Desperados

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 days when the Wild West was roamed by bandits and murderers, lawmen had a lot to deal with. Honest sheriffs and brave rangers tracked outlaws over wild terrain, but very often they had to stop at the Mexican border, because they had no jurisdiction in Mexico.

Countless gangs of bandits used this to their advantage. They would cross the border to rob and kill in the southern states, then return to Mexico to spend their stolen loot.

In your role as the sheriff of Tucson, Arizona, you had experienced this humiliating situation many times, but this time was different. Manolo Ramirez and his gang had attacked a small community of settlers, kidnapped the girls and killed everyone else. That day, you decided that jurisdictional boundaries shouldn't be used to allow these criminals to get away with murder. There comes a time when humanity, compassion and justice must prevail.

So, you left your tin star on your office desk and entrusted the care of the town to your deputy. You were soon in hot pursuit of Ramirez and his gang.

The first three days of your search lead to nothing but dead ends. On the fourth day, your horse was spooked by a rattlesnake and galloped off, leaving you alone on foot without any supplies, apart from your weapons. Tired, and low on ammunition, you trudged on until you reached the outskirts of a small village, but there was no sign of life. Normally, there would be dogs and chickens and the children would run out to meet a stranger. You had a horrible feeling that the desperados had been here and the hoof tracks attested to that.

As you approach the village, your nostrils are accosted by the stench of death and decay. You are now sure that Ramirez's gang has once again ravaged a small, defenceless community. It's time for this to end once and for all. It's time to track down these murderers and make them pay!

Notes

This game is an adaptation of the Italian adventure Kenneth Johnson: Desperados 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 an entry in ParserComp 2025, where it placed 7th out of 10 entries in the Classic category.

Release 2 was a post-comp release for the launch of The BDB Project.

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

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