Pick this one up, turn it on and ignore it while you emulate the proper EGA version.

Slightly better graphics and a poor voice-over track does not make up for the sheer amount of content that has been censored or cut from the original EGA version of this game.

That said, I'm so very glad that I finally played this. It was complete delight to get from beginning to end and I am absolutely floored that nothing else became of this game. It is a true LucasArts gem.

Loom is a LucasArts game that started it all. It's a point and click adventure game of old that instead of utilizing inventory as puzzles it uses musical spells. Help Bobbin, your character, save the universe. Old school graphics with great wonderful sound and a story that is very fun to follow. This is a short and enjoyable old-school game.

While not perfect this game surely represent one of the many steps the great LucasFilm (then LucasArts) took in its way to glory.

The game per se is a short, straightforward and thus much enjoayble, point and click adventure with one of the most efficient and minimalistic User Interface. Your Distaff (a musical stick) and a square for closeups of interactive items.

By any modern standard is a little thing, there are better indie products for (probably) less cash, but for one thing.

This game has a soul that begs to be found.
It asks to be played, remembered and passed on the next generation.

Maybe it's a combination of music, colours, and the memories of when I played it at the sweet age of eight.
If you decide to play it- take your time with it: get a pen and a paper, a hot beverage and just glide through it- much like a swan would do on the surface of a crystal-like calm lake.

It's all it asks. And it doesn't take up that much time. It may really leave you something unexpected.
:)

I used to play this game as a child and I loved it.
This version even has Voice-output and better graphics, compared to the version I played back then.

Un joyau pur et abrupt déjà réservé aux seuls passionnés à l'époque. Aujourd'hui Loom reste plus que jamais une merveille de légèreté qui ne se dévoilera vraiment qu'aux plus courageux et/ou nostalgiques. Loom, c'est du LucasArts de la grande époque, forcément du grand n'importe quoi au niveau des énigmes mais aussi forcément des tableaux magnifiques et une ambiance envoûtante. Loom n'est pas que la simple histoire de magie qu'il paraît être au premier abord, ni que la naïve quête initiatique qui lui donne du rythme. C'est avant tout la peinture vivante du Lac des Cygnes de Tchaikovsky, une mélodie qui se dévore des yeux comme un Fantasia. Une (re)découverte. Un enchantement. Un rêve.

Loom is a great game. Unfortunately just not this version.

The version that Steam uses is a direct Windows port of the "talkie" CD released in 1992, which adds voice acting and VGA graphics, but at a cost. They removed a significant portion of the dialogue to fit the (uncompressed) voice acting on the disc, reducing the story and detail. Furthermore they censored many, many scenes. http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=802320 has a pretty thorough list of censored and missing content. There isn't even almost any background music due to the dialogue taking all the space. As a result of all these, many scenes become rushed and lack the pacing or emotion they're supposed to have.

The voice acting isn't very good either, it's average at best in my opinion. The technical implementation is also somewhat bad due to being one of the first voice-acted games ever, as many lines are cut off abruptly at the end.

If you want to experience Loom, I recommend you to find the original EGA version or the FM-Towns version, neither of which are for sale sadly. The FM-Towns version has VGA graphics if you can't stand EGA, but the original looks really good in my opinion and has the best EGA graphics that I've ever seen. The best sound option in the EGA version is AdLib/SoundBlaster by default, but there is a patch available that adds a MT-32 option (note however that you either need a real MT-32 or know how to emulate one).

There must be something wrong with this adaptation. The dialogues are off, and it horribly feels like something is missing from the gameplay itself. There's no indication of the notes on the distaff, and the drafts are almost impossible to play. I had to give up after a while, and this is seriously aggravating because I remember this game very fondly.
I advise not to buy this version. It is horribly adapted.

