Dear players,

as promised, weve been working hard on a new version of the game. There are so many improvements that we decided to completely rewrite the entire program not only to fix some pesky bugs, but above all to make it easier to use, with a responsive GUI that adapts smoothly to 1920x1080 resolutions and above, without graphical glitches. And while we were at it, we also expanded the gameplay experience: we included more versions of The Sumerian Game and its derivatives, added a greater amount of educational content, and hopefully made everything more engaging with a large set of achievements. Here are a few screenshots from The Sumerian Game 2.0!
The main menu has been completely redesigned with a small infographic that not only shows all versions of the game, but also arranges them in chronological order. It displays the technologies used to create each one (FAP on IBM, FOCAL-68 or 69 on PDP, BASIC, and so on) in a kind of family tree that clearly indicates which games influenced later ones, or evolved into their next versions.
Each version or game is accompanied by a background image carefully chosen to be historically accurate. For the Suilxr version of The Sumerian Game, you can see a young student who took part in a photo shoot for IBM and actually tested that specific version of the game. We paid close attention to every detail for example, the red-colored player input. The IBM 1050 terminal used by students at the time was capable of printing in two colors: red and black. It had been programmed to print user input in red and system output in black. Surviving printouts from that era are indeed two-colored. Fascinating, isnt it?
The improved Suilxr version featuring slides and questions (not historically accurate, unfortunately, as the original questions have been lost and the exact slide mechanics are unknown) has been enhanced. This is an optional piece of content that can be played by purchasing the Supporter Pack.
The Sum9rx version has also been improved it was developed in parallel by IBM at the Mohansic Laboratory in Torktown Heights. This version, too, is playable with the purchase of the Supporter Pack.
Thanks to the work of a researcher friend, Kate Willaert, we were able to reconstruct the very first version of King of Sumeria by Douglas Dyment. Its quite different from the more well-known one and the most practical way to spot the differences is to play it :) Here it is: King of Sumeria for FOCAL-68.
Much less known than the other versions but mentioned on Wikipedia! here is Sumer (French), a French-language version programmed by two university researchers from Lige. Its a much more poetic take, Id say.
Hamurabi for BASIC, written by David Ahl based on the work of Dyment, but with the influence of games and modifications made by the students of Lexington High School also the birthplace of Lunar Lander and Civil War.
Preview of Pollution Game, the midway point between The Sumerian Game and Hamurabi. Programmed by James Storer the creator of Lunar Lander Pollution Game is also one of the most entertaining versions in the great Sumerian Game family. Welcome to Setates Detinu! And to keep things interesting or to give you a reason to play one more round here come lots of new achievements! They werent designed to make the game harder, but rather to highlight something special. Most achievements are unlocked when the player encounters a unique aspect of the version theyre playing. Reading the description should help you figure out what interesting event just happened. And if youre still not sure feel free to ask on the forum or reach out to us directly :) And thats not all there are more exciting things on the way, but well talk about them next time! Now for the most important part: when? Next week.

[ 2025-04-09 17:37:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello!

We are proud to finally announce that The Sumerian Game: A Digital Resurrection in its complete edition is now available in digital format as a bonus reward for supporters who purchased the Supporter Pack. The Sumerian Game: A Digital Resurrection is divided into five major sections: the first narrates the story of one of the very first known computer games in history; the second provides a detailed analysis of the known versions of The Sumerian Game (which supporters can also play in its digital reconstruction); the third section explores in detail the successors of The Sumerian Game, explaining how they were programmed and how they functioned. This is followed by a chapter dedicated to the surviving slides, with commentary on the sources Mabel Addis used to write The Sumerian Game, and finally, a lengthy appendix containing biographies of all the individuals involved in the game's development.
This last section is my personal favorite because it has been an honor to bring back to light the names, faces, and lives of the talented teachers, programmers, and creators of The Sumerian Game. As players, we owe them a great debt, and it was truly a shame that so little was known about these peopleuntil now.

And now?

Now that the book has been released (and will soon be available in paperback format directly from Amazon), its time to start looking toward the future. I plan to dedicate some more time and energy to The Sumerian Game, as I want to finalize the bug fixes and add a new gameplay mode, a variation of King of Sumeria). I also intend to continue the project of digitally recreating lost games so that everyone can see how it all began.
If youd like to support this research, I ask you to spread the word about The Sumerian Game to your friends and acquaintances and consider purchasing the Supporter Pack. Already, 140 people have done so, but there are still hundreds who have it on their wishlist. Now is the perfect timewhat are you waiting for? :) The Supporter Pack comes with access to the revisited game modes (Suilxr, Sum9rx) and two ebooks: The Sumerian Game: A Digital Resurrection and Video Games: Stage 1: 1979 and before, epub and PDF, English and Italian versions. Thank you all so much, and enjoy discovering The Sumerian Game!

