<commit_before>---
layout: post
title: "The Best Text-Based Games"
tags: [Games, Software]
summary: The best text-based computer games of all time.
---
{% include JB/setup %}

I love text-based games. They can be so much more unique and interesting than the average video or computer game. My theory is that the creators have more freedom to focus on content and mechanics. Modern, big budget games take huge teams: the 3D art department, the music team, the story board team, acounting, HR, you name it. All that stuff gets between the creator and the idea.

> Similarly, I have noticed movies tend to be more creative if the writer and director are the same person.

And, if I am being totally honest, I love the idea that one day I could write a great text-based game. No corporate back, just me and a laptop. It is theoretically possible that I could create some little game that a few people would love. You know, maybe. One day. A boy can dream.

The title of this post is a lie. Really, these are just my favorite text-based games. But all of these games have legions of fans. They all did something new, or creative, or fun, and people love them.

**And all these games are free to play, right now!**


### Anchorhead

> 1998, [interactive fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_fiction)

    > n
    You close your umbrella, as is your habit after coming indoors.
    
    Local Pub
    A dank, drafty old drinking hole lit by flickering oil-burning lanterns. Smoke collects in greasy pools among the rafters, and shadows crowd thick around. The bar runs the length of the room to your right, while to the south a low doorway opens onto the street.
    Mill workers and fishermen occupy a few of the tables, drinking beer or puffing grimly at long-stemmed pipes. Each is wrapped in his solitude, soaking up the general miasma of dreary fatalism.
    The lantern sitting on the table nearest you sputters fitfully, throwing distorted shadows across the wall.
    
    > say "Help! I'm being chased!" to a fisherman
    No one answers you, or even looks your way.

[Anchorhead](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorhead) is based on the works of HP Lovecraft, especially the stories involving Cthulu. You are a young woman who just moved to a small, coastal town with her husband. But something is off. The story is well-written and haunting, and the world is filled with great atmospheric details. You can just explore the world, but to move the story forward you have to solve puzzles. The puzzles themselves fit well into the story, which is better than I can say for most puzzle games. I went into the game hoping for a good book, filling with terrible nightmares and quiet dread. I was not disappointed.

* [Play Online](http://pr-if.org/play/anchorhead/)
* [Solution Guide](http://ifarchive.giga.or.at/if-archive/solutions/AnchorSolve.txt) - Full Spoilers, obvs


### A Dark Room

> 2013, [tile-based](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tile-based_video_game), [RTS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-time_strategy) [RPG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game), [tower defense](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_defense)

```
        T
       TTT
      .#ATT  ,,
     ..P#TT ...,
     ...@......B.
    ..H,,,,,....
     ..,,, ,...
      V,,   ..
```

[A Dark Room](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dark_Room) was [reviewed by the New Yorker](http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/a-dark-room-the-best-selling-game-that-no-one-can-explain) as a game no one can explain. But what does the New Yorker know about gaming? (Really. I'm asking.) The truth is that the game wasn't designed to fit well into your old gaming troupes and genres. It is original and fun, with a lot of unique mechanics.

The game starts so simply, you might not even think it is a real game. You are cold and alone in the dark. So you build a fire. As time rolls on you have an entire village to defend. Or you can abandon them and explore the wilds alone.

* [Play Online](http://adarkroom.doublespeakgames.com/)
* [Play iOS](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/a-dark-room/id736683061?mt=8) or [Play Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yourcompany.adarkroom&hl=en)
* [Download Code](https://github.com/doublespeakgames/adarkroom)


### Candy Box

> 2013, puzzle-based [RPG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game)

```
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| You have 1 204 266 candies|  THE  | INV  |     |                                      |      | C |
|  -> 10 544 133 lollipops  | CANDY |  ENT | MAP |                                      | SAVE | F |
| You have 2 chocolate bars |  BOX  | ORY  |     |                                      |      | G |
|                           |                       Your health : 1000/1000                        |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                                                                                    
Eat all the candies                   

You have eaten 7 546 968 candies

Throw 10 candies on the ground
```

At first this will barely feel like a game; there is nothing to it. But the more you play the more it grows. This makes it hard to talk about the game without spoilering it, or at least spoilering the opening. The most I *can* say is that it is a puzzle-based role-playing game. It is light-hearted and casual. I have met several non-gamers who played this one all the way to the end. But if you have ever called yourself "a serious gamer" this probably isn't for you. You can drop this game at any moment, walk away, and come back days later. Hell, I think that helps.

