Borrowed Time

Borrowed Time is set in mid-1930's. The player assumes the role of a private investigator named Sam Harlow, who has to solve the kidnapping of his ex-wife Rita Sweeney. At the beginning, he runs away from two thugs, who want to kill him for an unknown reason. They fail, and he begins to search the town for clues, asking its inhabitants for information. But if the player makes a wrong move, Sam dies - killers come from nowhere and murder him...

The player has to type in combinations of verbs and nouns to make an action. Locations are described in text form and presented by pictures, the latter often providing additional information not contained in the text description.

Added March 8, 2020
Published By Activision
Developed By Interplay Productions
Media (United States) from mobygames.com
Media (United States) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (United States) from mobygames.com
Back Cover (United States) from mobygames.com
Media (United States) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Media (United States) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (United States) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Back Cover (United States) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Media (United States) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (United States) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Inside Cover (United States) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Inside Cover (United States) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Back Cover (United States) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (Canada,United States) (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Inside Cover (Canada,United States) (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Inside Cover (Canada,United States) (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Back Cover (Canada,United States) (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Media (Canada,United States) (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Manual (Canada,United States) (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Front Cover (United States) (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Back Cover (United States) (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Inside Cover (United States) (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Inside Cover (United States) (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Media (United States) (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
IGDB Cover from igdb.com
Title screen (CGA) from mobygames.com
The start of the game (CGA) from mobygames.com
Thugs are after you... (CGA) from mobygames.com
Outside a medical office (CGA) from mobygames.com
In Bruce Light's livingroom... (CGA) from mobygames.com
Anything suspicious here? (CGA) from mobygames.com
The newsstand... from mobygames.com
Uh oh, trouble! from mobygames.com
Could you fall? from mobygames.com
are they drinking? from mobygames.com
are you guarding the door? from mobygames.com
how could they have left you alone? from mobygames.com
it happens often from mobygames.com
Standing on a ledge. from mobygames.com
The West End of First Street. from mobygames.com
Hot dog cart man. from mobygames.com
First and Main. from mobygames.com
In front of Rita's apartment. from mobygames.com
Rita's apartment door. from mobygames.com
Inside Rita's apartment. from mobygames.com
Kitchen. from mobygames.com
G and W building. from mobygames.com
Inside the G and W. from mobygames.com
Parking lot. from mobygames.com
Frame house. from mobygames.com
Jake. from mobygames.com
Another ugly thug. from mobygames.com
Mean dogs. from mobygames.com
Farnham - local mobster kingpin. from mobygames.com
All right - freeze! On the ground! from mobygames.com
Mailbox. from mobygames.com
In the post office. from mobygames.com
Post office boxes. from mobygames.com
Outside the police station. from mobygames.com
In the police station. from mobygames.com
Doctor's office. from mobygames.com
Waiting for a check-up. from mobygames.com
I found a bone! from mobygames.com
Title screen - Borrowed Time from mobygames.com
Living tutorial from mobygames.com
Title screen (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Title screen (Mastertronic release) (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
The start of the game (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Hiding behind a chair (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Some interesting characters here... (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Exploring the town a bit... (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Search for clues... (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
On the streets of the town... (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Secretary's office. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Base of stairway - being chased by thugs. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Attic. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Did I mention that I'm scared of heights? (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Thugs chasing you! (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Dying by "lead poisoning" (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Outside the Rose. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Your pal Hawkeye. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Looks like this could be trouble... (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Dusty apartment... (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
G & W building. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
G & W lobby. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Doctor's office lobby. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Bruce Light. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Outside the post office. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
It's the boys in blue! (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
City park. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
A shed. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Inside the post office. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
The story's blonde bombshell. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Parking lot. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Jake - the owner of the parking lot. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Farnham's pad. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
A heavy. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Farnham - the mobster boss. (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Mean dogs! (Commodore 64) from mobygames.com
Title screen (Apple II) from mobygames.com
The start of the game (Apple II) from mobygames.com
Hiding from some thugs... (Apple II) from mobygames.com
Make your escape out the window (Apple II) from mobygames.com
Exploring the town... (Apple II) from mobygames.com
This can't be good... (Apple II) from mobygames.com
The newsstand... (Apple II) from mobygames.com
Thug on clothesline. (Macintosh) from mobygames.com
Boss Farnham in his study. (Macintosh) from mobygames.com
Ugly thug. (Macintosh) from mobygames.com
Sam's feet on his desk. (Macintosh) from mobygames.com
Hostage situation. (Macintosh) from mobygames.com
Title screen (Amiga) from mobygames.com
The start of the game (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Some thugs are after you. (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Making an escape out the window. (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Hmm, bandages. Could be useful? (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Exploring the town. (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Yikes, that's not good. (Amiga) from mobygames.com
The newsstand. (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Ducking bullets! (Amiga) from mobygames.com
In the attic (Amiga) from mobygames.com
In your office (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Climb to freedom! (Amiga) from mobygames.com
In the GW office (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Where am I now? (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Outside a fenced home (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Mean dogs! (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Spying on two people. (Amiga) from mobygames.com
A nasty thug! (Amiga) from mobygames.com
Title screen (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
The beginning of the game (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Hiding from some thugs (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Some interesting characters here (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Found some potentially useful items (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Exploring the town (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
A newspaper stand (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
In hotel (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Medicine is near (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Hi Bruce (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Listen a woman (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Poor Mavis Brown (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Thug on cable (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Beefy Guy (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Fascinating Doris (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
from nowhere... (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Shed. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
City park. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Outside police station. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Inside the police station. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
In front of blue house. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Hostage situation. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Mean dogs. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Waiting room. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Street corner. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Hot dog cart. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Inside the G & W building. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Polk street. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Parking lot. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Frame house. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Apartment door. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com
Parking lot office. (Atari ST) from mobygames.com

Year of Release:
1985

Genre(s):
Interactive Fiction Traditional

Camera View:
First-Person

Control Type:
Text Parser

Setting/Theme:
Interwar Mystery

Other Tags:
Detective

Available From: