This took me a couple days to compile because it made me reflect on what I find interesting in interactive fiction. In a way, my list likely differs from people here because I’m not cataloging favorites or titles that did change the course of IF history – rather, it’s all about how inspiring the titles are to me in pointing to new possibilities:
- The Prisoner by David Mullich: Before drafting my list, I realized that this Apple II game had not been added to IFDB. I took the time to get it written up and also posted a review on the game. I won’t waste words here except to say that I found the title awe-inspiring because it doesn’t follow any rules and principles. Its hostility toward the player is something I would love to see more in interactive fiction.
- A Mind Forever Voyaging by Steve Meretzky: Not only is it one of the earliest and most interesting puzzle-less parser games out there but I also thought it was surprisingly relevant to our times. The gameplay is essentially aimless wandering around and figuring out what to do next, which I quite like. It’s fun to track where I was with the map feelie. Kinda want more games like this. I also didn’t know what I was getting into when I first played the game, but many moments regarding racial violence and discrimination really resonated with me. I know the game has garnered a reputation for being preachy as opposed to that masterpiece of subtlety, Trinity, but I find the lecturing rather refreshing in the context of mass media. I sorta wish Meretzky was more encouraged to make games like this, but that’s just wishful thinking from my part.
- Infidel by Michael Berlyn (RIP): The ending of the game is justifiably controversial to say the least, but it echoes my thoughts on the colonial adventures I’ve had in my Infocom journey. And more so than Planetfall, this game seems to be hitting on a real narrative nerve that we haven’t figured out yet in gaming history: how much should we keep or betray the expectation of the player? I don’t think Infidel answered it with tact, but I’m glad it didn’t. Its abrasiveness stands out to me because it doesn’t seem to care except for one goal: choosing something that makes sense for the narrative. I respect this leap a lot.
- The Fire Tower by Jacqueline A. Lott: This is a game that feels so simple and easy to conceive at first glance that it U-turns and becomes difficult again. Ostensibly a title simulating a short hiking session, the game is full of attention to little and beautiful details. The writing seamlessly goes between the trek, the psychology of the player character, and the world around her. I feel so calm and curious about everything in this game. And yet, when I start thinking how Lott designed the game, I can’t stop imagining how difficult it must be to make the mundane so compelling. I’m glad that 50 Years of Text Games introduced me to this wonderful work because it’s honestly one of the most charming IF works out there.
- Will Not Let Me Go by Stephen Granade: With just a few scenes, this story about old age and love tears me apart. The subject matter has been explored in many different games, but I think this title takes the brave step in simulating what it means to have dementia and how confusing it is for the player character and everyone else around him. And the ending … I’m not someone who believes in “true love”, but this game sure made me want to believe in it.
- Repeat the Ending by Drew Cook: Another game I reviewed, this title explores a personal title being analyzed by different sides of the interactive fiction community. I enjoyed reading the many hints and understanding why the game was designed like this. The Design of the game is the real narrative in a way. I think people who like introspective metafiction about IF communities like Endless, Nameless will find it interesting.
- Venus Meets Venus by kaleidofish: Although I mentioned in my review that it’s quite flawed, it’s a title that keeps haunting me whenever I read works exploring queerness. There are so many questions that it poses that I still don’t have answers to. It’s likely my favorite work about LGBTQ+ themes right now.
- The Archivist and the Revolution by Autumn Chen: I’m quite a fan of Autumn’s works, but this specific title captures my imagination: it’s this remix of Tumblr, what’s happening to trans people in the Global North, some events in modern Chinese history like the Cultural Revolution, poverty, genetic history, and some more. This mishmash of ideas is so exhilarating.
- SPY INTRIGUE by furkle: I’d like people to get surprised by the title, so this is all I would say: it’s great.
- Trinity by Brian Moriarty: An undeniable accomplishment that expresses its concerns about the Cold War through the mechanics of a Zorkian puzzle crawler. I have never seen something like it before.
- Suspended by Michael Berlyn (RIP): Revolutionary, to say the least. It feels like I was playing a precursor to Zachtronics games but somehow more ambitious and bigger. I can see why artists like Douglas Adams want to work with Infocom after experiencing this game. It certainly made me think I was born in the wrong period because this title feels more evocative of the future of gaming than anything before or prior.
- Bee by Emily Short: I don’t share any of these experiences with the protagonist and yet, the writing invites me to think about how she feels. The game also takes its time to depict the anxieties of her parents too, which I find interesting. Having heard so many tales of what it’s like to be homeschooled, I didn’t expect to hear the side of the parents. It doesn’t paint them in an entirely good or bad light, which I respect.
