| Developer | Presage Software[1] |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Mindscape |
| Released | 1992: MS-DOS 1993: Amiga |
| Platforms | MS-DOS,[1] Amiga[1] |
Contraption Zack is a video game from California-based[2] developer Presage Software. It was published by Mindscape for MS-DOS in 1992, then the Amiga in 1993. The game involves the player, as Zack, fixing broken machines.[3][4][5]
Gameplay
Contraption Zack casts the player as a rookie repairman at Gadgetco, thrust into chaos on the player's very first day. With tools mysteriously "borrowed" and malfunctions rampant, the player's mission is to outwit the workplace and assert control. The game unfolds across a sprawling six-level, 60-room maze, but navigation alone will not suffice—each room presents a logical puzzle that demands careful sequencing and deduction. No special gear is needed; instead, the player must decipher interactions like buttons that raise or lower colored cones, crafting solutions from deceptively simple mechanics. The modular structure lets the player tackle puzzles one at a time, saving progress between breakthroughs.[6]
Development
The game was developed by Presage Software, a company founded in 1986.[2]
Reception
PC World said "Contraption Zack is highly appealing, particularly for short coffee breaks".[6]
References
- ^ "Presage Products - Contraption Zack". Presage Software. Archived June 14, 1997 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ "Overview". Presage Software. Archived June 14, 1997 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
- ^ "Contraption Zack". Computer Game Review. January 1993. p. 64. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ Lynch, Dennis (April 30, 1993). "Brain Busters". Chicago Tribune. p. 146. Archived May 12, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 12, 2025. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Schwabach, Bob (March 29, 1993). "DOS serves as Boss". Indian River Press Journal. p. 21. Archived May 12, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 12, 2025. – via Newspapers.com
- ^ Goodwin, Michael (June 1993). "Underground, in a maze, and on the green". PC World. Archived January 25, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 26, 2025. – via Gale Research