Michael Cranford, best known for designing and programming 1985's The Bard's Tale and its sequel The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight, has returned to the games industry to finally complete Shadow Snare. Originally announced back in 1983 at the end of Maze Master, the project was never finished during Cranford's initial career before he left the industry in the 1990s for academia.
Quick Facts
- Developer: Michael Cranford
- Platform: Commodore 64 (native 6502 assembly language)
- Origins: First announced in 1983 as Adventure 2: Shadow Snare
- Current Status: Playable demo available now; upcoming presentation at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo
Building Inside Commodore 64 Limits
Cranford has clarified that this project is not a reconstruction of previously completed work, as no finished version of Shadow Snare existed. Instead, he is returning to the concept with four decades of additional experience, developing the role-playing game to function within the genuine hardware limits of the Commodore 64, including its memory, color palette, sound capabilities, and storage constraints.
Availability and Upcoming Presentation
Players interested in trying out the project can access a playable demo on the official Shadow Snare website. Cranford is also scheduled to present the game in person at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo, which takes place from October 9th through October 11th.