Discworld (video game)

Discworld
The cover features work by Discworld novel cover artist Josh Kirby.
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Psygnosis
Director(s)Gregg Barnett
Producer(s)Angela Sutherland
Designer(s)
  • Gregg Barnett
  • David Johnston
Programmer(s)
  • Gregg Barnett
  • David Johnston
Artist(s)
  • Paul Mitchell
  • Simon Turner
Writer(s)
  • Gregg Barnett
  • Paul Kidd
Composer(s)
  • Mark Bandola
  • Rob Lord
Platform(s)MS-DOS, Mac OS, PlayStation, Sega Saturn
ReleaseMS-DOS
Mac OS
PlayStation
Sega Saturn
  • EU: 15 August 1996
  • JP: 13 December 1996
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Discworld is a point-and-click adventure game developed by Teeny Weeny Games and Perfect 10 Productions and published by Psygnosis. It is based on Terry Pratchett's novels of the same name. Players assume the role of Rincewind the "wizzard", voiced by Eric Idle, as he becomes involved in exploring the Discworld for the means to prevent a dragon terrorising the city of Ankh-Morpork. The game's story borrows elements from several Discworld novels, with its central plot loosely based on the events in Guards! Guards!

Pratchett was originally reluctant to grant a licence for a game based on his novels, after the commercial failure of a video game adaptation of The Colour of Magic in 1986. Gregg Barnett, the game's designer, managed to persuade the writer through offering, alongside an initial design concept, to faithfully recreate elements from the novels. As part of his desire for a large adventure for CD-based computer systems and opening up a new potential market for similar video games, he convinced Pratchett to create an original story that would offer a game based on the entire series rather than an adaptation of one book. Development included incorporating a British cast of comedians to voice several of the game's characters.

The game was originally released in 1995 for MS-DOS, Macintosh and PlayStation, with a Sega Saturn version released the following year. Discworld proved more popular with European gamers than those in North America, with reviewers praising it for its humour, voice-acting and graphics, but criticising its gameplay and difficult puzzles. A sequel, Discworld II: Missing Presumed...!?, was released in 1996.

  1. ^ Colin Smythe. "Chronology". Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.