Codename: ICEMAN (pronounced as "Iceman") is a graphical adventure game made with the SCI engine and published by the American computer game company Sierra On-Line in 1990. The lead designer was Jim Walls, who also created several Police Quest games.
ICEMAN involves a near-future political conspiracy involving the United States, the Soviet Union, and Tunisia. One of the game's notable features is that a large portion takes place in a detailed simulation of a submarine, requiring the player to manage the navigation and weapons systems of the fictional USS Blackhawk.
Mention of a "Codename: PHOENIX" in Sierra promotional material suggests that ICEMAN was meant to be the first part of a series, but disappointing sales ended the would-be franchise after one game.) and allowing certain actions to be performed with a mouse.
Within the game's "setting of espionage and intrigue," players must also master a variety of detailed procedural tasks. These tasks include learning Navy terminology, decoding encrypted messages, and correctly administering CPR. These procedural tasks require regular referencing of the game's included manual. The reviewer for CU Amiga criticized the game's awkward text parser and argued its focus on procedural details is "dull" and "pedantic."
For a retrospective review in 2007, Adventure Gamers harshly criticized the game, calling it "mundane" and unmemorable. The protagonist Johnny Westland is described as having "the personality of a magazine cut-out" and the gameplay as frustrating, confusing, and "tiresome."