Softporn Adventure is a classic adult‑oriented text adventure game originally developed by Chuck Benton and published by On‑Line Systems (later Sierra On‑Line) in 1981 for the Apple II. It’s widely regarded as one of the earliest commercial computer games with adult themes, blending interactive fiction with humor and risqué content.
In the game, you play a down‑on‑his‑luck protagonist navigating a city’s bar, casino, and disco, trying to win money and attract the attention of three women through clever use of items and actions. The adventure is entirely text‑based with no graphics or sound, relying on a text parser where players type verb‑noun combinations to interact with the world.
Though controversial at the time for its suggestive themes, the game drew significant attention and sold tens of thousands of copies, helping it become a memorable part of early computer gaming history. Softporn Adventure later inspired the famous graphic adventure series Leisure Suit Larry — the first graphical Larry game being almost a direct adaptation of its puzzles and structure.
Today it is remembered as a pioneering, humorous slice of retro gaming that pushed boundaries during the early 1980s and influenced adventure game design in years to come.
Features
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Classic text‑based interactive fiction gameplay.
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Adult‑oriented themes and humor uncommon for its time.
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Parser system for typing commands (verb + noun).
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Multiple locations: bar, casino, disco, and more.
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Puzzle and adventure elements to solve.
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Gambling mechanics like blackjack and slots.
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Goal: earn money and win favor of characters.
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No graphics or sound — pure textual storytelling.
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Single‑player experience with save/load support.
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Historical influence on Leisure Suit Larry series.
System Requirements
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Platform: Originally Apple II / Atari 8‑bit / DOS.
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Emulator or compatible DOS environment (e.g., DOSBox) for modern PCs.
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Keyboard input required (text commands).
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Minimal storage — tiny game files typical of early 1980s.
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No graphics or sound hardware needed.
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Works on basic text‑mode display or console.
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Low memory footprint (fits early system limits).
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Runs on 16‑bit PC architectures via DOS ports.
