The Worst Witch

The Worst Witch
Developer(s)	Sherston Software
Publisher(s)	Sherston Software
Designer(s)	Marshal Anderson, David Baxter
Release date(s)	BBC Micro  1987 Acorn Archimedes  1989
Genre(s)	Text adventure
System(s)	BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes
Players	1
Modes	Single player

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The Worst Witch is a text adventure game that was released by Sherston Software to British primary schools for the BBC Micro, in 1987 (and later for the Acorn Archimedes, in 1989); it is based upon Jill Murphy's 1974 book of the same name (and, to a lesser extent, the 1986 Central Television direct-to-TV movie it begat). The player must help Mildred Hubble (who is the eponymous "Worst Witch") save her school, Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, from a group of evil witches, by repairing her broken broomstick, flying it out of the school grounds and into a forest, and saying a magic spell to transform them all into snails before giving them to her headmistress (who is the aforementioned Miss Cackle), but if she does not take the cardboard box from fellow witch Maud's room, she will not be able to pick the snails up (and if her small tabby cat runs off while she is in the forest, she shall be trapped there).

Story

This is taken from the back of the disk's inlay card, the front of which is seen in the image to the right:

"The Worst Witch" is an intriguing adventure for juniors. Based on Jill Murphy's very popular book it is designed to encourage thorough and careful reading for understanding and to provide the basis for a topic on Witches or Magic. Children have to read Jill Murphy's book very carefully if they want to rescue the school from the evil witches. Spells need to be made, ingredients collected, potions mixed, brooms mended and all sorts of other magical deeds need to be done! If the children need to read the book before they can continue, their "adventure" can be saved to be continued at another time. © Sherston Software 1987

Although it is possible to save your position on a blank disk if you are playing on a real BBC Micro or Acorn Archimedes, it's not possible to do it with an emulated one; the 32-bit version is also now only playable if you should happen to have the original 3.5" disk (and an Acorn Archimedes to play it on).

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  The game's starter menu.

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  The game's title screen.

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  Screenshot of the game.

Table of Contents

Getting Started

Walkthrough

• Teacher Control
• Children's Instructions
• Play the Adventure