* [Play Online - Candy Box 2](http://candybox2.net/) - This is the one you want to play.
* [Play Online - Candy Box](http://candies.aniwey.net/)


### Discworld MUD

> 1991-Present, [MUD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD), [RPG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game)

    Turnwise Broadway [nw, se]
    Hp: 1610 (1610) Gp: 255 (285) Xp: 82361
    You hack the sailor's stomach with your Dragon Fang.
    > slash sailor with fang
    You prepare to slash the sailor with the tiger fang.
    
    Hp: 1610 (1610) Gp: 233 (285) Xp: 82599
    You launch a powerful attack. You chop up the sailor's right arm with your tiger fang.
    You kill the sailor.
    You get the feeling that someone is watching you - as if this is all a game somehow.    

The [Discworld MUD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld_MUD) is a hilarious, old school MUD based on Terry Pratchett's comedy fantasy book series. The game has been developing for 25 years, and you will *never* play another game with more content. The game has survived as long as it has because it has a great sense of humor and a really supportive player base. If you have a question, ask your guild. The servers are filled with a pretty international English-speaking crowd, and I seem to be one of the few Americans online.

Since it has its roots back in the days before games were stupidly easy, this game can get hard if you want it to. It even has the dreaded **permadeath**. Still, I know players who have had the same character for years. This is my all-time favorite MUD, and I have spent so much time playing it I should probably be embarassed. (I'm not.) GNU <NAME>atchett.

* [Play Oline](http://discworld.atuin.net/lpc/)
* [Newbie Cheat Sheet](http://discworld.starturtle.net/lpc/playing/documentation.c?path=/newbie/essentials)


### Dwarf Fortress

> 2002-Present, [tile-based](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tile-based_video_game) world simulator, dwarf-mine simulator

```
The pikeman stricks at the prisoner but the shot is blocked!
The prisoner stabs the pikeman in the right lower leg from behind with her copper spear, tearing the muscle and brusing the bone through the rope reed fiber trousers!
And artery has been opened by the attack, a ligament has been torn and a tendon has been torn!
The pikeman falls over.

The pikeman stabs the prisoner in the right lower arm from behind with his silver pike, tearing the muscle and bruising the bone through the small guineafowl leather cloak!
An artery has been opened by the attack, a sensory nerve has been severed, a ligament has been torn and a tendon has been torn!
The prisoner loses hold of the copper spear.
```

[Dwarf Fortress](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_Fortress) is a phenomenon. It is, by a wide margin, the most complicated game in the world. You control a dirty band of dwarves, trying to build a new mine to call home. But the world is harsh and brutal and it takes a lot to build a society that will stand the tests of time.

Anything is possible in this game, and the amount of detail is amazing. But the game also has a steeper learning curve than any other computer game. You will have to micromanage every detail of the lives of all your dwarves to succeed. It is an intensely complicated game, but with every step you take you will be rewarded with a richer, more intersting game. Your charcters will have rich inner lives. They will have lovers and hobbies and pets. Their lives will be filled with work-a-day labor, battles, and tragedies. Actually, there will be a lot of tragedy. You suck at this game. Losing is fun.

I love talking to people who play this game; they always have the wierdest stories to tell. But *never* disparage their game; they might go berzerk and attack you with a chair.

