Wasteland

Wasteland - the 1988 role-playing game for Commodore 64 from
Electronic Arts.

Lead a squad of Desert Rangers across a post‑nuclear Southwest,
juggling skills, ammo, and permanent consequences to uncover and
stop a buried threat.

Core loop
- build a four‑ranger party at Ranger Center and gear up
- explore towns and overworld in top‑down steps, trigger encounters
- use skills on people and scenery, then resolve turn‑based combat

Systems and items
- skills and IQ gates - learn by points and use, high‑IQ unlocks options
- paragraph book - story vignettes and red herrings you read outside the game
- disband and split - operate multiple parties to scout or flank
- recruits and NPCs - hire allies with their own kit and quirks
- persistence - actions permanently change the world and map states
- death - characters can die for good without timely medical aid

Level design and feel
Sparse desert tiles give way to dense town maps and interior set‑pieces.
Text feedback sells gritty outcomes while bursts and auto‑fire keep
fights punchy. Expect disk access on real hardware.

Why it is notable
- foundational post‑apocalyptic CRPG that inspired Fallout
- persistent world state on C64, rare for the era
- design by Ken St. Andre and Michael A. Stackpole with Interplay

Tips
- train Medic and Field Medic early to prevent permanent losses
- carry varied ammo types and swap weapons to match ranges
- split the party sparingly to scout, then regroup before big fights

At a glance
Year - 1988
Developer - Interplay Productions
Design and programming - Ken St. Andre - Michael A. Stackpole - Brian Fargo -
Alan Pavlish
Graphics - Todd J. Camasta
Publisher - Electronic Arts
Genre - Role‑playing
Players - 1
Controls - Joystick in port 2 + keys