DOOR WITH RUSTY KEY)
UNLOCK (UNLOCK DOOR WITH RUSTY KEY)
SAY (SAY HELLO TO JOHN)
Other verbs you will need from time to time include ATTACK, BUY, COVER, DRINK,
EAT, FILL, JUMP, KISS, KNOCK, LISTEN, MOVE, PULL, PUSH, REMOVE, READ,
SIT, SLEEP, STAND, THROW, TIE, TOUCH, TURN, TYPE, UNTIE, WEAR. There
are lots more. Hopefully they will seem natural to you when you need them.
Special verbs
UNDO Takes back the last move you made.
QUIT or Q
Ends the current game.
RESTART
Starts the game over from the beginning.
SAVE Saves your current position to a file on disk.
RESTORE
Loads a previously saved game position.
HELP or ABOUT
some information about the game and its author, in some cases
even hints to some of the puzzles.
Getting stuck and unstuck
While playing IF, you will get stuck. This is part of the deal -- where there are puzzles,
there will also be stuckness. If you grow tired of being stuck in the same spot for too
long, you can type HELP or HINTS to see if there are any hints available. One more
thing about playing interactive fiction: Make a map as you play. You are very likely to
need it.
About This Game
This interactive fiction game is based on Edgar Lee Master’s collection of poems, The
Spoon River Anthology. Each poem is an epitaph of someone from the fictional town of
Spoon River. There are many connections and stories that can be discovered from a
careful reading of the individual poems. This is a game about resolving conflicts and
uncovering mysteries relating to these epitaphs. Solving these conflicts requires good
reading and problem solving skills.
Introduction
It has been years since anyone walked the down its dusty Main Street. Only the sound of
the wind and the timeless trickle of the fountain in the cemetery make any noise at all.
The town of Spoon River sleeps. But not all are at peace. Some say the town slowly
faded away as the old people died and the young ones moved away. Others say it
happened suddenly when the wells dried up. Somehow, Spoon River became a ghost
town. And all the secrets would have faded, too, if it wasn’t for the epitaphs. You must
30
examine the past and collect clues that will help you find and resolve the issues of those
who still cannot rest.
Credits:
Tim Stowell, Jon Scoresby, Jared Bernotski, and Tom Caswell
31
Appendix F
Standards
Scoring:
Points – incremental points for hints
-2 – stupid action where you almost die…
-3 – receiving hints from the statue (must be warned)
+1 – small steps along the way (talk to someone,
+3 – resolving
+5 – resolving in a creative way
Countdown –
Each time a resolution is solved -1
Output message: After each resolution, write in a description of what happens to
the ghost. And make the ghost disappear. “You have helped (name) find
peace in the after life. There are now (# left) spirits still in pain.”
Winning message: countdown to zero “All the spirits are resting tonight thanks to
your help.” A spirit tells you to throw the key in the river and see what
happens. This will lead to a way to cross the river and see the rest of the
tombstones.
Hints:
Non-intuitive clues – from ghosts, no consequence
Statue – more direct help
Beginning:
Begin at fountain with statue of Masters:
Opening statement:
You are taking a peaceful stroll through the Spoon River graveyard at night. As you
walk past the fountain, you hear a very strange sound behind you. As you turn
around your heart jumps and adrenaline rushes through your body as you catch a
glimpse of movement.
‘Hello!’ you yell into the moonlit shadows. The stillness rings into the night as you wait
silently for a response. Is someone following you?
To your horror the head of the statue in the middle of the fountain turn to look in your
direction. After several moments of terrified silence, he begins to speak.
“Welcome to the Spoon River Graveyard. I am Edgar Lee Masters. Walk carefully
tonight as the spirits are restless. Ease their pain and you shall be rewarded. You may
TALK TO the spirits, but don’t always expect them to see you. You are still in the world
of the living.”
Said each time you TALK: “If you would like more information about a soul, ASK me
ABOUT the person once and I will give you background information. ASK me ABOUT
32
the person twice and I will reveal a hint to help you find their resolution. But beware, the
hint will be costly.”
Classes:
Room, NPC, Photo, Tombstone, Plot
Plots and Tombstones
Naming conventions:
plot_last_first_#
tombstone_last_first_#
NO Epitaphs. There is the plot, then the tombstone. On the tombstone, put initial
description as any remarkable item specific to the person. Then put the epitaph as
the description with a break, name in caps, two breaks, then the epitaph. ie.
^CARL HAMBLIN^^
Here lies Carl who’s I really don’t remember the poem^
But he was a good sort of fellow^
Who wrote a nice article…
33
Appendix G
Beta Testing Feedback Example
Cluster #1 (Group A)
Begin comments (newest at the top)
date of readiness, z-file name, .inf filename
update/lead-in (list # of artifacts and any warning about incomplete stuff)
beta tester comments in the 4 categories given (plus any extra)
11/21/05
filename: cluster1v5_GroupA_1121.inf
TeamACluster1Version5 update: All highlighted items have been addressed/resolved. I
think we are ready to combine 1 and 2.
