The protagonist
A young woman traveling to the Caribbean whose abduction begins the adventure. The player determines her actions, attitude, and relationships.
Documented for this version
This DOS release uses typed text commands rather than a fixed action-button layout.
Type a command at the prompt and press Enter to submit it.
How it plays
The game is presented entirely through first-person text descriptions. Players explore ships, islands, estates, and other locations by typing movement commands, examining objects, taking items, and speaking or acting in ways suggested by the prose.
Progress depends on solving inventory and environmental puzzles while handling conversations and social situations. The story is divided into scenes and advances as the player reaches new locations or completes important actions. Certain encounters are time-sensitive, and the ending can vary according to decisions and relationships.
Plan your run
Read every description carefully and note unusual wording, exits, objects, and people. Infocom games often expect natural-language commands, but concise verbs and nouns are usually more reliable.
Save before major conversations, dangerous encounters, and apparent deadlines. Explore methodically, keep useful objects, and try alternate approaches when a social exchange or puzzle does not progress.
Meet the cast
A young woman traveling to the Caribbean whose abduction begins the adventure. The player determines her actions, attitude, and relationships.
A pirate captain connected to the protagonist’s abduction and the central romantic conflict.
Before you begin
Examine important objects and characters before attempting to use them.
Save frequently before timed scenes or major decisions.
If a command fails, try a simpler verb-object phrase or synonym.
Plundered Hearts is a 1987 interactive-fiction adventure developed and published by Infocom for DOS. Written by Amy Briggs, it places the player in the role of a young woman who is abducted by pirates while traveling to the Caribbean, then drawn into a romantic and political crisis involving rival factions. The game uses Infocom’s text-parser format: players read prose descriptions and type commands to explore, solve problems, and influence relationships. Its emphasis on romance, social encounters, and a female protagonist distinguished it from many contemporary computer adventures. Reviews generally recognized its polished writing and unusual subject matter, although some players found the parser and timed situations demanding. The story supports multiple outcomes, making conversation and the player’s choice of actions important parts of the experience.
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