Upper Gumtree (1984)

Nothing ever happens in Upper Gumtree—until the eccentric Professor Blowitovitz moves into town and turns the quiet village upside down. Released in 1984, Upper Gumtree is a charming and witty text adventure game developed by Pete Cooke and published by Richard Shepherd Software Ltd for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. Players explore a surreal British countryside filled with quirky characters, humorous dialogue, and clever puzzles. With a powerful text parser that supports complex commands and real-time progression, the game introduces unique mechanics like pausing time and delegating tasks to NPC companions. Optional split-screen graphics add visual flair without sacrificing performance. A cult classic among retro adventure fans, Upper Gumtree blends satire, storytelling, and innovation in a delightfully odd package.