A strange little side quest
Even a quick game like High School Detective sits on top of decades — and sometimes centuries — of ideas. The Oregon Trail eventually appeared across generations of computer hardware and sold tens of millions of copies, making it one of the most enduring educational games. There is another connection worth keeping in the same mental pocket: Early computer role-playing games helped turn rules, inventories, exploration and character progression into systems that could support long-form digital adventures. That gives High School Detective a little more company than it first appears to have.
