Here, you can download and play Interactive Fiction games that I personally recommend – and comment on your experiences!
Your feedback is strongly encouraged and appreciated – Did you like a game? Why/why not? Was it an entertaining experience? Was it challenging? Too difficult? Too frustrating? Too Boring?
I want to know!
Your opinions may also be of interest to other students, so please leave a comment at the bottom of the page!
Before you begin, you’ll need to know where to get Interactive Fiction games and how to play them!
Where to find Interactive Fiction games (and yes, almost all of them are free!):
- The Interactive Fiction Database – http://ifdb.tads.org/
The IFDB is my preferred platform for finding IF games and learning more about them. The layout is attractive and very clear. Story files and information on games can be found by using a search engine (by game name, author or tags). The best aspect of the IFDB is its community-based wiki-like interface, where users can leave comments about games and create lists or polls of games based on topics, such as: Plot-Heavy IF; Active Non-Player Characters; Best Short Games; and First and Third-person narratives. These lists and polls make finding a game that fits specific criteria very easy and is a great way to discover new games to play. Users of the IFDB can also ask the community for recommendations or help in finding specific games or information about them. Each page devoted to a single IF game will contain downloads for various story files, any existing documentation (including walkthroughs) and links to play online. Additional links to reviews of the game and recommendations for related games can also be found. All in all, it’s an amazing resource backed by a fantastic community. Once you’ve tried my recommended games, see where your curiosity takes you!
Running an IF game
IF can be either be played by loading a story file into a piece of software called an ‘Interpreter’, or played by accessing the game online in a web-browser at http://parchment.toolness.com/ or http://iplayif.com/ or on the authors’ personal websites (links to these online versions are also accessible via the individual game pages on the IFDB). Being able to play IF in a web-browser offers a very quick way of setting up and running a game as it does away with the need to download and install an interpreter and a story file, but necessarily has the drawback of requiring an Internet connection. A further disadvantage is that the player is unable change the presentation of the screen and is only allowed one save-game slot (a bookmark function which allows the reader to go back to a previous game state at any time). For the most complete reading experience, I would recommend playing IF using a story file (downloaded from the IFDB) and an interpreter, when possible. An IF story file is a very small document, usually ending in a a .z5, .zblorb or .gblorb extension. There are many interpreters which can play these files available for pretty much every digital operating system. For the most common operating systems, I recommend the following:
- Mac OS X : Zoom or Gargoyle
- Windows: Gargoyle
- Linux: Zoom or Gargoyle
- iOS (iPhone and iPod Touch and iPad): Frotz (free on iTunes) – currently my favourite way to play IF
- Android: Twisty
Once you’ve installed your chosen interpreter, you’re ready to load up your game file. This is done through the traditional File – Menu – Open dialog. The story will open in a window, and you’re ready to play!
Communicating with an IF game
Giving commands to your character in IF games may be a bit confusing at first – even though commands are given in English, the game will not understand everything you tell it. To be understood, you need to simplify your instructions as much as possible. The most basic structure understood by all IF games is a verb+noun collocation, such as: OPEN DOOR, THROW KNIFE, TIE ROPE. Better quality games will be able to understand more complex sentences with prepositions and multiple objects: THROW PANTS ON FIRE AND EAT THEM.
As a rule, keep things simple and think in terms of micro-actions: open a door before trying to go through it; remove and drop any items of clothing before taking a shower.
Download and print the IF for Beginners Hint Sheet to help you the first few times you play, and if you have never played IF before, have a look at the Magic Words section of this post to get an idea of what the most useful IF commands are.
Remember: EXAMINE everything and try to TAKE everything not nailed down – it might be useful later on! And SAVE your place often so you can RESTORE your game and go back to where you were before!
Interactive Fiction games you should play RIGHT NOW!
Game: 9:05 by Adam Cadre (2000)
Language level: Intermediate and up
Genre: Slice of Life
Game difficulty: Easy
Game geography: Small (mapping is unnecessary)
Time needed to play: 10 -45 minutes (4 different endings)
Game file: get it from the Interactive Fiction Database and Adam Cadre’s official site.
Play online: at IPLAYIF.com or here.
Materials: 9:05 Difficult Vocabulary worksheet (Upper-Intermediate): 9:05 word list 9:05 walkthrough/solution: use the spolier-proof version from JAYISGAMES.COM
Joe says: The perfect introduction to Interactive Fiction – it’s a very short game, there are no real puzzles and the ending is amazing. You really have to play it more than once to see if the ending makes any sense!
Try out 9:05 right in this window!
Game: Lost Pig (And Place Underground) by Admiral Jota (2007)
Language level: Intermediate and up
Genre: Fantasy/Humour
Time needed to play: 2-6 hours
Game difficulty: Medium (however, game boasts an excellent Hint System)
Game geography: Small (however NE, SE, NW, SW directions are implemented – mapping is recommended)
Game file: get it from the Interactive Fiction Database and official Lost Pig site.
Play online: from IPLAYIF.COM (Parchment interpreter – recommended) or JAYISGAMES (in a java window)
Materials: Lost Pig Difficult Vocabulary worksheet (Intermediate): LOSTPIG_VOCAB
Lot Pig Map without descriptions: LOSTPIG_MAP
Lost Pig Map with descriptions: LOSTPIG_MAP_DESCRIPTIONS
Map with IF commands: lostpigmap_vocab
Lost Pig walkthrough/solution: get it at the Interactive Fiction Database or use the spolier-proof version from JAYISGAMES.COM
Joe says: One of the funniest and most well-designed Interactive Fiction games ever written. Great character, great puzzles, and amazing replies (it understands almost everything!)
Try out Lost Pig right in this window!
Game: Galatea by Emily Short (2000)
Language level: Upper-Intermediate +
Genre: Conversational/Mythological
Time needed to play: 45 – 60 minutes; Over 70 different endings!
Game difficulty: No puzzles!
Game geography: One room
Game file: – get the Galatea.zblorb file from the Interactive Fiction Database and Emily Short’s site.
Play online: at iplayif.com
Materials: Pre-reading task materials: Worksheet with intro to ‘Pygmalion and Galtea’
‘Pygmalion and Galatea’ difficult vocabulary list
Galatea hints/walkthroughs: WARNING – VIEW ONLY AFTER PLAYING A FEW TIMES
Joe says: An amazing conversational IF piece where you can talk to a Greek statue brought to life. Over 80 different endings can be achieved. A classic!
Try out Galatea right in this window!
Game: Photopia by Adam Cadre (1999)
Language level: Upper-Intermediate +
Genre: Slice of Life
Time needed to play: 60 minutes
Game difficulty: Few puzzles – not difficult
Game geography: Stories take place in various locations. RED and SEA-BLUE locations may be more easily played if mapped.
Game file: – get the latest release Photopia.gblorb file from Adam Cadre’s site (recommended by the author) or the Photopia.z5 file from the Interactive Fiction Database.
Play online: at iplayif.com
Joe says: One of the true must-play modern IF works – almost completely narrative-driven with few puzzles. You might even cry – you have been warned!
Try out Photopia right in this window!
Game: Bronze by Emily Short (2006)
Language level: Upper-Intermediate +
Genre: Fantasy/Fractured fairytale
Time needed to play: 4-6 hours
Game difficulty: Moderately difficult but boasts an excellent Hint System.
Game geography: A very expansive geography. Game has an auto-mapping feature, but mapping (or downloading a completed map) is recommended.
Game file: – get the Bronze.zblorb file from Emily Short’s official Bronze site or from the Interactive Fiction Database.
Play online: at iplayif.com Materials: Bronze (and IF in general) manual for beginners here. Map (detailed – with spoilers) here Walkthrough: download here
Joe says: an incredibly well written and well designed puzzle-based IF game. A fractured look at a well known tale – is the Beast all that he seems?
Try out The Count right in this window!
IF Only: 
So, what did you think?
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