Loom is a 1990 graphic adventure game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games. The game was released for MS-DOS during a period when the studio was attempting to experiment with adventure titles in the absence of the Star Wars license, which was held by Broderbund Software until 1992. Nowadays, gamers can find Loom on Steam, making it easier to access than the MS-DOS version.
While critics were quick to praise the experimental nature of Loom, it was this same quality that saw the game flop from a commercial point of view.
Loom Premise
Loom is a game that doesn’t hold back with its complexity. The game is preceded by a 30-minute audio drama, which came bundled with Loom at launch, explaining the lore and backstory for the experience to come.
The gameplay itself subverted everything players knew about typical adventure games. Instead of using items to explore environments, Loom challenged players by introducing a system called drafts, magical spell tunes that they had to play using their distaff by typing the right tune in-game. Gamers had to learn the different drafts as they appeared in Loom, by looking at an object that had the qualities of the draft they wanted to unlock. As an example, you could unlock the “SHARPENING” draft by watching a blade being sharpened.
What is most interesting is how Loom handles difficulty throughout. There are three different difficulties, and the main change is how easy drafts are to play. The easiest is the Practice mode, which gives you all of the information you need to succeed in playing the drafts. Then, there’s Standard mode, which indicates which notes should be playing via the use of colors, but without showing the actual letters. Finally, there’s Expert mode, which shows you neither the letters nor colors. As a result, you’re essentially playing these drafts by ear. As we said, it doesn’t hold back on the complexity, so noobies beware with Loom.
Loom Main Characters
The plot of Loom is extraordinarily complex, telling a serious fantasy story surrounding Bobbin Threadbare, a weaver who discovers a prophecy in which he is entangled. As far as fantasy plots go, it’s immensely detailed, and extremely ambitious for an MS-DOS title. Here are the main characters you’ll meet throughout the game:
- Bobbin Threadbare: Bobbin Threadbare is the protagonist of the game, a weaver who has the ability to change reality at a whim. His origins lie with the Elders of the Guild, and he grows up questioning the past.
- Lady Cygna Threadbare: Lady Cygna Threadbare is Bobbin’s mother, and an Elder of the Guild. Her role is mostly in the earlier stages, setting the scene for the story to come.
- Hetchel: Hetchel is a cygnet who helps guide Bobbin throughout his adventure, meeting right at the start of the game as the action begins.
Loom Titles in the Series
Over three decades since Loom was first released, it remains the only title in the series. As mentioned earlier, some of the more experimental aspects of the gameplay meant that while it was a critical darling, it was a harder sell to wider audiences. Because of this, a sequel was never greenlit by Lucasfilm Games, with the original standing alone as a testament to what might have been for a potential franchise.
In the years that followed, many who worked on the original game went on to speak about a potential sequel. It’s clear that those on the development side had some big ideas for even more Loom, with only the money men standing in their way. Sadly, that’s just the way it goes sometimes, and there are certainly plenty of early ’90s titles that never got to truly fulfill their potential.
When Lucasfilm Games finally got the license to Star Wars games back from Broderbund Software in 1992, the studio understandably moved in that direction instead. After all, creating Star Wars titles in the lead-up to the Prequel trilogy was essentially printing money.
In today’s gaming market, where nostalgia is king, we can’t say for sure that we’ll never see Loom revived in the future. However, Lucasfilm Games is more a publisher than a developer nowadays, so it would require a change in direction for the series to ever return.
- Loom (1990)
Loom Cheat Codes
Even three decades after its release, no cheat codes have ever been found for Loom. There are no mods for the game either, but there’s still a way we can help.
One of the core gameplay mechanics involves the discovery of drafts, with each one having a thread that you have to play. Some of these threads are encountered at random, with their chance of appearing randomized at the start of every game.
We’ve assembled this list of most of the drafts in Loom, as well as the threads needed to play them. They aren’t cheat codes, but they’re the closest thing to it in this particular game.
Loom Drafts and Threads
| Draft | Thread | Where To Find |
|---|---|---|
| OPENING | ECED | Hetchel’s Egg, claim on Loom Island and in the Book of Patterns. |
| CLOSING | DECE | Opposite to Opening. |
| TRANSCENDENCE | C’FGC | At the beginning of the game and in Book of Patterns. |
| NIGHT VISION | CDDC, CCCC, DCCD | Owls on Loom Island. |
| FILING | EFFG, DEEG, EDDG | Opposite to Emptying. |
| STRAW INTO GOLD | DEDC, DDDE, CCCE | Spindle on Loom Island. |
| GOLD INTO STRAW | CDED, EDED, EDDD, ECCC | Opposite to Straw into Gold. |
| BLEACHING | DCDD, DCCC, DCDC | Opposite to Dyeing. |
| DYEING | DDCD, CCCD, CDCD | Cauldron with Dye on Loom Island. |
| EMPTYING | GFFE, GEED, GDDE | Flask of Dye on Loom Island |
| TWISTING | CFCC, DEFC, FDDE | Waterspout at sea. |
| UNTWISTING | CCDC, CFED, EDDF | Untwists objects. |
| INVISIBILITY | GCGC, GEEC, GCCD | Shepherds in the woods. |
| APPEARING | CGCG, DCCG, | Opposite to Invisibility. |
| TERROR | EFFE, FCCF, DFFD | Crystal Sphere in Crystalgard. |
| DULLING | GAAA, FAFD, ADDC | Opposite to Sharpening. |
| SHARPENING | AAAG, DFAF, CDDA | Glassmakers’ Sickle. |
| SLEEP | AFED, AEDC, AGFE | Sleepy Shepherd. |
| AWAKEN | DEFA, CDEA, EFGA | Opposite to Sleep. |
| HEALING | CAAC, ACCA, AGGA | Fleece trying to cure a lamb. |
| REFLECTION | FAAF, AFFA, ADDA | Pool in Cave. |
| SILENCE | BAGF, BCCC, BFFC | Cast on Hetchel. |
| UNSILENCE | FGAB, CCCB, CFFB | Opposite to Silence. |
| SHAPING | BFBF, BABA, BCBC | Cast on Hetchel. |
| UNSHAPING | FBFB, CBCB, ABAB | Opposite to Shaping. |
| UNMAKING | BCCB, BAAB, ABBA | Recorded by the Loom. |
Loom Cheat Code FAQs
Are There Achievements in Loom?
No. The game doesn’t have any in-game achievements of its own, and they were never added to the Steam re-release, unfortunately. It isn’t clear why this is the case, but it may be down to the technical difficulties of adding achievements and having them trigger correctly in such an old game.
Do I Need to Use All the Drafts and Threads in Loom?
You shouldn’t need to, no. Most of the drafts and threads you’ll need to use throughout the game are randomly generated for which ones you’ll encounter in a playthrough. Because of this, it’s unlikely you’ll need all of the drafts and threads that we’ve shown you above.
For example, both OPENING and TRANSCENDENCE are guaranteed to be the opening two drafts in the game, while it is confirmed that you can complete Loom without ever encountering EMPTYING, SHARPENING, and SLEEP.
Why Are There No Loom Cheat Codes?
It’s hard to say exactly why there are no cheat codes for Loom. The game was released during an era where many similar releases featured them, but Lucasfilm Games decided against including them. However, many of the studio’s adventure games during this era were the same, completely lacking in the cheat code department. You’re not going to find cheats for The Secret of Monkey Island either, so it’s likely just down to the developer being against them.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©LucasArts.