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Adventure games these days often seem to be based on an existing book or film. We now have one that relies for its appeal on a radio serial - The Archers [I'd count Hitch Hikers as the first - Ed].

Written for Mosaic by Level 9 it certainly has good references but whether it could be strictly classed as an adventure game I'm not so sure. It follows the same pattern as their very successful (commercially at least) interpretation of Adrian Mole.

A well-written text story-line together with some fairly simplistic graphics is followed by the choice of three options to further the plot.

As I have never knowingly listened to the Archers, I found the finer points of the story a little difficult to grasp. It also seemed that although I gave definite commands - like sacking someone - these were not always carried out.

Now keen followers of the radio version would probably realize that this "just should not be done", but as a newcomer to all these country village politics I found it undermined my belief in the story. Did I have control or not?

Probably not. You play a trainee scriptwriter and the aim of the game is to please the listeners and boost audience figures Failure to do so gets you some nasty memos from the controller of Radio 4. I presume someone in higher authority countermanded my instructions in an effort to reduce the losses I was causing the BBC.

The Archers is cassette based for any Amstrad CPC and consists of four parts. In each part take the plot decisions for a different character: Jack Woolley, Eddie Grundy, Elizabeth Archer and Nelson Gabriel. To get to the next part you must increase the audience by a million listeners. If you are not familiar with the people involved in The Archers the instructions include a very comprehensive potted history of all the characters.

This alone would make the program worth buying if you are thinking of taking up a regular post by your radio at 7.05 pm (or 1.40pm) in the future.

For all my earlier criticisms, the plot decisions are reasonably logical, if a little bizarre to the outsider. If you are, or have ever been an Archers fan, this is certainly a game for you.

With a little previous knowledge I'm sure I could have raised the program's ratings to that of the nine o'clock news.