Infocom

Border Zone is a text adventure game in which the player controls three different protagonists throughout three chapters

Plundered Hearts

Hearing your father has taken ill, you rush to his aid in this 17th century island romance tale.

Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy is an interactive fiction computer game released by Infocom in 1987, scripted by popular comic science fiction author Douglas Adams. The player is challenged to confront a long and complicated series of bureaucratic hurdles resulting from a recent change of address. Mail isn't being delivered, bank accounts are inaccessible, and nothing is as it should be. The game includes a measure of simulated blood pressure which rises when "frustrating" events happen and lowers after a period of no annoying events. Once a certain blood pressure level is reached, the player suffers an aneurysm and the game ends. While undertaking the seemingly simple task of retrieving misdirected mail, the player encounters a number of bizarre characters, including an antisocial hacker, a paranoid weapons enthusiast, and a tribe of Zalagasan cannibals. At the same time, they must deal with impersonal corporations, counterintuitive airport logic, and a hungry llama.

Beyond Zork: The Coconut of Quendor

Beyond Zork: The Coconut of Quendor is an interactive fiction computer game written by Brian Moriarty and released by Infocom in 1987. It was one of the last games in Infocom's Zork series It signified a notable departure from the standard format of Infocom's earlier games which relied purely on text and puzzle-solving: among other features, Beyond Zork incorporated an on-screen map, the use of character statistics and levels, and RPG combat elements. The game, Infocom's twenty-ninth, was available on the Amiga (512kb), Apple (128kb), Atari ST, Commodore 128, and IBM (192kb), and the Macintosh (512kb) computers The player explores the Southlands of Quendor somewhat aimlessly at first. Soon, however, a task is bestowed by the Implementors, a group of godlike creatures jokingly based on Infocom's game designers. The Coconut of Quendor, an incredibly powerful artifact that embodies the whole of Magic, has fallen into the claws of an unspeakably foul beast: an Ur-grue. Rumoured to be the spirits of fallen Implementors, Ur-Grues can surround themselves in a sphere of darkness that only sunlight can pierce. The player must recover the Coconut from this monster's grasp or face the unthinkable consequences.

Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It

Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It is a text adventure game revolving around puns and wordplays. Idioms and clichés have become real-world objects in the town of Punster, and the player has to sort them out in order to win. There are seven separate scenarios that can be played in any order, as well as the final one that can be accessed only after having completed all seven. These scenarios are: - The Shopping Bizarre: Products in a grocery store have been replaced by nonsensical homonyms (such as "chocolate moose"), and the player has to revert them to their normal form. - Playing Jacks: Equipped with an item called "Jack of All Traits", the player has to construct words beginning with "Jack" to solve puzzles. - Buy the Farm: Clichéd expressions must be used in their literal meaning while exploring a farm. - Eat Your Words: More literal idioms used in a diner. - Act the Part: The protagonist is teleported into a 1950's-style sitcom, where he must perform visual gags. - Manor of Speaking: The protagonist explores a strange house in a more traditional humorous Infocom-style manner. - Shake a Tower: Letters in expressions have to be re-arranged to create humorous new meanings. - Meet the Mayor: The final chapter of the game, mixing elements of the others as the protagonist faces the mayor of Punster.

The Lurking Horror

The Lurking Horror is an interactive fiction game released by Infocom in 1987. The game was written by Dave Lebling and inspired by the horror fiction writings of H. P. Lovecraft (including his Cthulhu Mythos). Like most of Infocom's games, it was released for several platforms simultaneously thanks to the Z-machine. The original release included versions for DOS, the Apple II, Atari ST, Atari 8-bit family and Commodore 64. Later, it was ported to the Amiga with the addition of sound effects, making it the first title with that feature. The effects would play at appropriate times in the game in an effort to intensify the horror atmosphere. This marked one of the few major additions to the Z-machine with the exception of graphics; traditionally, Infocom had eschewed such changes in favor of expanding the parser capacity and overall size of game files. It was Infocom's 26th game; Infocom rated it as "Standard" in terms of difficulty. Lurking Horror was the only horror game ever released by Infocom.

