Tin Star

BDB Project, The 2025

Language:: English
Authors:: Garry Francis, Gianluca Girelli
Systems:: Inform
Platforms:: Amiga, Amstrad CPC , Amstrad PCW , Apple II, Atari 400/800, Atari ST, BBC/Electron , Browser, C16/Plus4, C64/128 , MEGA65, MSX/MSX2, Spectrum Next , Z-Machine
Genres:: Crime, Western
Related:: Kenneth Johnson trilogy [1: Wild West, 2: Tin Star, 3: Desperados]
Entered by:: Garry
Added:: 02-11-2025
Edited:: 14-03-2026

Synopsis

In the wild West, the tin star is the symbol of law and order. The men who wear the tin star are respected by the community, as they face violent and cunning criminals nearly every day.

After a group of criminals kidnapped your wife and daughter and almost took your own life, you decided to join the ranks of these brave lawmen and became a sheriff in the town of Tucson, Arizona. For a few months, your life passed quietly and your duties as sheriff were limited to short missions, like escorting outlaws to prison.

One day, the tranquility of Tucson was shattered by the arrival of a group of dangerous bandits whose faces had long decorated WANTED posters in many Western Union Telegraph offices. The bank was their target and your absence, due to a disturbance at the nearby silver mines of San Xavier, was their opportunity to strike. They arrived shooting and shouting, spreading fear everywhere, and robbed the bank of the savings of the hard-working people of Tucson. Some citizens and bank employees were even killed by the bandits. The family and friends of the deceased demanded justice.

When you arrived back in Tucson the following day, you were sickened by the stories you heard about the atrocities carried out by these ruthless bandits. You quickly collected food, water, guns and ammunition, saddled your horse, and set off in pursuit of the bandits. They only had one day's head start, so you should be able to catch them.

Unfortunately for you, the bandits had anticipated your move and set an ambush in a narrow canyon on the edge of the desert. You were taken by surprise, knocked out, tied up and left to die in the desert sun. When you woke up, you found yourself in the shadow of the canyon. Your horse was nearby, but most of your other belongings, including your guns, were gone. An ordinary man would have slowly died of thirst under the hot summer sun, but you were no ordinary man and you were determined to prove it.

Notes

This game is an adaptation of the Italian adventure Kenneth Johnson: Tin Star by Bonaventura Di Bello. It has been translated to English and rewritten for a modern audience with the original author's permission. This new version includes many enhancements that weren't in the original. Type ABOUT in the game for further info.

Release 1 was submitted to ParserComp 2025, but this was an accidental release of an earlier development version.

Release 2 was a corrected submission for ParserComp 2025, where it placed 8th out of 10 entries in the Classic category.

Release 3 was a post-comp release for the launch of The BDB Project.

The latest version can be played online or downloaded from Tin Star at itch.io.

The Apple II version requires an Apple IIe. The Atari 8-bit version requires an Atari 130XE.