The Witness is a text-based interactive fiction game developed by Infocom and released in 1983, available across a wide range of platforms including DOS, Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit, Amiga, and several others. It was the seventh title released by Infocom, a studio known for pioneering the genre. The player takes on the role of a detective called to the California office of a millionaire named Linder, who believes his life is under threat. Almost immediately, Linder is killed in front of the player, turning what began as a precautionary visit into an active murder investigation. The rest of the game involves gathering evidence, interviewing suspects, and piecing together the circumstances of the killing through the genre's signature text-parser interface, with the player issuing typed commands to navigate and interact with the world.
FEBRUARY 1938, LOS ANGELES FDR's New Deal is finally rolling. Hitler's rolling, too; this time through Austria. But as Chief Detective for a quiet burgh on the outskirts of L.A., you've got other fish to fry. One gilt-edged society dame is dead. And now it looks like some two-bit grifter is putting the screws to her multi-millionaire old man. Then, unexpected, on this stormy February night, a wealthy but frightened man has asked you for protection. In spite of your best efforts, a death will occur, and you will have twelve hours to solve the mystery and try to arrest the killer - the shakedown turns ugly. You're left with a stiff and a race against the clock to nail your suspect... unless you get nailed first! Nobody said a sordid family affair like this was going to be a cinch. Everyone from the knockout heiress to the poker-faced butler may end up in the slammer before it's over. Ahead of you is a Gordian knot of motives and alibis. And the only testimony you can trust is that of your own eyes--because you are The WITNESS.
