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I grew up playing Return to Zork and just missed the original Zorks. I couldn't get into them but really wanted to. I love the execution of IF and the stories t

I grew up playing Return to Zork and just missed the original Zorks. I couldn't get into them but really wanted to. I love the execution of IF and the stories they weave. What would be a good modern IF to jump into that isn't as punishing as the original Zorks, and not too hard for an IF newbie? Thank you!

anthk 6y ago
Anchorhead.
- brox 6y ago
  For those familiar with the original 1998 version, note that a remastered and illustrated edition was released in 2018--worth a replay and a good way of supporting the author! https://store.steampowered.com/app/726870/Anchorhead/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/726870/Anchorhead/
  - 7thaccount 6y ago
    I don't use Steam, but would gladly play this on pretty much anything else.
    - brox 6y ago
      You can buy it on itch.io as well: https://www.anchorhead-game.com/purchase/ https://www.anchorhead-game.com/purchase/
      - 7thaccount 6y ago
        I didn't think it was on itch.io. I'll go ahead and buy it there. Thanks!
  - nicolas_t 6y ago
    I'll second the recommendation for Anchorhead. It's a great lovecraftian horror, the plot draws you in and it's hard to stop until you finish it. Beware of dead ends though so save often.
  - anthk 6y ago
    I prefer the ultraportable freeware (on any machine with a Z8 machine interpreter), but I'd gladly support the author by other means.
II2II 6y ago
Your best option is to browse past IF competition winners. A lot of modern IF places emphasis on story telling based upon setting or situation. Much like a book, it can be difficult to connect with a story if you cannot relate to it in some way. Here is a link to past competitions: https://ifdb.tads.org/search?browse&comp&sortby=awn https://ifdb.tads.org/search?browse&comp&sortby=awn
dfabulich 6y ago
For IF newbies, your best bet is probably to just pick great IF games and use hints as needed. (Prefer gradual hints over step-by-step walkthroughs.) The IF community maintains IFDB, and a list of the top 100 games. https://ifdb.tads.org/viewlist?id=k7rrytlz3wihmx2o https://ifdb.tads.org/viewlist?id=k7rrytlz3wihmx2o (It can take a full minute to load; be patient.) All of the games on the list are delightful, but a newbie can't really be expected to finish any of them without hints. Luckily, almost all of them offer gradual hints, either linked from IFDB itself or in-game with a HINT command.
ojnabieoot 6y ago
Lost Pig was my starting point for contemporary IF: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Pig https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Pig (and it’s probably still my favorite)
zorked 6y ago
Spider and Web is a very interesting game with many well-used devices and twists. Photopia leans towards the "fiction" end of "interactive fiction". It's very short and accessible.

anthk 6y ago

Anchorhead.

brox 6y ago
For those familiar with the original 1998 version, note that a remastered and illustrated edition was released in 2018--worth a replay and a good way of supporting the author! https://store.steampowered.com/app/726870/Anchorhead/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/726870/Anchorhead/
- 7thaccount 6y ago
  I don't use Steam, but would gladly play this on pretty much anything else.
  - brox 6y ago
    You can buy it on itch.io as well: https://www.anchorhead-game.com/purchase/ https://www.anchorhead-game.com/purchase/
    - 7thaccount 6y ago
      I didn't think it was on itch.io. I'll go ahead and buy it there. Thanks!
- nicolas_t 6y ago
  I'll second the recommendation for Anchorhead. It's a great lovecraftian horror, the plot draws you in and it's hard to stop until you finish it. Beware of dead ends though so save often.
- anthk 6y ago
  I prefer the ultraportable freeware (on any machine with a Z8 machine interpreter), but I'd gladly support the author by other means.

II2II 6y ago

Your best option is to browse past IF competition winners. A lot of modern IF places emphasis on story telling based upon setting or situation. Much like a book, it can be difficult to connect with a story if you cannot relate to it in some way. Here is a link to past competitions: https://ifdb.tads.org/search?browse&comp&sortby=awn https://ifdb.tads.org/search?browse&comp&sortby=awn

dfabulich 6y ago

For IF newbies, your best bet is probably to just pick great IF games and use hints as needed. (Prefer gradual hints over step-by-step walkthroughs.) The IF community maintains IFDB, and a list of the top 100 games. https://ifdb.tads.org/viewlist?id=k7rrytlz3wihmx2o https://ifdb.tads.org/viewlist?id=k7rrytlz3wihmx2o (It can take a full minute to load; be patient.) All of the games on the list are delightful, but a newbie can't really be expected to finish any of them without hints. Luckily, almost all of them offer gradual hints, either linked from IFDB itself or in-game with a HINT command.

ojnabieoot 6y ago

Lost Pig was my starting point for contemporary IF: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Pig https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Pig (and it’s probably still my favorite)

zorked 6y ago

Spider and Web is a very interesting game with many well-used devices and twists. Photopia leans towards the "fiction" end of "interactive fiction". It's very short and accessible.