Stationfall

Stationfall is an interactive fiction computer game written by Steve Meretzky and released by Infocom in 1987. Like the majority of Infocom's works, it was released simultaneously for several popular computer platforms of the time, such as the Commodore 64, Apple II, and PC. The game is a sequel to Planetfall, one of Infocom's most popular titles. It is Infocom's twenty-fifth game. Following the events on Resida in Planetfall, the player's character received a promotion from lowly Ensign Seventh Class to Lieutenant First Class. The life of an officer in the Stellar Patrol is no better than that of a humble enlistee, however. Five years after the thrills of saving an entire planet from destruction, the character is stuck in a boring desk job that demands piles of tedious paperwork instead of menial cleaning duties. A typically boring assignment comes in: accompany a spacetruck to a space station and pick up a load of "Request for Stellar Patrol Issue Regulation Black Form Binders Request Form Forms". To make things even more dull, spacetrucks are fully automated, so it will pilot itself once the proper coordinates are entered. But the task does authorize the use of a robot assistant, and coincidentally enough, Floyd, a beloved companion revived at the end of Planetfall, is one of the choices.

Zork Trilogy

1987

Zork Trilogy is a compilation of all three of Infocom's original Zork games: - Zork I: The Great Underground Empire - Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz - Zork III: The Dungeon Master The package also includes an item that was featured as an in-game object in Zork games: the Zorkmid Coin.

Ballyhoo

Infocom1986

Ballyhoo is an interactive fiction computer game designed by Jeff O'Neill and published by Infocom in 1985. It was released for ten different 8 and 16-bit platforms, including MS-DOS, Atari ST, and Commodore 64. It is Infocom's nineteenth game. With a circus-themed plot, the game's tagline was "Big-time suspense under the Big Top!" The player's character is bedazzled by the spectacle of the circus and the mystery of the performer's life. After attending a show of Tomas Munrab's "The Travelling Circus That Time Forgot", the player loiters near the tents instead of rushing through the exit. Maybe some clowns will practice a new act, or perhaps at least one of the trapeze artists will trip... Instead, the player overhears a strange conversation. The circus' owner has hired a drunken, inept detective to find his daughter Chelsea, who has been kidnapped. Munrab is convinced that it was an outside job; surely his loyal employees would never betray him like this! As the player begins to investigate the abduction, it soon becomes clear that the circus workers don't appreciate the intrusion. Their reactions range from indifference to hostility to attempted murder. In order to unravel the mystery, the player engages in a series of actions straight out of a circus fan's dream: dressing up as a clown, walking the high wire, and taming lions.

Moonmist

Infocom1986

Moonmist is an interactive fiction computer game written by Stu Galley and Jim Lawrence and published by Infocom in 1986. The game was released simultaneously for many platforms, including the IBM PC, Apple II, Amiga, Atari ST and Commodore 64. It is Infocom's twenty-second game. Galley and Lawrence previously wrote Seastalker for Infocom. The player's character is a young detective, asked by friend Tamara Lynd to investigate her new home of Tresyllian Castle in Cornwall, England. Tamara has recently become engaged to the castle's lord, Jack Tresyllian. She was very happy until she began seeing what appeared to be The White Lady, a ghost who has allegedly haunted the castle for centuries. As if seeing a ghost wasn't nerve-racking enough, she's also begun to fear for her life. Is Tamara's imagination just overly excited from living in a large old castle, or is someone really trying to kill her? And if her life is in danger, is it from a ghost or someone using it as a disguise?

