3 In Three (1989)

In this metapuzzle game, created by puzzle designer Cliff Johnson, the player is the letter 3, which, during a power surge, has been zapped from a spreadsheet report into the bowels of the computer. 3 needs to repair the system, avoiding a virus detector and outwitting the taunting pi symbol, and ultimately get back home. There's over 80 puzzles including: Geometric lift puzzles – 3 needs get from one side to the other by walking on lifts moving up and down in certain patterns. Mesh puzzles – a mesh (of 3x3 to 9x9 sizes) must be changed to match the pattern shown. Missing vowels – missing vowels must be added to common proverbs or homophones. Trapdoor puzzles – 3 must open or close doors, which will in turn trigger other doors, in order to get the whole set of doors in the same state. Reordered word puzzles – 3 rearranges a word by clicking three letters which will each time switch two letters and form another word. Logic puzzles – a grid of items needs to be rearranged in a specific order to match a certain rule. As puzzles are solved, letters are filled in the master word until all are in place. Then a logic puzzle must be solved to properly order them. Finally, in the end game, hints found in previous puzzles must be used to finish the metapuzzle and complete the game.

• Release Date: December 31, 1989
• Developer: Cliff Johnson