The Calling

The Calling, also known as The Calling of the Demon, is a text adventure game released for the ZX Spectrum 48K in 1987 by The Adventure Workshop, written and designed by Visual Dimensions using the Professional Adventure Writer engine. Set on the lonely Yorkshire moors, the game begins with you returning home from York when your car breaks down in a sudden storm. With no help in sight, your companion Jenny ventures into the rain to find a house and call for recovery, but after two hours she has not returned, leaving you to brave the storm and uncover the mystery yourself. The game features atmospheric text descriptions accompanied by simple graphics and supports all standard adventure commands such as moving north, south, east, west, up, and down, abbreviated to N, S, E, W, U, and D. Players can interact with the environment using verbs like EXAMINE, LOOK, GET, DROP, GIVE, INVENTORY, SAVE, and LOAD, providing a classic British text adventure experience typical of the late 1980s budget scene. Despite its modest presentation, The Calling offers an engaging narrative that challenges players to explore eerie surroundings and solve puzzles to discover Jenny’s fate and escape the moor safely.