Leather Goddesses of Phobos

Infocom1986

The year is 1936, and suddenly the protagonist is abducted by the Leather Goddesses for the final testing in the plan which will enslave every man and woman on earth. These Leather Goddesses of Phobos are just finishing up their plans for the invasion of Earth. If the hero fails to escape and save humanity, the Leather Goddesses will turn the Earth into their pleasure dome. Leather Goddesses of Phobos is a text adventure with humorous overtones. The player uses standard commands in the text parser to observe his environment and pick up items. The game's 'naughtiness' level can be adjusted between Tame (G), Suggestive (PG), and Lewd (R).

Fooblitzky

A board game style strategy game.

Spellbreaker

Spellbreaker is an interactive fiction computer game written by Dave Lebling and released by Infocom in 1985, the third and final game in the "Enchanter Trilogy". Like most of Infocom's games, it was released for many of the time's popular computer platforms, such as the Commodore 64, Atari ST and Apple II. It is Infocom's eighteenth game. Over the course of events in the trilogy's earlier games from 956 to 957 GUE (Enchanter and Sorcerer), the player's character has progressed from a novice wizard possessing a few weak spells to the leader of the Circle of Enchanters. Now, in 966 GUE (ten years after the events of Enchanter), the very foundations of Magic itself seem to be failing, and the leaders of all the Guilds in the land have gathered to demand answers. In the midst of this impassioned meeting, the crowd is suddenly transformed into a group of toads and newts. Everyone present is affected except for the player and a shadowy figure who flees the hall.

A Mind Forever Voyaging

A Mind Forever Voyaging (AMFV) is a 1985 interactive fiction game, intended as a polemical critique of Ronald Reagan's politics.

Wishbringer

Wishbringer: The Magick Stone of Dreams is an interactive fiction computer game written by Brian Moriarty and published by Infocom in 1985. It was intended to be an easier game to solve than the typical Infocom release and provide a good introduction to interactive fiction for inexperienced players, and was very well received.

Suspect

Suspect is an interactive fiction computer game designed by Dave Lebling and published by Infocom in 1984. It is the last murder mystery Infocom released, bringing an end to a popular genre of titles such as Deadline and The Witness. Like most Infocom titles, it was written in highly portable ZIL and made available for an array of popular computer platforms, including the Apple II, IBM PC, Atari ST, and Commodore 64. It is Infocom's fifteenth game.

Cutthroats

Cutthroats is an interactive fiction computer game written by Michael Berlyn and Jerry Wolper and was published by Infocom in 1984. Like the majority of Infocom's games, it was released for most of the popular computer platforms of the time, such as the Apple II, DOS, Commodore 64 and several other platforms. It is Infocom's thirteenth game.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a classic Interactive Fiction game. Though divergent from the source material, the main characters, locations, and concepts are here. Unlike the book, death can come quickly if Arthur fails to observe his surroundings, collect inventory, talk to people, and consult the Guide. Don't panic!

Seastalker

Seastalker is an interactive fiction computer game designed by Stu Galley and Jim Lawrence and published by Infocom in 1984. Like most of Infocom's works, it was released simultaneously for several popular computer platforms of the time, such as the Commodore 64, Apple II, and IBM PC. The game was marketed as an introduction to interactive fiction for pre-teen players. It is Infocom's twelfth game. Galley and Lawrence later wrote Moonmist for Infocom. The player's character is a young inventor and marine scientist. A research facility called the Aquadome issues a call for help, indicating that the undersea structure is being attacked by a sea monster. With helpful assistant Tip, the player must navigate to the Aquadome in the new untested two-person submarine Scimitar and investigate the problem. But that isn't all... it looks like there may be a saboteur within the Aquadome as well.

