Shadows of Cairn

• Title — Shadows of Cairn • Developer — Ant Software • Publisher — Masque Publishing • Released — November 1994 • Genre — Platform • Modes — Single-player • Platforms — MS-DOS, Windows 3.1

Although Quinn is an apprentice thief, he is too honest to steal anything of value and prove himself to his guild. As a result, his guild master sets him up to take the fall for the murder of the Duke of Cairn. After managing to escape his holding cell, Quinn must use a combination of fighting and stealth to traverse several areas of the tiered outpost city in the mountains of Cairn. His mission is to prove his innocence and thwart the plans of his former master and associates, who are plotting to exploit the outpost for their own selfish gain.

• Illustration — Screenshot Similar to Prince of Persia, Shadows of Cairn features two major gameplay elements. In the game, the player takes control of Quinn and must navigate him through treacherous terrain, overcoming pits and obstacles by utilizing running, jumping, climbing, and hiding abilities. Additionally, the player must engage in combat with enemies to progress. Quinn does not fight automatically; the player must manually activate fight mode and employ high, medium, and low punches or kicks to defeat opponents. Unlike Prince of Persia, Shadows of Cairn offers four difficulty levels. In addition to Easy, Normal, and Hard, there is a fourth difficulty level called "Very Easy." This mode allows players to cheat their way through the game by granting them infinite hit points or complete immunity to being hit. The only potential drawback of this mode is the risk of getting trapped in certain traps that would otherwise result in immediate death. The game guides the player by providing waypoints directly on Quinn's compass, indicating the locations they need to reach to progress the story. These waypoints can lead the player to various places, ranging from local taverns to magical towers located on different tiers of the city. The game's linear nature ensures that it is unlikely for the player to become lost or stuck. Notably, there is no inventory system in the game. However, chests can be found throughout the world containing useful items such as medicinal herbs or quest-related items like the Crazy Guy's Rat, which advance the story or can be traded for other items, including new weaponry. Periodically, the player is treated to in-game animated cutscenes. These cutscenes feature full voice-acting (using tracks from the CD-ROM) and distinct animation styles, differing from both the cover art and the in-game sprites.