Die Kathedrale (The Cathedral) is a German-only text adventure with graphics created by Weltenschmiede and published by Software 2000 in 1991. The game was released for PC and Amiga. Unfortunately, there is no English version.
Die Kathedrale is part of a trilogy of games all about time travel. It's preceded by Das Stundenglas, released in 1990, followed by Hexuma, released one year later. Die Kathedrale is considered by many one of the best German language adventures ever created. Despite being mostly a normal text adventure with still pictures, there is a sort of point-and-click interface: you can click on an object, and the name will appear in the parser: very useful!
Our reader Andreas sent us a beautiful review of this game.
The pixelated landscapes, the cryptic puzzles, and the thrill of exploration are the hallmarks of an era when gaming was an art form, not just a pastime. And nestled within this pixelated tapestry lies Die Kathedrale.
Imagine stepping into the shoes of an intrepid adventurer, your pixelated avatar navigating the dimly lit corridors of St. Paul’s Kathedrale. The year is 1991, and the cathedral celebrates its 666th anniversary. But this isn’t your ordinary celebration. Beneath the grandeur and stained glass lies a dark secret that will test your wits, courage, and existence.
Victor Paz, the cathedral’s enigmatic architect, harbored a grudge against the Catholic Church. Perhaps it was the stifling dogma or the hypocrisy that fueled his ire. Regardless, he left a legacy—a malevolent one. Fifteen deadly traps, intricately woven into the cathedral’s stone and wood, awaited those who dared to tread where they shouldn’t.
As you explore, you stumble upon yellowed letters, their ink fading but their urgency undiminished. Bernardo da Molina, Victor Paz’s assistant from the 15th century, penned these missives. His words reveal the truth: Paz had hidden the traps as a twisted act of revenge.
Your mission? Disarm the traps. But there’s a twist—a temporal one. You must traverse three different years: 1992, 1881, and 1437. Each era holds clues, riddles, and dangers. The clock ticks relentlessly; you have 56 hours to unravel the mystery. Fail, and a demon shall rise—a manifestation of Paz’s wrath.
Die Kathedrale defies genre conventions. It’s part text adventure, part graphic exploration. The pixelated backgrounds evoke a sense of place—the cold stone, the flickering candles, the echoes of footsteps. But it’s the text that breathes life into this world. Type commands, interact with objects, and watch the story unfold.
The game's story is so good that the writer, Harald Evers, transformed it into a novel. If you speak German, you can't miss it.
Review by: Adam
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