Sorcerer

Many centuries ago, the Earth was ruled by Sorcerers and Wizards. They possessed mystical powers capable of both good and evil. The most respected influences in the land were from the good Sorcerers. This fact continually disturbed the evil Wizards, and they eventually decided to use their power to conquer the countryside and enslave its people. They devised a plan to systematically eliminate the good Sorcerers by sending wave after wave of diabolical creatures to ravage the world. As the bravest of the good Sorcerers you have been asked to destroy these forces and save the planet. As a reward for your bravery: whenever you overcome or destroy a creature, you will receive a treasure. Knowing your bravery the Wizards have done everything within their power to keep you from succeeding. They don't believe you will survive their first three waves of evil, but just in case you do they have several surprises waiting, Only you can discover through bravery and talent how evil they can become. To give you more power over the Forces of Evil the good Sorcerers have provided a magical Flying Platform. When you start on your journey you should first catch this elusive platform. You can continue without it, but only the foolish would dare to do so. Once on the Flying Platform you can go anywhere on the screen to avoid or destroy the enemy. The good Sorcerers have also given you four lives to use against the Forces of Evil.

Infidel

Infidel is an interactive fiction computer game published by Infocom in 1983. It was written by Patricia Fogleman and Michael Berlyn and was the first in the "Tales of Adventure" line. Due to Infocom's virtual Z-Machine, it was ported to a wide variety of popular computing systems of the day, including the Apple II and Commodore 64. It is Infocom's tenth game. In 1916, Dr. Ellington came into possession of a 5000-year-old fragment of pottery covered with hieroglyphics. (Conveniently for the text-only game, these runes look strangely like ASCII characters.) After years of painstaking research, Ellington managed to decipher a portion of the text, which indicated the general location of a pyramid that no one had heard of before. He managed to organize a modest expedition to the area in 1920, but found nothing before he died except a small block of limestone bearing the same style of hieroglyphics. According to the partial translation he made, the new fragment spoke of a queen and great riches. When Howard Carter discovered King Tut's tomb a few years later, Dr. Ellington's widow figured that someone had found the pyramid her husband had been looking for. She stowed the papers and artifacts away and forgot all about them. Rose found them in the early 1980s after her mother's death and did some preliminary fact-checking. The pyramid indicated by her father's papers is nowhere near Tut's. In fact, no pyramids have ever been discovered in the area Dr. Ellington was investigating. Rose is by no means a rich woman—she only wants someone to give her father the recognition he deserves—so it'll be a modest expedition. But it sure sounds like the perfect chance for an opportunistic soldier-of-fortune to make a name for himself.

Enchanter

Enchanter is a bullet hell RPG that blends Metroidvania and roguelike elements. You play as Aria, a fairy exploring the world and the Shattered Space, advancing the story as you go. Your ultimate goal is to reach the deepest part of the Shattered Space — the World Library.

Planetfall

Planetfall is a science fiction interactive fiction computer game written by Steve Meretzky, and the eighth title published by Infocom in 1983. Like most Infocom games, thanks to the portable Z-machine, it was released for several platforms simultaneously. The original release included versions for the PC (both as a booter and for DOS) and Apple II. The Atari ST and Commodore 64 versions were released in 1985. A version for CP/M was also released. Although Planetfall was Meretzky's first title, it proved one of his most popular works and a best-seller for Infocom; it was one of five top-selling titles to be re-released in Solid Gold versions including in-game hints. Planetfall utilizes the Z-machine originally developed for the Zork franchise and was added as a bonus to the "Zork Anthology". The word planetfall is a portmanteau of planet and landfall, and occasionally used in science fiction to that effect. The book Planetfall written by Arthur Byron Cover, uses the game image on the cover, and is marketed "In the bestselling tradition of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.[2] A sequel, Stationfall, was released in 1987. Planetfall teleports you 12,000 years into an outrageous future. You joined the Stellar Patrol to explore the galaxy, but all you've seen is the end of a mop - until your ship explodes and you're jettisoned onto a mysterious, deserted planet. Luckily, you have Floyd, a lovable multi-purpose robot with the personality of a mischievous 8-year-old. He's the ideal companion with whom to brave your new world, as you dare its dangers and uncover its secrets.

Suspended