Win, Lose, or Draw (1988 video game)

Win, Lose, or Draw

MS-DOS - USA - 1st edition.

Developer Softie Publisher Hi Tech Expressions Published 1988-??-?? Platforms Apple II, Commodore 64, DOS Genres Licensed Themes Game Show Series Win, Lose, or Draw Multiplayer Alternating versus Distribution Commercial

Win, Lose, or Draw is an active puzzle video game developed by Softie and published by Hi-Tech Expressions for Apple II, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS in 1988, and is the first video game interpretation of the TV game show, Win, Lose, or Draw. Other editions were released later; a Second Edition and Junior were released in 1989. I group them all into this single page due to their similarities.

Released	Title	Notes
1988-??-??	Win, Lose, or Draw	Initial release.
1989-??-??	Win, Lose, or Draw: Second Edition	A new set of pictures.
1989-??-??	Win, Lose, or Draw: Junior	New scoring system, three players.

Personal

Own?	No.
Won?	Yes.
Finished	Apple II: 2024-02-29 / Apple II (Second Edition): 2024-02-29 / Commodore 64: 2024-02-29 / Commodore 64 (Second Edition): 2024-02-29 / MS-DOS: 2024-02-29 / MS-DOS (Junior): 2024-02-29 / MS-DOS (Second Edition): 2024-02-29.

I came across this game while looking through an archive of old games and thought I should play it just to add it to my list of completed games. I played every version I could find and beat all of them with ease.

Review

3	3	4	3	3

Best Version: Commodore 64

Good

• Slowly drawing pictures to the screen was still a pretty impressive feat in 1988.
• The game lets you play as women and has an even split of male and female characters.
• The cartoonish backgrounds and characters are drawn nicely.

Bad

• There aren't any difficulty controls. So, if you find the AI in the single player game too easy or too hard, you're out of luck.
• In single player mode, having to watch the opposing team slowly draw and guess for a full minute before you get to do anything is boring.
• For some of the pictures, there is quite a stretch to get the correct answer.
• Ironically, I found the Junior version to be the most difficult.
• None of the games have good music or sound effects for the time, although the Commodore 64 is the best.

Ugly

• Since the game is little more than pre-determined Pictionary, it's difficult to justify the cost of the game.
• The game doesn't let you draw, so, an entire half of the game show is missing.

Media

Box Art

• 

  Apple II / Commodore 64 - USA. Uses the TV show logo with a crappy drawing.

• 

  DOS - USA. Same layout, but uses a screenshot from the show.

• 

  Apple II - USA - Junior. Overly-excited children.

• 

  DOS - USA - Second Edition. The DOS cover, but in red!

Documentation

• 

  Manual - USA.

• 

  Manual - USA - Junior.

Font

The font used in the Apple II port is in the video game font collection.

Screenshots

• 

  Apple II - Title.

• 

  Apple II - Derpy faces.

• 

  Apple II - Welcome!

• 

  Apple II - A correct answer.

• 

  Apple II - I is the champion my friend.

• 

  Commodore 64 - Title.

• 

  Commodore 64 - Welcome!

• 

  Commodore 64 - Going first.

• 

  Commodore 64 - Not a bad score.

• 

  MS-DOS - Title.

• 

  MS-DOS - Welcome!

• 

  MS-DOS - Beating around the bush.

• 

  MS-DOS - Mini version.

• 

  MS-DOS - Stealing a question from my opponent.

• 

  MS-DOS - On the leader board.

• 

  MS-DOS - Junior - Title.

• 

  MS-DOS - Junior - Choosing players.

• 

  MS-DOS - Junior - Terrifying.

• 

  MS-DOS - Junior - Solving the puzzle.

• 

  MS-DOS - Junior - The room.

• 

  MS-DOS - Junior - The new scoring system.

• 

  MS-DOS - Junior - Well, that didn't age well.

• 

  Apple II - Second Edition - Title.

• 

  Apple II - Second Edition - New puzzles.

• 

  Commodore 64 - Second Edition - Title.

• 

  MS-DOS - Second Edition - Title.

• 

  MS-DOS - Second Edition - The Second Edition introduces categories.

• 

  MS-DOS - Second Edition - Solving a puzzle.

• 

  MS-DOS - Second Edition - The puzzle is solved.

• 

  MS-DOS - Second Edition - The bonus puzzles aren't too difficult.

• 

  MS-DOS - Second Edition - Winner, winner!

Videos

Apple II - Longplay.

Apple II - Second Edition - Longplay.

MS-DOS - Longplay.

MS-DOS - Junior - Longplay.

Commodore 64 - Game Play.

Play Online

Apple II, Apple II (Second Edition), Commodore 64, Commodore 64 (Second Edition), MS-DOS, MS-DOS (Junior)

Representation

Strong female character?	Pass	Half the characters are women, and you can even play as a woman.
Bechdel test?	Fail	No women ever talk.
Strong person of color character?	Fail	All of the characters are white.
Queer character?	Fail	There are no queer characters.

Links

     

• mobygames.com/game/135949/win-lose-or-draw-junior - Moby Games - Junior.
• mobygames.com/game/135926/win-lose-or-draw-second-edition - Moby Games - Second Edition.
• gamefaqs.gamespot.com/c64/572253-win-lose-or-draw-second-edition - Game FAQs - Second Edition.