Picnic Paranoia
Picnic Paranoia is an action game written by Russ Segal for both the Atari 8-bit computers and Apple II and published by Synapse Software in 1982. A version for the TI-99/4A was published by Atarisoft in 1983. Although the gameplay is identical, all three versions of the game utilize slightly different graphics.
Picnic Paranoia
- Date
- 1982
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Documentary connections
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q28451886 · wikipedia · Picnic Paranoia
In this article
The object
The object
Segal later wrote New York City for Synapse.
Key facts
Key facts
• Title — Picnic Paranoia • Publisher — Synapse Software Atarisoft (TI) • Designer — Russ Segal • Platforms — Atari 8-bit, TI-99/4A, Apple II • Released — 1982: Atari, Apple 1983: TI-99/4A • Genre — Action
Gameplay
Gameplay
• Illustration — Atari 8-bit screenshot As "George" the player attempts to protect their picnic from ants, who will carry off the food, spiders, who will weave webs to slow George down or bite, and wasps, who will sting to paralyze. While fending off the insects the player must move the food back on to the tables. Points are gained for food still visible on the screen at the end of each round. Each round lasts 90 seconds. There are sixteen rounds in a game. If all the food is pushed off the screen the game ends.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
- United States
Named but not plotted · 1
Picnic Paranoia is associated with United States.
Country
Reception
Allen Doum reviewed the game for Computer Gaming World stating that "animation and graphics are excellent. George, the wasp, and a multitude of ants all move smoothly around the screen, though the spiders suffer by comparison. Sound cues for walking, being stung, the wasp, and for food being pushed are all well done. The music that accompanies the copywrite screen is great, even by Synapse standards".
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Picnic Paranoia, revision 1315403584 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Hague, James. The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers.
- 2.TI-99/4A Picnic Paranoia boix. 99er.net.
- 3.Taking a peek - Computer Gaming World Nov/Dec 1982 - VideoGame Pavilion. 15 October 2015.
- 4.Doum, Allen. The Atari Arena. Computer Gaming World. 1. 8. 34–35. Jan–Feb 1983.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
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