Loom

Loom is an atmospheric adventure from Lucasfilm Games that on the Atari ST offered unusual controls based entirely on music - instead of a classic inventory and item collecting, the player, as the weaver Bobbin Threadbare, controls magic by composing four-note musical patterns on a staff, with which they alter reality, open locks, put guards to sleep, or converse with the creatures they meet on their journey. This minimalist approach to puzzles made Loom one of the most accessible LucasArts adventures, free of the frustrating dead ends and deaths typical of older genre titles, which made it suitable even for players with no adventure-game experience.

On the Atari ST the game offered subtly stylized graphics with a strong atmosphere of a fairy-tale world of guilds, weavers, blacksmiths, and shepherds, and a musical score drawing on the classical melody of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, giving the game an unusually elaborate musical identity for its time and setting it apart from the surrounding competition. The story was further complemented by an audiobook on the included medium, which introduced players to the world of the game even before starting the game itself and fleshed out the background of the story and characters. The weavers' guild community to which Bobbin belongs, along with its rivalry with other guilds, formed an unusually poetic backdrop to the story that set it apart from the typical fantasy clichés of other adventures.

At the time, Loom was praised for its elegant, music-based controls and accessibility, which made it an ideal entry point into the adventure genre for new players, though more experienced audiences at times criticized its short length and low difficulty. Today it is regarded as one of LucasArts' most distinctive experiments in adventure design and is remembered above all for its musical system, which remained unique in the genre, and players still gladly return to it today for its fairy-tale atmosphere.

Why play it: For its elegant, music-based controls and accessibility, which make Loom an ideal entry point into the adventure genre - though more experienced players may be disappointed by its short length.