Obsidian (1986 video game)

Obsidian
Artic Computing advert with Obsidian artwork as the main image
Developer(s)Tony Warriner
Publisher(s)Artic Computing
Platform(s)Amstrad CPC
Release
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Obsidian is an action-adventure computer game for the Amstrad CPC personal computer published by Artic Computing in 1986. The game is set on the titular space station located within the centre of an asteroid, which is out of control and drifting towards a black hole. The player must guide an astronaut with a jet pack around the station and re-activate its engine shields to prevent the Obsidian's destruction. This involves collecting items and using them to solve puzzles, while avoiding the Obsidian's reactivated security systems.

Obsidian is the first game that was developed by Revolution Software co-founder Tony Warriner, who was a school pupil at the time. Due to concentrating on Obsidian's development rather than revising he failed all of his exams. The game received a positive response from journalists: it was praised for the quality of its graphics, though reviewers held mixed views on the game's ability to maintain player interest. The jet pack was criticized for being too sensitive when responding to the player's movement inputs.