The postal worker
The player character, a newly employed postal worker whose delivery draws them into Witchville’s magical emergency.
Documented for this version
Enter | Submit the typed command The DOS interpreter uses typed text commands. |
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Movement and interaction are primarily performed through the text parser.
Exact function-key behavior can vary by Infocom interpreter version.
How it plays
Wishbringer is viewed entirely through prose descriptions. The player explores Witchville and its fantastical surroundings by entering commands such as examining objects, taking items, moving, and interacting with characters.
The adventure follows a largely directed sequence of locations and puzzles. Progress depends on collecting and using objects, interpreting clues, and making effective wishes with the Wishbringer stone. The game includes an integrated hint system intended to reduce frustration without removing the central puzzle-solving challenge.
Plan your run
Examine every new location and object, and keep notes about unusual descriptions, names, and apparent contradictions.
Use the Wishbringer thoughtfully. Try ordinary actions before spending a wish, and save the game before experimenting with an unfamiliar object or apparent irreversible choice.
When stuck, review the wording of room descriptions and inventory items, then use the built-in hint facility rather than guessing random verbs.
Meet the cast
The player character, a newly employed postal worker whose delivery draws them into Witchville’s magical emergency.
The witch responsible for Witchville’s crisis and the principal opposing force.
The town’s mayor, whose predicament helps establish the player’s objective.
Before you begin
Save before testing a wish or entering an unfamiliar area.
Try synonyms when the parser rejects an otherwise sensible command.
The built-in hints are useful for learning the intended next step.
Wishbringer is a fantasy interactive-fiction adventure developed and published by Infocom for DOS in 1985. The player takes the role of a postal worker in the seemingly quiet town of Witchville, where an ordinary delivery leads into a magical crisis involving an oppressive witch and a legendary wishing stone. Play proceeds through typed natural-language commands, with the interpreter describing locations, objects, and consequences. The game is designed as a comparatively approachable Infocom adventure, offering a gentler tone and useful built-in assistance while still rewarding careful observation and experimentation. It was well received for its polished writing, whimsical setting, and accessibility, and is often regarded as a good entry point to Infocom’s text adventures.
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