Review of Maniac Mansion by Lagomorph

I really like how this game is centered around the mansion and the routines of its inhabitants. Suspense permeates the game world as you never know when you might get caught. In addition to having to outwit the NPC’s, the player must also manage a team of three characters, which adds another layer to the gameplay. Maniac Mansion is one of the hardest LucasArts adventures, but puzzles are usually fair and occasionally clever. I particularly liked the one involving the chandelier.   

Maniac Mansion does have its limitations. While replaying the game recently, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated that there was no “look at” verb. This hampers the immersion a bit as does the lack of dialogue and characterization. I don’t really mind the deaths or dead ends, but the more fleshed-out stories and game worlds of later LucasArts adventures certainly mark an improvement over the sparse treatment given here.

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Time Played: 10-20 hours
Difficulty: Hard