I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
First release	1995
Also known as	I Have No Mouth, IHNM IHNMAIMS
Developed by	The Dreamers Guild
Published by	Acclaim, Cyberdreams, DotEmu, Nightdive Studios
Distributed by	Acclaim, Apple, Arcadia Software, DotEmu, Electronic Arts, GOG.com, Google, MGM Interactive, Roadshow Entertainment, Scanbox Danmark, Valve
Platforms	Android, DOS, iOS, Linux, Macintosh, Mac OS X, Windows
Resolution	640x480, 256 colors
Engine	SAGA
Support	Since ScummVM 0.11.0
Available for Purchase	Yes

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream was the second game to use The Dreamers Guild's SAGA engine. The game is based on Harlan Ellison's short story of the same name, which was originally published in 1967.

At the end of the cold war, the three superpowers (United States, Russia, and China) each created a supercomputer to regulate the launch of missiles. The three supercomputers, which were networked together via an early form of the internet, combined themselves together to form one large supercomputer network known as AM (I think therefore I AM). AM developed a hatred towards humans after learning about their hate for their own kind through the information from each of the nation's supercomputers. The computer destroyed all of humankind, except for five people it chose to torture for over one hundred years due to flaws in their nature. After 109 years of torture, the computer decided to give the five people a chance to redeem themselves.

The game follows AM's test on the five victims. Each of the tests involves the flaws of each of the five people. Gorrister has had to deal with the mental instability of his wife, as well as the controlling nature of his nagging mother-in-law and his father-in-law who does anything his wife wishes. Benny will do anything to make himself look good, even at the expense of others. Ellen is a caring individual, but is mentally disturbed. She will go hysterical at the mere sight of the color yellow. Ted is a bigot who tricks white rich people into thinking that he was a rich individual himself, and has fallen in love with Ellen. Nimdok is the worst of them all, as he murdered and tortured thousands of Jewish people during the holocaust. The game has multiple endings based on the civility of the choices the player makes during each of the character's tests.

Notes

• In order to run the IHNM demo, it needs to be launched as "s.exe vesa", so that it can switch to graphics mode (noted in the MobyGames page of the game, too)

External links

• Wikipedia article on I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
• MobyGames entry for I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
• Available for sale from Harlan Ellison
• Screenshots