View source for Software:Castle of Dr. Brain

{{Infobox video game
|title = Castle of Dr. Brain
|image = Castle of Dr. Brain Coverart.jpg
|caption = Cover art
|developer = Sierra On-Line
|publisher = Sierra On-Line
|director = Corey Cole<br />Bill Davis <small>([[Social:Creative director|creative]])</small>
|producer = Stuart Moulder
|designer = Corey Cole
|composer = Mark Seibert<br />Ken Allen
|engine = SCI1
|series = ''Dr. Brain''
|released = 1991 (DOS)<br />1992
|genre = Educational, [[Software:Adventure game#Puzzle adventure games|Puzzle adventure]]
|modes = Single-player
|platforms = [[Engineering:Amiga|Amiga]], [[Software:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]], [[Software:Mac OS|Mac OS]], [[Software:NEC PC-9801|NEC PC-9801]]
}}
'''''Castle of Dr. Brain''''' is an educational video game released in 1991 by Sierra On-Line. It is a [[Software:Adventure game#Puzzle adventure games|puzzle adventure game]].

==Gameplay==
The objective of the game is to successfully navigate the puzzles Dr. Brain has set up in order to become the mad scientist's assistant, a position Dr. Brain had advertised in the local classified section. To enter the castle, the player must play a game of memory at the front gate. Inside, the player must solve puzzles within the hallways and rooms of the castle. There are also three mazes in which the player must guide an elevator between and among different floors.

Many of the puzzles require skill in [[Mathematics|mathematics]] and [[Logic|logic]], but the game requires knowledge in a broad range of subjects. One puzzle requires the player to solve a cryptogram, and the penultimate level deals primarily with [[Astronomy:Astronomy|astronomy]]. In a rather surreal level, the player must put together a jigsaw puzzle which, when completed, becomes a room through which the player passes to go to the next level.

''Castle of Dr. Brain'' features a point-and-click mode of gameplay and three levels of difficulty, which the player can change at any time. The player can also change the pointer from a hand, which will interact with puzzles, to an eye, which will give information about an object, occasionally leading to clues to help solve puzzles. Typically, pointing the hand or the eye at an object that is not a puzzle will give a joke about it. The game also features Hint Coins, which the player earns by solving puzzles and can use for assistance on puzzles with which they are having difficulty.

==Development==
The proposal of Dr. Brain was an idea by Corey Cole. The game would become first in the Sierra Discovery series (which was established in 1992). Cole wanted to implement the elements of science and technology in an adventure game. Sierra gave him the okay to develop the game after he presented his concept to them. Many of Cole's inspirations came from games like [[Software:Mastermind (board game)|Mastermind]], Hangman and others.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dr. Brain |url=https://www.filfre.net/2018/02/dr-brain/ |author=Jimmy Maher |date=February 9, 2018 |accessdate=April 26, 2019}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
 | Dragon = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="Dragon180">{{cite journal |title=The Role of Computers |last1=Lesser|last2=Lesser|last3=Lesser|first1=Hartley|first2=Patricia|first3=Kirk|name-list-style=amp |journal=Dragon |issue=180 |date=April 1992 |pages=57–61}}</ref>
 | rev1 = Amiga Format
 | rev1Score = 61%<ref name="AmigaF18">{{cite journal |title=Amiga Format Issue 18 |url=https://archive.org/stream/Amiga_Power_Issue_18_1992-10_Future_Publishing_GB#page/n77 |issue=18 |page=79 |accessdate=April 12, 2015}}</ref>
 | rev2 = CU Amiga
 | rev2Score = 78%<ref name="CUAmiga-31">{{cite journal |title=CU Amiga Issue 31 |url=https://archive.org/stream/cuamiga-magazine-031/CUAmiga_031_Sep_1992#page/n77 |author=Steve Keen |date=September 1992 |issue=31 |page=78 |accessdate=April 12, 2015}}</ref>
}}

In 1992, ''Dragon'' gave the game 4 out of 5 stars.<ref name="Dragon180"/> ''Computer Gaming World''{{'}}s Charles Ardai praised ''Dr. Brain'', calling the game "one of the most entertaining agglomerations of puzzles ever stuffed into a single package", so well constructed "that it has a real shot at converting puzzle haters into puzzle lovers".<ref name="ardai199205">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_94/page/n19 |title=A Visit to the Mind-Bender |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=May 1992 |last=Ardai |first=Charles |pages=20, 22 |issue=94}}</ref>

==Reviews==
*''Amiga Format'' (Jul, 1992)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://amigareviews.leveluphost.com/castledr.htm#castleofdrbrainaf | title=Amiga Reviews: Castle of Dr Brain }}</ref>
*''MacUser'' (Dec, 1994)<ref>[https://vintageapple.org/macuser/pdf/MacUser_9412_December_1994.pdf Vintage Apple December 1994]</ref>
*''Amiga Action'' (Jul, 1992)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://amr.abime.net/review_40877 | title=Castle of Dr Brain review from Amiga Action 34 (Jul 1992) - Amiga Magazine Rack }}</ref>
*''Amiga Mania'' (Jul, 1992)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://amr.abime.net/review_3626 | title=Castle of Dr. Brain review from Amiga Mania (Jul 1992) - Amiga Magazine Rack }}</ref>
*''The One'' Amiga (Sep, 1992)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://amr.abime.net/review_38250 | title=The Castle of Dr Brain review from the One Amiga 48 (Sep 1992) - Amiga Magazine Rack }}</ref>
*''Amiga Power'' (Oct, 1992)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://amigareviews.leveluphost.com/castledr.htm#castleofdrbrainap | title=Amiga Reviews: Castle of Dr Brain }}</ref>
*''Amiga Magazine'' (Jul, 1992)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://amr.abime.net/review_18766 | title=Castle of Dr. Brain review from Amiga Magazine 16 (Jul - Aug 1992) - Amiga Magazine Rack }}</ref>
*''Amiga Joker'' (May, 1992)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://amr.abime.net/review_24052 | title=Castle of Dr. Brain review from Amiga Joker (Jun - Jul 1992) - Amiga Magazine Rack }}</ref>

==See also==
*Dr. Brain series

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{moby game|id=/castle-of-dr-brain}}
*{{Internet Archive game|msdos_Castle_of_Dr._Brain_1991}}
*[http://www.sierragamers.com/uploads/24082/Dr_Brain_1_Manual_1.pdf Castle of Dr. Brain Manual] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803074014/http://www.sierragamers.com/uploads/24082/Dr_Brain_1_Manual_1.pdf |date=2016-08-03 }}

{{Sierra Adventure Games|Dr Brain}}

[[Category:DOS games]]
[[Category:Puzzle video games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]

{{Sourceattribution|Castle of Dr. Brain}}