Team B’s Comments after reviewing cluster1 version 4:
Things or wording that lacked clarity
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I think people might be confused by the 'stack of books'. You can't open each
book, it's just one object. Maybe you could resolve that by having the stack of
books just be scenery. You could come up with some reason why you shouldn't
pick them up, but they could still read the titles. – books need to be moveable
Also, did they have Mavis Beacon back in the 20s?
When you find the pencil, and the paper, a person might want to write or draw on
the paper. Maybe we shouldn't have a pencil available?
Is it Town Marshal, or Town Marshall? You have Marshal.
When it says, “Cruising down main street”, the image in my head is a car driving
down main street. It kind of takes you out of the small town, old town feeling.
When you 'smell' in the saloon (not the jug, just smell), it tells you that you smell
nothing unexpected, but then in the description it tells you that it smells
'malodorous'.
In the saloon it doesn't tell you how to get out. I know that you just came in from
the West, but after reading the ledger, examining the jug, a person might forget.
On main street it doesn't tell you that you can go north. Just east and west.
You have 'the sun has set', but we probably need to work out a time. We've got
our clusters taking place during the night. – Let’s fix this as a group
I'm not sure the private eye part works. It says, “You've been hired to make
public the stories that once animated those who now lie here”. Hired by whom?
And a private eye doesn't really make public; a reporter might, but not really a
private eye. And we aren't really making public, rather we are helping souls find
peace. – Let’s rewrite this as a group
When I put something on the headstone, it says, “tombstone_Marshal_41”) That
pulls you out of the presence of the game.
When I dropped the papers on Marshal grave, I got the following: “You hear Jack
McGuire's ghost sigh with relief. His voice fades contentedly into the distance,
34
"Now I can rest in peace."7Dropped.” I don't know where the 7 is coming from.
Level of Difficulty
Suggestions

I like how you can't take the ledger. If you aren't going to use something, then I
don't know that we necessarily have to be able to pick it up. We are going to end
up with 50 objects that don't really do anything.
11/12/05
I am still having trouble with the “drop all” (I think we all are) and a few other things.
Everything that I highlighted should be resolved. Keys are now just for fun. They
shouldn’t unlock anything. I also added a hint about how to use the shotgun, as
suggested. I still need to make it disappear or fall to the ground when you no longer need
it, but that should be a quick thing to add. -Tom
11/07/05
1. Things that didn’t work properly
 There is no description when I smell the jug even though it reeks of liquor.
 I cannot get the shotgun!!! (okay, I think Tom got it working)
 Trouble with drop all way it reads.
 “7 Dropped” after wining message
2. wording/situations that lack clarity
 On the Town Marshall’s epitaph, you left out a word in the line: Before he drew
the gun with which he killed me. (It makes quite a difference in reading the
poem, that’s how I caught it.
 On Jack’s epitaph there should be a dash instead of a question mark after: With
that Prohibition loaded cane – Again, it makes a difference in the way it reads.
 The process of unlocking the north door is very confusing. It says you can unlock
it, then you cannot unlock it with the key because that is not something that can
be unlocked.
 If the desk is a rolltop desk, I should be able to open it or at least get a message
that it is stuck and couldn’t possibly be opened. Another solution would be to
make it a normal desk.
 Why is there a half of a day in the tally?
 I cannot “Blow Lock off east door”
 you can sit in the chair when the stuff is there. Perhaps if the player tries to sit in
it, you say it looks too rickety to support your weight.
3. discussion on level of difficulty of “solution”
 Being unfamiliar with gun racks, I had no idea until I looked at your document
that it could be unlocked.
 I cannot get anything to unlock! (okay I didn’t check the desk, but if I try to
unlock things it says that is something that cannot be unlocked instead of the key
doesn’t seem to fit...)
 If the player types gun perhaps you should ask if it is the gun rack or the shotgun
35
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Perhaps when you take the gun, you should give a big hint like... This looks like a
great shotgun to do something like blow locks off doors that won’t open... I’m
not sure I (being a girl and not prone to violence) would think of blasting the lock
off the door. –Just a thought. Or maybe when the keys don’t open the doors have
a message that says something like it looks like the only way to open this would
be to blow the lock off.
If you want the players to make the 14 year connection, you should probably spell
it out for them. Maybe you could say something like, “you wonder how many
years that would be...” It’s probably not necessary, but they won’t make the
connection.
The tally is in two locations??
Great hint in the journal!
