Gobliiins

Gobliiins (1991) is a puzzle-adventure game developed and published by the French studio Coktel Vision for MS-DOS. It is the first entry in the well-known Gobliiins series and stands out for its unusual spelling, stylized visuals, and focus on multi-character puzzle solving. The game was created with contributions from designer Muriel Tramis and artist Pierre Gilhodes, whose distinctive cartoonish style defines the series.

In Gobliiins, the player controls a trio of goblins, each with a unique ability that must be used in coordination to solve environmental puzzles. One goblin relies on physical actions such as hitting or interacting with objects, another specializes in using items, and the third casts unpredictable magic spells that can drastically alter the situation. Progression is entirely puzzle-driven, with each single-screen level requiring careful experimentation and timing rather than reflex-based gameplay.

The game is known for its surreal humor, chaotic logic, and often unintuitive solutions, which make it both challenging and memorable. Despite its difficulty, Gobliiins became a cult classic thanks to its originality and strong artistic identity. It helped establish Coktel Vision’s reputation in early 1990s European adventure gaming and spawned multiple sequels in the same distinctive style.