Magnetic Scrolls
A British software house that elevated the text adventure into illustrated literary fiction — producing seven titles of remarkable depth and hand-painted beauty between 1985 and 1990.
Where Interactive Fiction Met Fine Art
Founded in London in 1984 by Anita Sinclair and Ken Gordon, Magnetic Scrolls set out to produce text adventures of a quality previously unseen in the commercial market. Their first title, The Pawn (1985), established the template: a sophisticated natural-language parser, hand-painted colour illustrations by Geoff Quilley, and writing of genuine literary ambition. Critics were astonished. The studio had arrived.
Between 1985 and 1990, published through Rainbird Software, Magnetic Scrolls released six more titles: The Guild of Thieves, Jinxter, Corruption, Fish!, Myth, and the spectacular Wonderland. Each title was distinct in tone — fantasy, comedy, contemporary thriller, Greek mythology, Lewis Carroll — yet all shared a dedication to craft that made Magnetic Scrolls synonymous with the finest interactive fiction produced in Britain.
Their proprietary Magnetic Windows technology, fully realised in Wonderland (1990), allowed multiple scrollable text and graphics windows running simultaneously — a technical achievement that pointed toward where interactive storytelling might have gone, had the market shifted differently. Following acquisition by MicroProse and subsequent restructuring, the studio dissolved in 1993. The work endures.
History
From founding in 1984 through dissolution and the Strand Games revival — the complete story.
Catalogue
All seven titles with full credits, platform lists, writers, and illustrators.
Gallery
Hand-painted illustrations by Quilley, Humphries, Hunnisett, and Selby.
People
Anita Sinclair, Ken Gordon, Rob Steggles, Michael Bywater, and the artists who built the studio.
Flagship Titles
Editorial deep-dives: The Pawn, Guild of Thieves, Corruption, Wonderland.
Reviews
Period scores from Zzap!64, Your Sinclair, ACE, and Amiga Power.
Play Today
Strand Games iOS/Android remasters, browser play, and the Magnetic interpreter.
Modern Scene
Strand Games remaster programme, Spectrum Next 2024 compilation, and browser versions.
Kim Justice: The Story of Magnetic Scrolls
An essential documentary covering the studio's history, games, and legacy — featuring developer perspectives and detailed critical analysis.
"The Story of Magnetic Scrolls and The End of the Text Adventure" — Kim Justice, November 2022.
Studio at a Glance
Founded
London, 1984Established by Anita Sinclair and Ken Gordon, with Hugh Steers as a key early technical contributor.
Publisher
Rainbird SoftwareThe complete classic catalogue from The Pawn (1985) through Fish! (1988) was published by Rainbird. Wonderland appeared under Virgin Games.
Technology
Magnetic WindowsProprietary multi-window display engine capable of simultaneous scrollable text, graphics, and animation — first fully realised in Wonderland (1990).
Legacy
Strand Games, 2017Co-founder Ken Gordon launched Strand Games to create enhanced remasters for iOS and Android, beginning with The Guild of Thieves.