4. suggestions on ways to improve the module
 Another thought, because we will be having several keys in the game, we may
want to think about actually naming the ones you can use. Like under the mat
you could say this looks like a desk key. and in the drawer you could say it looks
like a gun rack key. I don’t think that would be too much of a give away and
would actually help the process be a little more intuitive.
 Perhaps if they try reading another page, give them a hint to look in the back of
the book. Or at least give some type of different feedback with each page.
Perhaps on page one its says something about arriving at the jail. etc.
11/05/05
Recent changes:
The first cluster is ready to go. There have been some significant changes, so play it from
the beginning and don’t assume anything. The only major loose end that is still needs to
be tied up is we still need to decide what to do with the cane (add rotating room code in
the saloon and include a hidden door?) Here’s what is done:
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Added code to open east door after being shot.
Renamed all the journals to avoid ambiguities
Added lock to gun rack and code for opening it
Added description to cane
Added “has general” code to Jack’s journal in east cell so you can only find it
once under the pile of books
Added narrative support to make cluster more logical/solveable
10/28/05 changes listed in bold (add additional comments in a different color or font if
you like)
 We have added an “issues remaining” backwards counter to the sra.h library
 you say a cane is used for walking, but you cannot “walk with cane” – modified
description to avoid this problem
 does not recognize “gunrack” (misspelled in game) -- fixed
36
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cannot get gun – recognizes it as gun rack -- fixed
cannot shoot the lock -- fixed
it says “you thumb through the journal” when you ‘examine’ but you haven’t
taken it – fixed
there are some problems with reading the journal page (which shows up in the
inventory as a child of the journal) – fixed
doesn’t recognize ‘journal page’ -- fixed
you have two “notebooks” – one from the desk and one under the pile of books –
fixed
Perhaps distinguish the two books as two separate objects – fixed
no desktop -- fixed
cannot open rolltop – fixed
cannot unlock the drawers – fixed
says you take the cheese and rat before eating, but you don’t really – fixed
west and north cells are same??? – fixed
does not recognize lock on east cell door -- fixed
open and close jug??
cannot enter saloon, only stand on steps outside? – fixed
describe that you can go north to the graveyard on main street – fixed
don’t want to see opening message every time you enter the center of the
graveyard
cool “prohibited from rest”
no way to unlock east cell door will drive your students crazy!
it tells you that violence is not the answer when you try to break the jug, but
violence is the answer!
we tried to drop on the gravesite, but was wrong place... putting on headstone is
not intuitive. Perhaps just tell them to drop it on the headstone if they try to drop
it on Jack’s gravesite – fixed
cannot hit the jug against the headstone
we broke the jug on Jack’s site, now what??
what else can we do???
no score? no win? -- fixed
can we shoot the jug with the shotgun?? (we didn’t try it, but can it happen?)
And how do you get the paper!!
we would have NEVER figured out that you needed to put the paper in the jug
and break it ON the Marshall’s grave without reading your code (or listening to
you in class) – we have added additional hints
It is just not intuitive – at all.
37
Appendix H
Walkthrough
Spoon River Anthology Group A Walkthrough
(Start in Center of the Graveyard)
>s
>s
>e
>take gun
>x desk
>take cane
>n
>shoot east cell door
>e
>move books
>take journal
>w
>s
>w
>w
>x bar
>take jug
>e
>n
>n
>w
>x stone
>drop jug
>break jug with cane
[Your score has just gone up by one point.]
>drop journal
[Your score has just gone up by five points.]
[You have 3 issues left to resolve.]
>e
>s
>s
>s
>s
>w
>w
>w
>take all
crowbar: Taken.
38
screwdriver: Taken.
matchbox: Taken.
>push wheelbarrow e
>push wheelbarrow e
>x bench
>push slab into wheelbarrow
>push wheelbarrow e
>push wheelbarrow n
>e
>x bench
[Your score has just gone up by three points.]
>take plaque
>take screws
>w
>push wheelbarrow n
>push wheelbarrow n
>push wheelbarrow n
>push wheelbarrow e
>push wheelbarrow e
>dump wheelbarrow
>screw plaque to slab
[Your score has just gone up by five points.]
[You have 2 issues left to resolve.]
>w
>w
>s
>s
>s
>s
>s
>e
>say farm
>e
>pry boards with crowbar
>e
>take photo of young man
>w
>w
>w
>w
>w
>put photo of a young man onto nail
>put photo of young man on nail
[Your score has just gone up by five points.]
[You have 1 issue left to resolve.]
>e
39
>e
>n
>e
>u
>open matchbox
>take match
>strike match
>take photo
>burn photo
[Your score has just gone up by five points.]
[You have 0 issues left to resolve.]
************************
You have won everything!!!