An amazingly moody piece of
interactive fiction by
Chris Klimas set in a near-future Earth suffering beneath the biological and social ravages of a
smallpox epidemic. You play a doctor torn between the responsibilities of fighting a losing battle against disease and spending his life
living once again. The sobering emphasis on mood succeeds on account of the author's stated focus on telling a story rather than implementing devious puzzles.
A finalist, in both categories Best Setting and Best Story in the Xyzzy Awards of 1997, a freeware copy of it playable through your favorite Z-code interpreter can be downloaded at http://www.ifarchive.org/if-archive/games/zcode/Mercy.z5