[ 2025-03-01 17:27:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

The project to reconstruct The Sumerian Game and release it on Steam, allowing everyone to play it, began several years ago, between 2018 and 2019. The more I studied The Sumerian Game, the more I realized that not only was it possible to rebuild it, but it would also be a tremendous challenge and a unique endeavor in its own right. Five years later, here it is: The Sumerian Game! I hope you've enjoyed this journey through time. For the curious, the collectors, the video game history enthusiasts, and those who want to support this project (which is just the first in a series Im already working on... stay tuned because theres more to come!), for the hundreds of individuals who have already added The Sumerian Game Supporter Pack to their wishlist, now is the ideal moment! In four days, the crowdfunding campaign to fund the English translation and publication of my latest two books will come to an end. [previewyoutube=40QRq1nD_2Y;full][/previewyoutube] The first is Video Games Stage 2, the second in a series of five books (in Italy, we are about to publish the forth), which tells the entire history of the video game industry from its origins up to 1999, covering mainframes, computers, arcades, consoles, and handheld devices.
The second is The Sumerian Game: A Digital Resurrection, available in both print and ebook formats. But thats not all: among the rewards, there will also be a limited "big box edition" of The Sumerian Game in three versions: for Commodore 64, Apple II, and PC (on USB drive).
All supporters will also receive a free Steam key to unlock all the additional modes of The Sumerian Game. Additionally, for those who want to catch up on some of my other books, you'll be able to order Stage 1 of the Video Games series and Through the Moongate: The Story of Richard Garriott, Origin Systems Inc., and Ultima, the biography of the greatest CRPG creator and father of Ultima. What are you waiting for? Check the Kickstarter now :) If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

[ 2024-10-14 11:56:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Dear players, First of all, I want to thank you for your support. Exactly 100 of you chose to purchase the supporter package to fund this and other initiatives. Yes, because the restoration of The Sumerian Game is just the first of the adventures we can embark on, and Im already working on the next exploration back in time, going even further, all the way to the 1950s. But for now, I wont say more. Lets focus on the updates for this project. The version of The Sumerian Game youve played over the past few weeks was named Suilxr by its developers (it was the filename of the code saved on tape and loaded by the technicians before the game). As you already know, the source code didnt survive, but some game printouts did, including the one Ive called Scotts game in honor of the student who was playing. Thanks to the printout of Scotts game and Richard Wings notes, it was possible to almost entirely restore the Suilxr version, but we know that there was at least one other version. Ive studied it extensively, and unfortunately, Ive come to the conclusion that there isnt enough material to faithfully recreate it. However, its possible to imagine some of the missing parts of the game, and thats what I did. So here is the forgotten revision of the lost game: Sum9xr. This version is quite different and simpler than Suilxr. There is less text, no slides, and no questions either. The player had complete control of the inventory, being able to withdraw the oldest grain from storage year by year and replace it with the most recent harvest. The only challenge was performing mental calculations: adding and subtracting the grain withdrawn and deposited into the storage, adding it to what was harvested in the fields, and then dividing it between seed and food supply. These are simple calculations for adults, but they were designed for 10-year-old children experiencing a computer for the first time! With the restoration of Suilxr, the recovery work of The Sumerian Game is officially complete. Phases 2 and 3 where the player was given full control of the kingdom, including recruiting soldiers, sending caravans, building infrastructure, and advancing technology have been completely lost. So this is not a restoration but rather a reinvention. Maybe one day. Well see :) In addition to the update that adds Suilxr, a small bug fix and a few minor tweaks have been made. Nothing major. Suilxr is available to those who purchased the Supporter Pack DLC, but thats not all: the development and restoration document for The Sumerian Game has been enhanced with a lot more information. Its not complete yet, so it will be updated again in the future. All the material included in the development document will be part of the printed book The Sumerian Game: A Digital Resurrection, along with the collectors edition for Commodore 64, Apple II, and PC of The Sumerian Game, soon on Kickstarter.
Once again, thank you all for the support and for being part of this project. If you had fun or consider my work worthy of recognition, please leave a review and/or purchase the supporter package. The funds will be used for further research projects like this one, so I believe it will be well spent :) Thanks again, and enjoy the game!

[ 2024-08-23 13:45:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

With this update, version 1.0 of the Sumerian Game has finally been released, which includes four games in one:

• Suilxr: The Sumerian Game extracted from Scott's game listing.
• Suilxr Revised: The Sumerian Game as it was presumably played by students, with slides and questions for the player. This version is available only to owners of the DLC Supporter Pack.
• King of Sumeria: The game written in FOCAL by Douglas Dyment, based on the description given to him of the Sumerian Game (presumably the Suilxr version).
• Hamurabi: The version written in BASIC by David Ahl, based on Dyment's King of Sumeria.

For any questions, to report bugs, or anything else, contact me directly or write below. Have fun and remember to call the teacher if you run out of population ;)

[ 2024-08-04 13:35:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

Dear players, I am very happy to announce that a new version of The Sumerian Game has just gone live. In addition to some bug fixes, there are many new features, including a complete overhaul of the graphics and game interface and the addition of a new mode that includes (drum roll) the famous slides from 1964 and the questions.
Since the mechanics of how the slides were implemented in the 1964 game and all the questions the program asked the player (one every two turns to see if they had studied and understood the lesson) are not known, I had to think long and hard about how they could be reinvented and I had to create new questions.
This version of the game available only to those who have purchased the DLC is not historically accurate, although it is based on the available data, which is unfortunately too scarce. There might actually, there certainly will be! bugs and malfunctions. Currently, only two historically accurate questions (found in Scott's game listing) have been uploaded, but many more will be added soon. For any feedback, please write on the forum even if you want to suggest questions :) I hope you appreciate the effort to recreate The Sumerian Game. Your support is essential because only you can help us reach a wider audience :) Thank you and see you soon. ps: please leave a review steamhappy

[ 2024-07-26 19:24:36 CET ] [ Original post ]