* [Download Game](http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/)
* [Fan Wiki](http://dwarffortresswiki.org/)


### The Hitchhiker's Guide

> 1984, [interactive fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_fiction)

    > stab gaurd with the flathead screwdriver
    I don't know the word "stab".

    > escape
    You are so keen to escape that you literally leap through the fabric of the space-time continuum. You wake up in a shack in tenth-century Earth. A dressing gown, a toothbrush, and a flathead axe lie by your bed. Before you have a chance to move, Mongol hordes sweep magnificently across the plains of central Asia. They knock down your shack and burn the remains with you inside. You lost interest in the rest of the game.

[The Hitchhiker's Guide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_%28video_game%29) follows the story of <NAME> as he is forced to hitchhike around the galaxy looking for a girl and a cup of tea. The game was actually written by <NAME>, who wrote the eponymous [novel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy). The first thing to know about this game is that it will kill you - a lot. It is a bit mean like that. I love the game, but it is not something I play when I am in a hurry. If you want to *get somewhere* and *do something* this game will just frustrate you. But if you have time to kill and are happy to just play around and explore without any real goal, the game is a lot of fun.

* [Play Online - 20th Anniversary Edition](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1g84m0sXpnNCv84GpN2PLZG/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-game-30th-anniversary-edition) - This is the one I like best.
* [Play Online - Original](http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/infocomjava.html)
* [IGN Walk Through](http://www.ign.com/faqs/2008/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-walkthrough-429003) - WARNING: Massive Spoilers (full cheat guide)


### NetHack

> 1987-2015, [roguelike](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roguelike), little plot (open source)

```
You see here a ruby ring.

                                                  ------------
                                                  +..........|     --------
       -------------                            # |..........|     |.+*]@!|
       |............#             ################...........|    #-.%[?f!|
       |...........|#             #---------  #   ------|-----    #|.@[%))|
       |>..........|#             #|.......|###         ########  #--------
       -----.-----.-#             #|.[.....|#                  #  ####
           ##       #             #|.......|#                  ###   #
           #        #            ##-.....).|#                    #   #
           #        #         #####|......)-#                    ##  #
           #        ###  ------### ---------         -------------+--#
           #          # #|....|#                     |              |#
 ----------.--        ###|....-#                     |              +#
 |............###########.....|                      |              |
 |...........|          #|....|                      ----------------
 |....<......+           |....|
 |...........|           ------
 -------------

Sprocket the Evoker        St:12 Dx:12 Co:12 In:18 Wi:11 Ch:10  Neutral
Dlvl:2  $:94 HP:17(17) Pw:23(23) AC:9  Xp:2/25 T:707
```

[NetHack](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetHack) is my favorite<sup>1</sup> roguelike (see Rogue below). Of course, there are many other modern roguelikes out there. But for me NetHack hits that happy medium between a game complex enough to be interesting but not too complicated to be fun. To be honest, NetHack is one of the meaner roguelikes. You die a lot, particularly as a newbie. At first, I found that pretty discouraging, but usually when I die I learn something.

The other reason major I tend to play NetHack over other roguelikes is I want to game on my phone. But since roguelikes were designed for a full keyboard, they are notoriously hard to adapt. I have tried dozens of different roguelike apps, but the only one I found thta I actually enjoy playing is POWDER.

* [Download Game](http://www.nethack.org/v360/downloads.html)
* [Download Code](https://github.com/NetHack/NetHack)
* [Official Site](http://www.nethack.org/)
* [Guidebook](http://www.nethack.org/v360/Guidebook.html)
* [POWDER on iOS](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/powder/id347454871?mt=8) - My favorite roguelike for iOS.

<sup>1</sup>What is your favorite roguelike? Convince me to try it in the comments below.

