Zork
Early interactive fiction
Zork is a pioneering text-based adventure video game from the late 1970s, where players navigate an underground world by typing commands like go north or open mailbox.
The name has become shorthand for early interactive fiction.
The series spawned sequels and influenced adventure gaming broadly.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue is among gaming's most quoted lines.
Story navigated by commands
- interactive fictionCommand-driven narrative software
- parserSyntax-interpreting program
- mailboxContainer for delivered mail
- brass lanternMetal-framed portable light source
Evoking recent past
- classicOf lasting excellence
- vintageQuality from past eras
- nostalgiaLonging for the past
- 1980sFourth-to-last twentieth-century decade
pioneering · groundbreaking · command line · puzzle · exploration · dungeon crawl · ASCII · DOS
text adventure
Story navigated by commands
- interactive fictionCommand-driven narrative software
- parserSyntax-interpreting program
- mailboxContainer for delivered mail
brass lantern · inventory · maze · save game · restore
retro
Evoking recent past
1980s · pioneering · groundbreaking · command line · puzzle · exploration · dungeon crawl · ASCII · DOS · mainframe
ZorkMyst
Surreal puzzle adventure game
first-person shooters · visual novels · VR games · Call of Duty
Zorkfighting games
Competitive combat video games
arcade games · rhythm games · Mortal Kombat · Street Fighter