Scapeghost is a 1989 Interactive Fiction game from publishers Level 9 Software; the last game the company released. You play Detective Alan Chance, killed during an undercover mission to infiltrate a gang of drug dealers. It is revealed that during the same mission, your partner Sarah was captured and the failure of the operation is being blamed on your incompetence. You now have three days to discover the truth behind your death, rescue Sarah, expose the drugs gang and clear your name.
This game contains examples of:
- Dirty Cop: The reason for the failure of your operation, your death and your partner's kidnap is down to the presence of police on the drugs gang's payroll.
- Hurricane of Puns: Loads of puns relating to death and ghosts throughout the text.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted in a plot point. Two of the gang you are dealing with have the first name John and so use their surname initials to distinguish themselves. The fact that one of them has a surname beginning with Q (fairly unusual) is a key point in being able to trace the gang.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Solving the first part of the game relies on you recruiting your fellow ghosts to help delay a drugs pick-up. Your fellow ghosts include two elderly hypochondriacs, a dead colonel who still believes the war is ongoing, an Awful Wedded Life couple and a ghost who would be helpful if he could stay awake. And deceased barman Joe Danby who acts as an Only Sane Man.
- Whodunnit to Me?: Chance is killed, returns as a ghost, and has to discover the truth behind his death.
