<!--
	Title: You're About to Get Yourself into Very Deep Trouble
	Subtitle: Infocom Introduces Cutthroats
	Source: The New Zork Times, v3(3)
	Date: Summer 1984
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

<img class="float-right-half" src="/public/img/articles/nzt-very-deep-trouble/cutthroats-packaging.jpg" alt="Cutthroats packaging">

*Nights on Hardscrabble Island are lonely and cold when the lighthouse
barely pierces the gloom. You sit on your bed, thinking of better times and
far-off places. A knock on your door stirs you, and Hevlin, a shipmate you
haven't seen for years staggers in.*

*"I'm in trouble," he says. "I had a few too many at The Shanty. I was
looking for Red, but he wasn't around, and I started talking about.... Here,"
he says, handing you a slim volume that you recognize as a shipwreck book
written years ago by the Historical Society.*

*You smile. Every diver on the island has looked for those wrecks, without
even an old boot to show for it. You open the door, hoping the drunken fool
will leave. "I know what you're thinking'," Hevlin scowls, "but look!" He
points to the familiar map, and you see new locations marked for two of the
wrecks.*

*"Keep it for me," he says. "Just for tonight. It'll be safe here with you. Don't
let--." He stops and broods for a moment. "I've got to go find Red!" And with
that, Hevlin leaves.*

*You put the book in your dresser and think about following Hevlin. Then
you hear a scuffle outside. You look through your window and see two men
struggling. One falls to the ground in a heap. The other man bends down
beside him, then turns as if startled and runs away. Another man then
approaches the wounded figure. He kneels beside him for a long moment,
then takes off after the other man.*

*It isn't long before the police arrive to tell you that Hevlin's been murdered.
You don't mention the book, and hours later, as you lie awake in your bed,
you wonder if the book could really be what it seems.*

<hr style="width: 50%;">

That is just the beginning of *Cutthroats*, Infocom's newest title in
the Tales of Adventure genre. Written by Michael Berlyn (*Suspended*,
Infidel) with the assistance of Jerry Wolper, *Cutthroats* promises to be
another Infocom classic.

The story takes place on Hardscrabble Island, a dying little seaport
all but forgotten. The island hasn't got much to offer, and diving off the
treacherous reefs has long since lost its charm. So when the chance of a
lifetime is dropped into your hands, you're ready for action. True, your
cohorts are untrustworthy. Granted, keeping the sunken treasure a secret
is practically impossible on such a small island. Naturally, diving alone
in new areas is dangerous. But if you keep your head and get the treasure,
the riches will more than offset the risks you have to take.

There are a number of new twists in *Cutthroats*. Dealing with a group
of shady characters is one thing, but having to cooperate with them as you
do in *Cutthroats* is another. The character interactions differ from
those in other Infocom stories since the plot requires everyone involved
to agree on taking risks together. In Cutthroats, you're not the leader of
the expedition, you're one of four people whose survival depends on
working together.

*Cutthroats* comes with a book entitled "Four Shipwrecks Off Hardscrabble
Island." There's also a map showing where the shipwrecks went
down, a price list from Outfitters International, a tide table and, of
course, the True Tales of Adventure magazine. It is a standard level game
and will sell for $39.95 on most systems.