Ancient Web: Carr Software’s Capture the Flag Turned a Playground Game into Shareware

Part of the Ancient Web Collection.

A game called Capture the Flag sounds as if it should involve racing through a playground. Richard Carr's DOS interpretation involved carefully considering the woods, streams, fences, and how far your players could see.

Find the preserved Capture the Flag game information.

The game, developed and published by Carr Software in the early 1990s, is a turn-based contest between two teams. One side must find and reach the opponent's flag while protecting its own. Players move individuals across different terrain, sometimes running, sometimes crawling, sometimes trying to remain unseen.

The DOSBox compatibility page records the game as a DOS strategy title and documents a successful 2008 test in an emulated environment. That is a historical compatibility report, not evidence that the program was run for this article.

The shareware advertisement survives on Usenet

A post by Carr dated April 17, 1996 announced version 3.2 at the original Carr Software website. It reproduced reviews from the October 1994 issue of Electronic Entertainment and the March 1995 issue of Computer Player, both emphasizing the game's approachable rules and detailed presentation.

That contemporary notice is unusually useful evidence of its reception. The Computer Player review specifically mentioned the addition of play-by-mail and email options and a map-building tool. These features show how independent game authors adapted to players who might not share one computer.

The RGB Classic Games archive preserves multiple shareware versions, including releases numbered 1.01, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2, along with screenshots. It describes 40 maps and 200 scenarios in the full release.

The exact queued Carr Software page could not be fetched reliably during this review, so the preserved software catalog and original developer announcement provide the basis for the historical account. A 2001 Usenet discussion shows players looking for new maps and access to the registered edition.

One person's shareware project left a surprisingly legible trail: magazine reviews, a public announcement, old versions, and messages from players years later.

Explore the preserved game versions and read Carr's 1996 announcement.

Part of the Ancient Web Collection.