Game Guide: Chicago

Hello LCD! Done at last — after several attempts and interruptions, I was finally able to find the time to keep my promise. Recent club meetings and other commitments took up more time than anticipated. So here, at long last, is the promised guide to:

> C H I C A G O <

Friends of the fast-rolling dice!

In Scene 8/96, you will find the game "Chicago". It is a well-crafted implementation of a classic dice game concept. Before diving into the rules, here is why I find this game so interesting:

You can play it alone or with up to six people; the computer can also join in and even replace multiple players. It requires a bit of skill, a willingness to take risks, and, of course, Lady Luck plays her part.

After loading, the program asks for the number of players and their names. If you enter "Spectrum" or "Spect" or something similar, the computer picks an AI player from its roster. These computer opponents have slightly different playing strengths (at least that is the impression WoMo and I got). Next, it determines the turn order. Once this is displayed on screen and you have waited a few seconds, the game begins.

The first roll is displayed, offering various options on how to proceed. But to make sense of them, you need to know what it is all about:

1. The game ends when one or more players reach or exceed 10,000 points.
2. The player with the most points at the end of that final round wins (it does not necessarily have to be the one who crossed 10,000 first).
3. On every roll, at least one scoring die must be set aside.
4. Once a player has accumulated 350 points, they can either bank (record) them or continue rolling. But beware: if a roll contains no scoring dice, all points gathered during that turn which have not yet been banked are lost.
5. Single dice score as follows: a 1 = 100 points, a 5 = 50 points. All other single numbers score nothing.
6. If all six dice show different numbers on a SINGLE roll (i.e., a straight of 1–6), it awards 1500 points — so take all of them and don't just take the 1 and keep rolling! (Speaking from personal experience :))
7. If three identical numbers appear in one roll, they are worth 100 times their face value (e.g., 4-4-4 = 400 points). However, three 1s yield 1,000 points.
8. If all dice have been set aside, you must roll all six dice again. If none of the six new dice score, you're left with disappointed faces.

The controls for rolling (initiated with a keypress) and the options to bank or continue are clearly displayed. Since the Spectrum makes for a formidable opponent and up to six people can gather around the TV or monitor, the idea is genuinely well-realised. It makes for a refreshing break from shoot 'em ups and platformers, whether playing solo or with friends. Additionally, the Spectrum comments on its moves with various witty remarks, which keeps things lively.

If the rules seem a bit confusing at first, I can only recommend just jumping right in — it quickly becomes intuitive.

Rating (1–10)

• Game: Chicago (48/128K, 16K?)
• Author: Erich Czyrka (1984)
• Programmed in: BASIC!
• Graphics: 6 (for a dice game)
• Sound: 3
• Speed: 6
• Concept & Execution: 9

Verdict: It doesn't always have to be garish and screamingly loud. Overall, highly recommended for fans of dice games!

Tested with the help of WoMo by P. C. R., 1997.

Note by LCD: Tested Chicago on a Spectrum 16K (which has a defective chip in the upper memory bank!); it doesn't run. No surprise there — the BASIC program alone takes up 20 KB. Since only 8 KB of RAM are free on a 16K machine, running it there is out of the question! As for playing it solo: I gave it another try and found it genuinely fun, now that the rules are clear.