Ice & Fire

Last updated
Ice & Fire
Ice & Fire cover.jpg
Developer Zombie Studios
Publisher GT Interactive
Designers Alexey Pajitnov
Vladimir Pokhilko
Platforms Windows, Classic Mac OS
ReleaseSeptember 1995 [1]
Genres First-person shooter, puzzle

Ice & Fire is a 1995 first-person shooter puzzle video game from Zombie Studios. The game was described as a cross between Doom and Concentration . [2]

Contents

Gameplay

In Ice and Fire, players are cast as the last hope for a desolate asteroid known as IF-1, armed only with elemental blasters and a mandate to revive a frozen world. The game unfolds across a series of increasingly intricate mazes populated by alien foes, demanding both spatial memory and puzzle-solving endurance. Each level hides passwords essential for progression, often leaving players scouring for elusive keys long after the combat has ended. The outer shell of the asteroid itself forms a larger navigational maze, where players must make split-second directional choices while flying and engaging enemies. A map overlay is provided for assistance. [3]

Development

Ice & Fire was developed with the help of Tetris creators Alexey Pajitnov and Vladimir Pokhilko. [2] [4] [1] The game had a marketing budget of $1 million. [4]

Reception

GameSpot gave the game a score of five out of ten, stating: "This game tests patience and logic, and Doom fans will find the only similarities here are the first-person perspective and the letter 'D' in the name. A tedious puzzle game in action game's clothing." [3]

The game was not a big commercial success. [7]

References

  1. 1 2 "Windows 95 Gets into the game". Electronic Entertainment . August 20, 1995. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Computer Gaming Isn't Just For Guys Anymore". Newsday . February 4, 1996. p. 81. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 Foster, Hugo. "Ice and Fire Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on February 6, 1997. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Zombie readies CD-ROM game for big-bucks debut by M. Sharon Baker". Zombie Studios . 1995. Archived from the original on June 5, 2000. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  5. "Ice & Fire". Hyper . March 1996. p. 68. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  6. "Ice & Fire". Power Play (magazine)  [ de ] (in German). March 1996. p. 128. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  7. Baker, Sharon (October 30, 1998). "Zombie, RTime pin hopes on U.S. Rangers". Puget Sound Business Journal . Archived from the original on September 16, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2025 via Gale Research.