Gobliiins

Gobliiins is a puzzle computer game from Coktel Vision. The player controls three goblins, each of whom has a set of character-specific abilities. The player may only control one goblin at a time, leaving the other two goblins vulnerable. The game can be highly (sometimes frustratingly) difficult.

The first goblin is a warrior whose skill is punching, causing various things to break or fall over. The second goblin is a sorcerer who can 'zap' things with magic with a wide variety of effects, but in general objects tend to move or become alive somehow. The third goblin (sometimes considered a thief by Quest for Glory fans) can pick up and use items. Many items come in groups (e.g. a potion, phial and elixir) only one of which is the correct one.

Several wrong actions harm the gobliiin involved, thus reducing their shared life meter. When the meter runs out, the game ends in defeat. However, all screens can be completed without loss of life.

Two sequels exist: Gobliins 2, in which the player controls only two goblins, and Goblins 3, in which the player controls one goblin in a standard adventure game.

In Gobliins 2, the player controls Fingus (who is well-mannered, intelligent and shy) and Winkle (who is dumb enough to not know how to push a button in the first screen, but who is almost terminally brave). Both gobliins can pick up and use items, and both generally use an item in different ways. Unlike its predecessor, Gobliins 2 allows (and requires) the player to travel back and forth between rooms. Also, both gobliins can be given an order simultaneously, allowing for devious timing puzzles. An easter egg in the game is that Fingus, if left idle, will eventually whistle a short tune, and the tune is different in each room.

The goblin from Goblins 3 is called Blount, and gets assistence from a number of sidekicks throughout the game. Like in the first game, progress is strictly screen-by-screen. Most areas in Goblins 3 are larger than the screen and thus scroll.

There obviously was no fourth game, as that would have been Goblns 4, where the player would not have controlled anything at all, which would have been a pretty stupid idea for a game.