La Abadía del Crimen

About

La Abadía del Crimen is a 1987 adventure RPG set in a medieval Italian monastery where players guide friar William of Occam and his apprentice Adso through a murder mystery. Developed by Paco Menéndez and Juan Delcán, it blends text-based dialogue with 3D isometric exploration as you uncover clues, interrogate suspects, and piece together a story steeped in historical and philosophical intrigue. The game’s lean mechanics prioritize narrative over combat, tasking you with navigating a crumbling abbey filled with hidden passages and cryptic symbols to solve a string of violent deaths. The game stands out for its ambitious technical design at the time, using pseudo-3D environments to create spatial depth rare in early 80s/90s European games. Inspired by Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose but legally rebranded, it weaves real-world religious history into its plot, earning it a cult following. MobyGames users rate it 8.5/10, citing its atmospheric setting and layered storytelling. With a 65% completion rate reported by fans, its tricky inventory puzzles and branching dialogue still challenge modern players. DOS and Spectrum versions remain playable through emulators.

Storyline

"Do not follow various and strange sophisticated doctrines that spread pestiferous seed", wrote Clement VI himself in 1436 to the teachers and students of the University of Paris. The Pontiff, in that letter, referred to the doctrines of an illustrious Franciscan monk of English origin named William of Occam, who had fled several years before from the Avignon jails accused of heresy. For four years he had been held, until he managed to escape and request asylum at the court of Emperor Louis of Bavaria, at that time at odds with Pope John XXIII. When the Emperor died, William wanted to return to union with his order and with his Church, which is why he traveled to Italy accompanied by his young novice to meet with Bernodo Gui, then head of the Inquisition in that area and representative, ultimately, of the Pontiff. However, it is not known with certainty whether Gullermo actually achieved his goal. Only the testimony left by his disciple, many years later, in a collection of scrolls; where the astonishing and terrible events that happened during the week they stayed at the Abbey are related, that appointment had been scheduled. The testimony of history that you are now going to relive ...