### Rogue

> 1980, [roguelike](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roguelike), little plot

```
    -----------       -----------------
    |         |  #####+...............+######
    |         |  ##   |..f............|     ###########
    |         +####   -@---------------               #
    -------+---        ###############                ########
           #                         #                       #
           ######       -------------+-                      #
           -----+-      |             |                      #
           |     +######|             +#########   ----------+--
           |     |   # #|             |        #   |...........|
           |     |   # #|     %       |        ####+...........|
           -+-----   ###+             |            |...........|
      #######           ---+-----------            --------+----
------+---                 #                               #
|        |                 #######                     #####
|        +########################                     #
|        |
----------
```

[Rogue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_%28video_game%29) is a tile-based, text-only, procedurally-generated, adventure game where you delve dungeons, fight monsters, and collect treasure. Any plot is incidental. The "graphics" are what you see above: people are `@`, hallways are `#`, doors are `+`, and so on. And the commands you use to play are just as esoteric: `d` to drop something, but `q` to drink (quaff) something.

This means the game has a learning curve. But since the game is old school it is kind of permanently paused; the game only advances when you press a button, if you want to look something up, you have all the time in the world. No rush.

The thing is, people *love* this game. Lots of people. It has spawned an entire gaming genre, roguelikes, with really [active communities](http://www.roguebasin.com/index.php?title=Main_Page) online. Rogue is the original, but some of the more popular modern descendents are: [NetHack](http://www.nethack.org/) (see above), [Angband](http://trac.rephial.org/), and [ADOM](http://www.adom.de/home/index.html).

* [Play Rogue Online](https://archive.org/details/msdos_Rogue_1983)
* [Rogue Commands](http://www.nongnu.org/gmoria/moria.html#Commands) - A handy guide to what all the game controls.
* [Download ADOM](http://www.adom.de/home/index.html) - 1994-Present, roguelike, moderate plot
* [Download Angband Game](http://trac.rephial.org/) - 1990-Present, roguelike, little plot (open-source)
* [Download Angband Code](https://github.com/angband/angband)

### Zork

> 1977-1982, [interactive fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_fiction)

```
Forest
> UP
You have moved into a dark place.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

> N
Oh, no! You have walked into the slavering fangs of a luring grue!

   **** You have died ****
```

[Zork](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork#Zork_III:_The_Dungeon_Master) is interactive fiction from the dawn of Unix Time. You are dropped into a world and given no introduction as to why you are there. You have to figure everything out for yourself. There will be puzzles to solve, but no one is going to tell you when or where. Little details that you come across might be desperately important later. Modern gamers complain that Zork is too hard. But computer games used to be harder, that's just a fact. If you are not willing to use your brain, Zork is not for you. If you want a game that holds your delicate little hand, Zork is not for you. If losing hurts your fragile ego, Zork is not for you.

* [Play Online - Zork 1](https://archive.org/details/a2_Zork_I_The_Great_Underground_Empire_1980_Infocom)
* [Play Online - Zork 2](https://archive.org/details/a2_Zork_II_The_Wizard_of_Frobozz_1981_Infocom_a)
* [Play Online - Zork 3](https://archive.org/details/a2_Zork_III_The_Dungeon_Master_1982_Infocom)
<commit_msg>roguelike revamp<commit_after>---
layout: post
title: "The Best Text-Based Games"
tags: [Games, Software]
summary: The best text-based computer games of all time.
---
{% include JB/setup %}

I love text-based games. They can be so much more unique and interesting than the average video or computer game. My theory is that the creators have more freedom to focus on content and mechanics. Modern, big budget games take huge teams: the 3D art department, the music team, the story board team, acounting, HR, you name it. All that stuff gets between the creator and the idea.

> Similarly, I have noticed movies tend to be more creative if the writer and director are the same person.

And, if I am being totally honest, I love the idea that one day I could write a great text-based game. No corporate back, just me and a laptop. It is theoretically possible that I could create some little game that a few people would love. You know, maybe. One day. A boy can dream.

The title of this post is a lie. Really, these are just my favorite text-based games. But all of these games have legions of fans. They all did something new, or creative, or fun, and people love them.

