Stifflip & Co.

Stifflip & Co. from 1987 is a comedy adventure by Palace Software, a publisher that never shied away from experiments on the Commodore 64. The game lampoons the pulp adventure stories of the 1930s: moustaches, pith helmets, stiff upper lips and a villain menacing the British Empire.

In the late eighties Palace Software ranked among the most interesting British studios – its titles leaned on strong artwork and a distinct sense of humour rather than established templates. Stifflip & Co. shows that approach at full strength: the parody of gentleman heroes runs on dry British irony, and the game refuses to take itself seriously for even a second.

You guide a band of eccentric characters and untangle situations by choosing actions and items; the third-person view gives the whole thing the feel of an interactive comic strip. That comic-panel presentation was striking on the C64 and remains the game's greatest charm today.

1987 was the high point of an era when British adventures tried to break away from their text-only roots through visual style and wit. Stifflip & Co. belongs to the braver end of that output – which is exactly why it is still remembered despite never being a mass-market hit.

Palace could afford such eccentricities partly thanks to its parentage: the label belonged to a film and music group, and it showed in the emphasis on artwork and presentation. Stifflip & Co. looks and sounds unlike the standard output of 1987, and its dry humour has aged considerably better than most of the technical tricks its competitors boasted about.

If you fancy saving the Empire yourself, the game runs straight in your browser on OldGame.cz – open the card and off you go.