Dragonriders of Pern is a video game published by Epyx in 1983 based on Anne McCaffrey's book series of the same name.

When the two planets periodically approach each other in orbit every few hundred years, the organisms form into long strings of thread that cross the gap through space.

The first book, Dragonflight, is primarily focused on the efforts of Benden Weyr's new dragon master to form an alliance to fight the soon-to-arrive Thread.

During each turn, the user is initially presented with a screen showing ongoing negotiations between the various factions in the game, as the date continues to increase in real time.

[1] While negotiations are taking place, a map of Pern periodically appears, highlighting a Hold where Thread is falling.

Selecting one depth produced a simple 2-D playfield, but this could be increased up to three, allowing the user to move "into" the screen among the layers.

[2] Originally formed as Automated Simulations in 1978 as a partnership between Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, the company had initially concentrated on wargame titles like Starfleet Orion.

[2] By 1982 the company had grown very large and Freeman left to work on his own (forming Free Fall Associates).

Although Dragonriders garnered critical praise, its release was overshadowed by the pure-action game Jumpman, a huge success.

[3] The parallels between the gameplay dynamics of the two games are striking, but existing sources do not record whether or not this was due to a collaborative effort.

granted it a lengthy review, calling it "offbeat" and suggesting it to players looking for something different than "shooting up the same retreaded space ships" or typing "look under rock".

[5] In a 1992 survey of science fiction games the magazine gave the title two stars out of five, stating that "it offers some interesting features, but it is dated and primitive" and mentioning DragonStrike as a superior clone.