**And all these games are free to play, right now!**


### Anchorhead

> 1998, [interactive fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_fiction)

    > n
    You close your umbrella, as is your habit after coming indoors.
    
    Local Pub
    A dank, drafty old drinking hole lit by flickering oil-burning lanterns. Smoke collects in greasy pools among the rafters, and shadows crowd thick around. The bar runs the length of the room to your right, while to the south a low doorway opens onto the street.
    Mill workers and fishermen occupy a few of the tables, drinking beer or puffing grimly at long-stemmed pipes. Each is wrapped in his solitude, soaking up the general miasma of dreary fatalism.
    The lantern sitting on the table nearest you sputters fitfully, throwing distorted shadows across the wall.
    
    > say "Help! I'm being chased!" to a fisherman
    No one answers you, or even looks your way.

[Anchorhead](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorhead) is based on the works of HP Lovecraft, especially the stories involving Cthulu. You are a young woman who just moved to a small, coastal town with her husband. But something is off. The story is well-written and haunting, and the world is filled with great atmospheric details. You can just explore the world, but to move the story forward you have to solve puzzles. The puzzles themselves fit well into the story, which is better than I can say for most puzzle games. I went into the game hoping for a good book, filling with terrible nightmares and quiet dread. I was not disappointed.

* [Play Online](http://pr-if.org/play/anchorhead/)
* [Solution Guide](http://ifarchive.giga.or.at/if-archive/solutions/AnchorSolve.txt) - Full Spoilers, obvs


### A Dark Room

> 2013, [tile-based](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tile-based_video_game), [RTS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-time_strategy) [RPG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game), [tower defense](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_defense)

```
        T
       TTT
      .#ATT  ,,
     ..P#TT ...,
     ...@......B.
    ..H,,,,,....
     ..,,, ,...
      V,,   ..
```

[A Dark Room](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dark_Room) was [reviewed by the New Yorker](http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/a-dark-room-the-best-selling-game-that-no-one-can-explain) as a game no one can explain. But what does the New Yorker know about gaming? (Really. I'm asking.) The truth is that the game wasn't designed to fit well into your old gaming troupes and genres. It is original and fun, with a lot of unique mechanics.

The game starts so simply, you might not even think it is a real game. You are cold and alone in the dark. So you build a fire. As time rolls on you have an entire village to defend. Or you can abandon them and explore the wilds alone.

* [Play Online](http://adarkroom.doublespeakgames.com/)
* Play [iOS](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/a-dark-room/id736683061?mt=8) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yourcompany.adarkroom&hl=en)
* [Download Code](https://github.com/doublespeakgames/adarkroom)


### Candy Box

> 2013, puzzle-based [RPG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game)

```
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| You have 1 204 266 candies|  THE  | INV  |     |                                      |      | C |
|  -> 10 544 133 lollipops  | CANDY |  ENT | MAP |                                      | SAVE | F |
| You have 2 chocolate bars |  BOX  | ORY  |     |                                      |      | G |
|                           |                       Your health : 1000/1000                        |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                                                                                    
Eat all the candies                   

You have eaten 7 546 968 candies

Throw 10 candies on the ground
```

At first this will barely feel like a game; there is nothing to it. But the more you play the more it grows. This makes it hard to talk about the game without spoilering it, or at least spoilering the opening. The most I *can* say is that it is a puzzle-based role-playing game. It is light-hearted and casual. I have met several non-gamers who played this one all the way to the end. But if you have ever called yourself "a serious gamer" this probably isn't for you. You can drop this game at any moment, walk away, and come back days later. Hell, I think that helps.

* [Play Online - Candy Box 2](http://candybox2.net/) - This is the one you want to play.
* [Play Online - Candy Box](http://candies.aniwey.net/)


### Discworld MUD

> 1991-Present, [MUD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD), [RPG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game)

    Turnwise Broadway [nw, se]
    Hp: 1610 (1610) Gp: 255 (285) Xp: 82361
    You hack the sailor's stomach with your Dragon Fang.
    > slash sailor with fang
    You prepare to slash the sailor with the tiger fang.
    
