Frustrated with Zork I

Playing Game Hints
1

I recently got back into the text adventures I played as a kid (and never get very far in). Now that I’m a bit older I’m finding it a bit easier, but there is something going on in the first Zork that I cannot work out. Just be warned there will be spoilers here.

When I needed to use the matchbook to light the candles I could not find it anywhere, I searched every room I had been in. I figured it could have been a bug or something. So I restarted the whole game, now when I go to the Dam maintenance room there is no wrench or tube. Which is crazy because when I visited the room before they were there but I did not pick them up at the time. I figured this might mean the thief had taken them (I’m not real sure how the thief works though to be honest). Thing is though I have already killed the thief and those items did not drop, nor are they in the treasure room. Can anyone help me? This is driving me insane because I just want to finish this game. I figured you guys would be the best bet as to knowing whats going on.

2

The thief takes things you’ve seen but not picked up, except the coffin, I think. He keeps treasures, but discards non-treasures in random rooms. That means the wrench and tube are somewhere, but maybe not somewhere you’ve been to yet.

3

Ooh right. Thanks for explaining that I had no idea haha. I just hope he hasn’t put them somewhere north of the “resevoir south” because I haven’t opened the gates on the dam yet and need the wrench for that. Otherwise I’ll be doing another restart. :open_mouth:

But seriously thanks for that, I understand how the thief works now too.

4

There’s another way to go north of the reservoir too.

5

Ah yeah. I know the way you mean. I have actually finished the game now (to be honest I used the walkthrough a bit too much.) Onto Zork II now, going to see if I can do that one without a walkthrough. I always get so impatient haha.