Queen of Phobos

About

Queen of Phobos is a text-based adventure game set aboard a ancient Martian spacecraft orbiting a distant moon. Players take control of a salvage operative tasked with retrieving a powerful artifact, the Mask of Kuh-Tuh-Lu, before it falls into the hands of four rival thieves. Navigating the derelict ship requires solving environmental puzzles, interpreting cryptic clues, and managing limited resources. The narrative unfolds through dense prose, blending sci-fi mystery with historical intrigue as players piece together the downfall of Mars' civilization. The game stands out for its layered storytelling and atmospheric worldbuilding, cramming millennia of Martian history into a claustrophobic spaceship setting. While its 1982 Apple II roots show in clunky parsing and sparse visuals, the focus on narrative depth and consequence remains engaging. Early examples of its kind often prioritized puzzles over polish, and this title is no exception, but the stakes feel real, the thieves feel persistent, and the mask’s mythic weight lingers long after the final command is typed.

Storyline

Two weeks ago a derelict starliner was discovered circling one of the moons of Scalus III. The ship was found to be of Martian origin, making it over ten thousand yeras old. This alone would be enough to make it of great archelogical value; however this particular vessel is believed to be the near legendary "Queen of Phobos", lost somewhere near the Triffid Nebula approximately 9450 B.C. Chief among the list of the ship's illustrious passengers was Rankh III, then Pharaoh of the now extinct Martian race. More importantly, the ship was carrying in it tightly guarded hold the mask of Kuh-Tuh-Lu, symbol of the Pharaoh's strength and power (there are those who contend that the mask was more than a symbol, that it was the source of the Pharaoh's power, but has never been proven). It is not known why the Pharaoh chose to travel on a commercial passenger liner, or why he deemed it necessary to bring the mask with him on a decidedly hazardous journey. All that is known for certain is that with the lost of the mask, the Empire of Mars was plunged into a state of chaos and civil war that brought about the extinction of the Martian race in less than 1200 years. As Mars' nearest living relative (there is some inconclusive evidence that Homo Sapiens are directly descended from the Martian race) the government of Earth war awarded exclusive salvage rights to the "Queen of Phobos" by the Federation of Planets, and a tight security net was thrown up around the derelict. However there are holes in even the tightest of nets, and four thieves are after the Mask of Khu-Tuh-Lu, as it is reputed to be of Martian soapstone and will fetch a handsome price on the Black Market. These are four ruthless thieves who will stop at nothing to obtain it. Your mission then, is to recover the Mask of Kuh-Tuh-Lu before the looters do and return it safely to base. You should within sight of the derelict now. Good luck and Gospeed.