    Hp: 1610 (1610) Gp: 233 (285) Xp: 82599
    You launch a powerful attack. You chop up the sailor's right arm with your tiger fang.
    You kill the sailor.
    You get the feeling that someone is watching you - as if this is all a game somehow.    

The [Discworld MUD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld_MUD) is a hilarious, old school MUD based on Terry Pratchett's comedy fantasy book series. The game has been developing for 25 years, and you will *never* play another game with more content. The game has survived as long as it has because it has a great sense of humor and a really supportive player base. If you have a question, ask your guild. The servers are filled with a pretty international English-speaking crowd, and I seem to be one of the few Americans online.

Since it has its roots back in the days before games were stupidly easy, this game can get hard if you want it to. It even has the dreaded **permadeath**. Still, I know players who have had the same character for years. This is my all-time favorite MUD, and I have spent so much time playing it I should probably be embarassed. (I'm not.) GNU Terry Pratchett.

* [Play Oline](http://discworld.atuin.net/lpc/)
* [Newbie Cheat Sheet](http://discworld.starturtle.net/lpc/playing/documentation.c?path=/newbie/essentials)


### Dwarf Fortress

> 2002-Present, [tile-based](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tile-based_video_game) world simulator, dwarf-mine simulator

```
The pikeman stricks at the prisoner but the shot is blocked!
The prisoner stabs the pikeman in the right lower leg from behind with her copper spear, tearing the muscle and brusing the bone through the rope reed fiber trousers!
And artery has been opened by the attack, a ligament has been torn and a tendon has been torn!
The pikeman falls over.

The pikeman stabs the prisoner in the right lower arm from behind with his silver pike, tearing the muscle and bruising the bone through the small guineafowl leather cloak!
An artery has been opened by the attack, a sensory nerve has been severed, a ligament has been torn and a tendon has been torn!
The prisoner loses hold of the copper spear.
```

[Dwarf Fortress](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_Fortress) is a phenomenon. It is, by a wide margin, the most complicated game in the world. You control a dirty band of dwarves, trying to build a new mine to call home. But the world is harsh and brutal and it takes a lot to build a society that will stand the tests of time.

Anything is possible in this game, and the amount of detail is amazing. But the game also has a steeper learning curve than any other computer game. You will have to micromanage every detail of the lives of all your dwarves to succeed. It is an intensely complicated game, but with every step you take you will be rewarded with a richer, more intersting game. Your charcters will have rich inner lives. They will have lovers and hobbies and pets. Their lives will be filled with work-a-day labor, battles, and tragedies. Actually, there will be a lot of tragedy. You suck at this game. Losing is fun.

I love talking to people who play this game; they always have the wierdest stories to tell. But *never* disparage their game; they might go berzerk and attack you with a chair.

* [Download Game](http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/)
* [Fan Wiki](http://dwarffortresswiki.org/)


### The Hitchhiker's Guide

> 1984, [interactive fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_fiction)

    > stab gaurd with the flathead screwdriver
    I don't know the word "stab".

    > escape
    You are so keen to escape that you literally leap through the fabric of the space-time continuum. You wake up in a shack in tenth-century Earth. A dressing gown, a toothbrush, and a flathead axe lie by your bed. Before you have a chance to move, Mongol hordes sweep magnificently across the plains of central Asia. They knock down your shack and burn the remains with you inside. You lost interest in the rest of the game.

[The Hitchhiker's Guide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_%28video_game%29) follows the story of <NAME> as he is forced to hitchhike around the galaxy looking for a girl and a cup of tea. The game was actually written by <NAME>, who wrote the eponymous [novel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy). The first thing to know about this game is that it will kill you - a lot. It is a bit mean like that. I love the game, but it is not something I play when I am in a hurry. If you want to *get somewhere* and *do something* this game will just frustrate you. But if you have time to kill and are happy to just play around and explore without any real goal, the game is a lot of fun.

