Professional Adventure Writer (also referred to as the PAW) is a 1986 game creation software that allows users to write text adventure games with graphic illustrations. It was developed by Gilsoft for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, as a successor to its previous software The Quill. Upon release, PAW received positive reviews, with critics praising the depth and flexibility of features, its accessibility for generalists, and its ability to create complex adventure games.
Capabilities
thumb|alt=PAW main menu|PAW main menu
Professional Adventure Writer features a menu-based interface to allow players to create a graphic adventure game. The software consisted of a number of self-contained overlays, and depending on the computer memory of the user's machine, the desired overlays would be loaded in or switched. An example adventure game named Tewk was also included with PAW that showcased its capabilities.
Development and release
Professional Adventure Writer was developed by Gilsoft, and was the successor to its 1983 predecessor The Quill. PAW was developed in two parallel versions: a ZX Spectrum version with a graphical editor programmed by Tim Gilberts, and a non-graphical CP/M version programmed by Graeme Yeandle. Versions were created for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC and Amstrad PCW;
| SUser = 5/5
| rev1 = 8000 Plus
| rev1Score = 4/5
Professional Adventure Writer received positive reviews from critics, with many describing it as the best commercially available adventure game creator. Critics also praised improvements to the familiar design of its predecessor, The Quill. Describing it as a "remarkable invention" and exciting in its capabilities and potential applications, Crash praised the accessibility of the software's features and the depth and humor of its manual, hoping it could "lead the way to better and more imaginative" adventure titles.