Terry Pratchett’s iconic Discworld franchise is undoubtedly a pinnacle of the world of fantasy novels. The beloved writer deftly weaves humor and fantasy together in a rich, vibrant world. Consequently, his fans have latched on to his lovable characters and deep lore. He might be most famous nowadays for co-writing the original Good Omens novel with Neil Gaiman. However, his Discworld books have nonetheless left an indelible mark on the world of fantasy. It’s no surprise that Pratchett and his works have inspired countless creative minds throughout numerous genres and formats. This influence extends to video games as well. The Colour of Magic is a 1986 text adventure game adapted from the plot of Pratchett’s very first Discworld novel. It launched for ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and Commodore 64. Here’s a look at this early attempt to bring Pratchett’s unique brand of comedic magic to the digital world.
The Colour of Magic Premise
Much like the novel, The Colour of Magic follows the exploits of the failed wizard Rincewind and his employer, a wealthy insurance agent named Twoflower. Twoflower is a native of the Agatean Empire who is visiting Discworld’s largest city, Ankh-Morpork as a tourist. Rincewind serves as guide and bodyguard as the duo get into increasingly bizarre scrapes and conflicts with the residents of Discworld. As the first Discworld book, the original Colour of Magic novel serves as an introduction to the madcap fantasy world, while also functioning as a satire of classic sword and sorcery genre conventions from the era. It’s been compared to Douglas Adams’ sci-fi franchise Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the works of Mel Brooks. This all makes for a pretty tall order for a text adventure to live up to.
As for the game, it follows a pretty standard text-based adventure interface, similar to other older games like Citadel. You control Rincewind, and as the story unfolds, you can type in commands to let him interact with the world and characters around him. The game closely follows the plot of the book, so if you’re familiar with the narrative of the original novel you’ll have an advantage on the events of the game.
The Colour of Magic Main Characters
Since The Colour of Magic follows the plot of the book so closely, you can expect to see a lot of familiar faces. Just about all the major characters from the novel reappear here, allowing you to interact with them yourself. Here are some of the most prominent figures to look out for as you explore the events of The Colour of Magic.
- Rincewind: Rincewind is an incompetent wizard who flunked out of magic university before the events of the game. He is described as a perpetually unfortunate man with many problems and many enemies. After a failed attempt to con Twoflower and abscond with his fee, he finds himself joined at the hip and forced to escort the insurance clerk throughout Discworld.
- Twoflower: The naive Twoflower is an insurance clerk from the Agatean Empire who decides to visit Ankh-Morpork on holiday. He hires Rincewind as a guide and spends his vacation stumbling into increasingly dangerous situations.
- Luggage: Twoflower is accompanied on his trip by the Luggage, a sentient, indestructible, and vicious traveling chest that carries his belongings. This homicidal accessory is vital in getting Twoflower and Rincewind out of scrapes and rescuing its owner when he becomes kidnapped by thugs.
- Hrun the Barbarian: When Rincewind and Twoflower find themselves lost in the wilderness, they eventually meet Hrun. This imposing fellow is a parody of early sword-and-sorcery characters like Conan the Barbarian, and he joins the duo to lend his muscle to their travels.
The Colour of Magic Titles in the Series
Discworld is a rich and long-running franchise with numerous novels to its name. Unfortunately, it hasn’t flourished nearly as much in the video game space. There are only a few official Discworld video games, and they’re all from the 80s and 90s, meaning they’re not particularly accessible to modern fans. That said, here’s a full list of official Discworld video games.
- The Colour of Magic (1986)
- Discworld MUD (1991)
- Discworld (1995)
- Discworld II: Missing Presumed…!? (1996)
- Discworld Noir (1999)
Alternatively, if you want to explore this iconic fantasy series in its original format, here’s a full list of Discworld novels written by Terry Pratchett himself.
- The Colour of Magic (1983)
- The Light Fantastic (1986)
- Equal Rites (1987)
- Mort (1987)
- Sourcery (1988)
- Wyrd Sisters (1988)
- Pyramids (1989)
- Guards! Guards! (1989)
- Eric (1990)
- Moving Pictures (1990)
- Reaper Man (1991)
- Witches Abroad (1991)
- Small Gods (1992)
- Lords and Ladies (1992)
- Men at Arms (1993)
- Soul Music (1994)
- Interesting Times (1994)
- Maskerade (1995)
- Feet of Clay (1996)
- Hogfather (1996)
- Jingo (1997)
- The Last Continent (1998)
- Carpe Jugulum (1998)
- The Fifth Elephant (1999)
- The Truth (2000)
- Thief of Time (2001)
- The Last Hero (2001)
- The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents (2001)
- Night Watch (2002)
- The Wee Free Men (2003)
- Monstrous Regiment (2003)
- A Hat Full of Sky (2004)
- Going Postal (2004)
- Thud! (2005)
- Wintersmith (2006)
- Making Money (2007)
- Unseen Academicals (2009)
- I Shall Wear Midnight (2010)
- Snuff (2011)
- Raising Steam (2013)
- The Shepherd’s Crown (2015)
The Colour of Magic Cheat Codes
Unfortunately, there are no cheat codes available for The Colour of Magic. Since it’s a narrative, text-based adventure game, this is understandable. Events are programmed carefully to occur in a certain order and to be interacted with in a certain, limited variety of ways. Because of this, there’s really not much you could modify with cheat codes. Rincewind doesn’t have any resources or a health bar, and there are no enemies to be instantly banished by console commands. Possibly the best way to get a leg up on The Colour of Magic is to read the original novel. Being familiar with the events of the novel will help you figure out how the events of the game should play out, which is a big advantage. Alternatively, walkthroughs are plentifully available online if you get stuck, such as this one from RZX Archive.
The Colour of Magic Cheats FAQ
Should I start with The Colour of Magic? Despite of the original novel’s status as the first-ever Discworld novel, committed fans of the franchise actually tend to warn new readers away from starting with the book. Later Discworld novels introduce plots that aren’t directly related to the events of Colour of Magic, allowing fans to get acquainted with Discworld while also enjoying the benefits of Terry Pratchett’s more refined writing skills. If you’re interested in playing the video game on its own merits, this advice might not be directly applicable to you. But if you’re a committed video game historian who’s also interested in exploring the Discworld, you might want to explore some of the other novels before you dive into this computer game.
Is The Colour of Magic still available? Text-based adventure games are largely a bygone genre, and unfortunately, The Colour of Magic has fallen prey to this trend as well. The original game has not been ported onto any modern consoles, and the only way to play it now is through emulation. This can have dubious legality and questionable results depending on your source, but it remains a viable option for many video game fans. Incidentally, a different version of The Colour of Magic was released as a separate video game in 2006. This mobile game tells the story of the first novel through an isometric action format instead of a text-based adventure, making it a radically different experience. Unfortunately, due to how radically phones have changed since 2006, this game is even more difficult to access than the original text-based version.
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