* [Play Online - 20th Anniversary Edition](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1g84m0sXpnNCv84GpN2PLZG/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-game-30th-anniversary-edition) - This is the one I like best.
* [Play Online - Original](http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/infocomjava.html)
* [IGN Walk Through](http://www.ign.com/faqs/2008/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-walkthrough-429003) - WARNING: Massive Spoilers (full cheat guide)


### Rogue

> 1980, [roguelike](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roguelike), little plot

```
    -----------       -----------------
    |         |  #####+...............+######
    |         |  ##   |..f............|     ###########
    |         +####   -@---------------               #
    -------+---        ###############                ########
           #                         #                       #
           ######       -------------+-                      #
           -----+-      |             |                      #
           |     +######|             +#########   ----------+--
           |     |   # #|             |        #   |...........|
           |     |   # #|     %       |        ####+...........|
           -+-----   ###+             |            |...........|
      #######           ---+-----------            --------+----
------+---                 #                               #
|        |                 #######                     #####
|        +########################                     #
|        |
----------
```

[Rogue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_%28video_game%29) is a tile-based, text-only, procedurally-generated, adventure game where you delve dungeons, fight monsters, and collect treasure. Any plot is incidental. The "graphics" are what you see above: people are `@`, hallways are `#`, doors are `+`, and so on. And the commands you use to play are just as esoteric: `d` to drop something, but `q` to drink (quaff) something.

This means the game has a learning curve. But since the game is old school it is kind of permanently paused; it only advances when you press a button. If you want to look something up, you have all the time in the world. No rush.

The thing is, people *love* this game. Lots of people. It has spawned an entire gaming genre, roguelikes, with really [active communities](http://www.roguebasin.com/index.php?title=Main_Page). Rogue is the original:

* [Play Rogue Online](https://archive.org/details/msdos_Rogue_1983)
* [Rogue Commands](http://www.nongnu.org/gmoria/moria.html#Commands) - A handy guide to all the game controls.

But there are far more popular modern descendents that are still being actively developed:

* [ADOM](http://www.adom.de/home/index.html) - 1994-Present, commercial, with some plot
* [Angband](http://trac.rephial.org/) - 1990-Present, more directly inspired by Tolkien
* [Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup](http://crawl.develz.org/trunk/) (CRAWL) - 2006-Present, better tutorials and in-game explanations
* [NetHack](http://www.nethack.org/) - 1980-2015, persistent level maps, and a more complicated world
* [ToME](http://www.roguebasin.com/index.php?title=ToME) - 1998-Present, freeform questing and an option to turn off permadeath


### Zork

> 1977-1982, [interactive fiction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_fiction)

```
Forest
> UP
You have moved into a dark place.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

> N
Oh, no! You have walked into the slavering fangs of a luring grue!

   **** You have died ****
```

[Zork](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork#Zork_III:_The_Dungeon_Master) is interactive fiction from the dawn of Unix Time. You are dropped into a world and given no introduction as to why you are there. You have to figure everything out for yourself. There will be puzzles to solve, but no one is going to tell you when or where. Little details that you come across might be desperately important later. Modern gamers complain that Zork is too hard. But computer games used to be harder, that's just a fact. If you are not willing to use your brain, Zork is not for you. If you want a game that holds your delicate little hand, Zork is not for you. If losing hurts your fragile ego, Zork is not for you.

* [Play Online - Zork 1](https://archive.org/details/a2_Zork_I_The_Great_Underground_Empire_1980_Infocom)
* [Play Online - Zork 2](https://archive.org/details/a2_Zork_II_The_Wizard_of_Frobozz_1981_Infocom_a)
* [Play Online - Zork 3](https://archive.org/details/a2_Zork_III_The_Dungeon_Master_1982_Infocom)

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