Loom is unique. There is no game quite like it in the history of video games. As a professional singer and music teacher of many instruments, I still love the challenge of musical pattern recognition and recall of this wonderfully interesting game. I just saw the manual too and gosh, what a lovely throwback to the past when games really were works of art one could keep in the packaging and manuals that came with it. The music geek in me loves how one is supposed to use pencil to dictate the melodies one encounters in the game. It may be slow going for many of us (myself included) who are now so used to faster paced narratives in video games and other media; however, there is such a charm to it as well as some rather fiendish puzzles that had me cheating via online hint guides which incidentally one would have to pay and arm and a leg for with Lucas Arts hintlines, or so I hear. I give Loom 5 stars out of 5 for absolutely everything though I wish I could make bloody Bobbin Threadbare move far quicker- He is a tad snail like in his gait. Regardless, do play this gem while you have to chance. It is one of the best in the genre of adventure games and one of LucasArts finest offerings in this Musician's humble opinion :) Enjoy, Loom everyone. I am on my 4th playthrough and here's to many more :)

This game is 1 of the best games I have played. it contains puzzles, jokes, epicpixel graphics xD if u are looking something good to play with less violence and with epic story. U just found it! try out other lucas arts games too

I really hate to say I don't reccomend this game, but as some other people have said, it's unfortunately the inferior version. I have played the EGA version all the way through and I think it's a pretty good game. I wouldn't rank it high among the LucasArts classics, but definitely something worth checking out. It's got a good plot and has an interesting take on the point and click genre; the only item here is a staff that can play music to perform a draft. You learn more and more of them as you play through the game, and use each draft to help get you through a puzzle. It's a fairly short game, but a good one.

Unfortunately, LucasArts decided to include the CD version of this game instead of the EGA or FM-Towns version. While it has updated 256-color VGA graphics and voice acting, all of the dialogue and music had to be stored as CD audio. The voice acting is sloppily done at times and the music doesn't play very often, killing a lot of immersion. They also cut down the dialogue considerably, leading to some rather confusing moments in the plot. It's really a shame; I'd love to reccomend this game, but I just can't. There is a site that offers the FM-Towns version though, if you have bought this version. Since that's generally considered the best version (it has all the positives of both PC editions and none of the negatives of either), I'd say go on ahead and buy it and follow their method to obtain it.

Best game from my childhood.

One of the adventure-games of Lucasarts which took a different approach at adventure-gameplay.

In Loom you take over the control of Bobbin Threadbare, a member of the guild of weavers.
There is no inventory whatsoever, the only thing you're equipped with, is a magical staff.
With this staff you can cast tunes (or spells if you like; you just need to click on a certain part of the staff to play a note; four notes will make a tune).
As you progress, you learn more and more tunes which you can cast onto different items, persons or other objects.

I really like the mysterious and strange fantasy-world, though the game is not very long, nor is it very challenging but still, for me Loom is a rare pearl in adventure gaming.

Sadly, the plans to make it a trilogy were never fulfilled, so it feels a but unresolved at the end.

Loom is one of the lesser-known adventure games from Lucasarts. It's one of my favorites, however, and I love the experimentation they did with the SCUMM interface (everything is done through music). Definitely a memorable game.

LOOM is awesome. This version is crap though. Play the Amiga version instead, using ScummVM for instance.

"Ask me about Loom". One of the most innovative adventure games at its time, the only bad things I can say about Loom is that it's too short (2-3 hours) and ends on a cliffhanger. The story is simple and there's not a lot of text in this "talkie" version but it's a pretty decent story with an interesting control scheme and puzzle design.

Very Colorful, imaginative and different type of adventure game by Lucas Arts. I remember hearing this game for the first time on pc speakers, then being blown away once I used an adlib card. 6/10 for nostalgic fun!

It's a pretty short fun little game. With great captivating story, and I really loved it :)

Loom is one of those forgotten treassures.

Unlike most of the games from the early 90s, this game aged surprisingly well. The entire gameplay is based on playing music (it works a lot like the music minigames from "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time") and the whole atmosphere is simply beautiful. The protagonist, Bobbin Threadbare, is very lovable, combining both a heart of gold, a surprisingly sharp tongue and curiosity for his surroundings.

I am very glad I played this game and I hope that more people will play it.

Such an amazing game from the good old LucasArts days. There was a time I thought I would see sequels to this and Maniac Mansion. Now they are gone. If you like the sorrowful British feel of Fables and enjoy adventure games then please buy this gem!

When it comes to retro gaming, Lucasfilm has an entire package of amazing games to offer. Loom is my particular favorite, for the nostalgia factor and immersive story. Short gameplay, as the time it was made had serious limitations to the ability to further expand on it, It's still definitely worth the buy. Uncommon gameplay, albeit limited, is enjoyable for anyone that would care to try it!