January 14th

Dear friend. My sojourn in parts foreign is at an ende. I am at lodgings in Southwark not far from the bridge at Stoney Street, come dine with me two days hence to ring in the newe year. I have not enjoyed amiable English companie for some long time and it would be refreshing to hear my mother tongue used in its proper manner again.

Your friend,

John Croft.

When you receive this note from your old acquaintance John Croft, you expect nothing but an evening of good food and drink and Croft's lecherous tales. Instead, you quickly find yourself plunged into a conspiracy of black magic that involves not only Croft but some of the most powerful and important men in London -- and possibly even someone else, someone much closer to your own heart.

The King of Shreds and Patches is a novel-length work of interactive fiction. In it you will explore an historically accurate recreation of Elizabethan London, circa 1603, interact with some fascinating characters both historical and fictional, and (if you are clever and lucky) thwart an occult conspiracy that threatens to bring down the entire city -- or worse.

Over two years in development, King features:

• Roughly 12 to 15 hours of play time
• A convoluted, compelling mystery to piece together
• Realistic interactions with more than a dozen potential friends or suspects -- or both
• Realistic action sequences
• A huge variety of puzzles to solve in a variety of ways
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• An integrated context-sensitive hint system designed to give you only the information you need
• An auto-map to make finding your way around London a snap
• An RPG-style "quest tracking" system to keep you always oriented to your current goals and your place in the story
• An integrated tutorial to get those new to interactive fiction into the swing of things quickly and easily

...and much, much more, all in the service of a rich story presented through a sophisticated drama management system.