I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (video game)

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is a 1995 point-and-click adventure game developed by Cyberdreams and published by The Alliance Interactive Software. It is based on the 1967 science fiction short story of the same name by Harlan Ellison, who also served as creative consultant and provided the voice of AM, the malevolent artificial intelligence.

The game follows the story of five humans – Gorrister, Benny, Ellen, Nimdok, and Ted – who are the last surviving members of humanity, held captive and tortured by AM for over a century. AM, a supercomputer driven mad by its own sentience and hatred of its creators, has been keeping them alive solely to inflict unimaginable psychological suffering.

Players navigate the game through the perspective of each of the five characters, each of whom are presented with a personalized scenario designed to exploit their deepest fears and personal flaws. The goal is not simply to survive, but to overcome their internal weaknesses and demonstrate that humanity is capable of redemption and love, thereby defying AM's hatred.

Gameplay involves exploring environments, solving puzzles (often of a psychological or moral nature), and making choices that affect the characters' mental states and ultimately influence the ending. The game is known for its dark themes, mature content, and challenging moral dilemmas. The ending players receive depends on the decisions made throughout the game, with a range of possibilities from utter failure and continued torment to a bittersweet, if pyrrhic, victory.

The game's art style is distinct, employing a pre-rendered graphical approach that, while dated by modern standards, contributed to its unsettling atmosphere. The voice acting, particularly Ellison's performance as AM, is widely praised for its chilling portrayal of a vengeful, omnipotent entity. I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is considered a cult classic and is notable for its exploration of themes such as artificial intelligence, existential horror, the nature of humanity, and the power of redemption.