- A Paradox Between Worlds by Autumn Chen: I think this is the only title I’ve played so far that has captured the internet experience for me: a lurking simulator where you watch all the big names interact with each other and you’re just kinda there. I personally mention this title more than Archivist in conversation because my non-IF-loving friends find this title wonderful and rewarding. The ending is also timeless too, which makes the setting never dated to me.
- Plundered Hearts by Amy Briggs: For a long time, I didn’t know Infocom as anything but “the dudes behind Zork” and for good reason: most of the catalog are locked behind ActiBlizzard. Every good Infocom game made me wish more people got to play it, but I think Plundered Hearts might be the title I want more people to play the most. Here’s a game that shows how a deep appreciation of genre (swashbuckling romance), reversing the gender roles (you play as the “damsel” saving your pirate hunk), and great writing can make adventures feel fresh again. It makes me wish more women got the opportunity Briggs got – and that Briggs got to make more games. This is likely the least “painful” parser game on my top games list, but I think it’s a very inspiring one because it points to a new horizon where game history could be more interesting if it was actually inclusive and understanding of desires. It’s really wonderful to play a game that doesn’t look down on “silly things” like romances and embraces it so wholeheartedly.
- The Gostak by Carl Muckenhoupt: I’m a bit hesitant in putting a title I’m still going through, but I think this title blows up all the possibilities of what parser fiction can do. The whole “puzzle” of this game is the language itself. Your familiarity with Inform 7 and interactive fiction as a whole are your only real clues. It makes me think about what could be done with parser, especially if it’s so alien to us and we need to understand what it’s trying to say. Playing this game makes me lost in a world of foreign languages, which strike up my fancy as someone who’s lived my entire life as an international student. It’s awesome.
Honorable Mentions That Could've Made It Onto the List
- Zork 3 by Dave Lebling and Marc Blank: Atmospheric and prescient, this title should be regarded as the way to conclude a series if not for…
- Spellbreaker by Dave Lebling: A somehow more ambitious title in concluding sagas. Both Zork 3 and Spellbreaker have this irreplaceable somber mood that I find intoxicating. I thought of adding them, but I think Trinity outdoes both of them in atmosphere and puzzles. They are, however, great contenders for Top 50 Endings!
- Starcross by Dave Lebling: I’m often surprised people don’t bring this title up more because I really enjoyed my time traveling this space station and the puzzle at the end is ingenious. The writing is also stellar, in my opinion. Might’ve been on the list if not for the existence of other interesting titles.
- Toby’s Nose by Chandler Groover: I loved this game because it introduced me to the possibilities of parser fiction and I still do. Smelling your way through different rooms is so incredible. It’s also the first game I ever reviewed too. I just think it pales to the heavyweights I’ve written up so far, but I must definitely mention how important this title is to me.
- Lost Pig by Admiral Jota: Same with this game. It’s very innovative and funny. I credit both Toby’s and Lost Pig as the two titles that staved my boredom away in a dull plane trip and piqued my curiosity into parser IF. Without these two titles, I don’t think I would be posting in this lovely forum.
- Pageant and New Year’s Eve, 2019 by Autumn Chen: I like the Pageantverse a lot because it’s so particular and local. It’s something I noted in my review of the former. If I was adding either game onto the list, it would be NYE2019 because it’s such an interesting setting to simulate and the protagonist says some incredible stuff. I think I just wanted more, which is a good thing since the series is still ongoing.
- Any Porpentine title: I like all of her works and she’s a big reason I got interested in Twine, but I crave for something more abrasive … and I know people already find her works to be too much lol… I believe Venus Meets Venus is the reason why none of her titles is on the list. If there was a title that would’ve appeared on the list, it is without a doubt With Those We Love Alive.
- Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Steve Meretzky and Douglas Adams: I played this game when I was a teenager and was enthralled by how surreal the Babelfish puzzle was. Playing it again in my adult life (and knowing what’s IF is all about) was fun because I get to notice how the story is told in this fragmented way.
- Spider and Web by Andrew Plotkin: That puzzle everyone keeps raving about is very funny. I wanted a bit more from that game, but it is a very funny puzzle.
- Rameses by Stephen Bond: This game definitely made me rethink the narrative possibilities of parser titles. It breaks any affinities with player agency and I think it’s a more challenging title than, say, Catcher in the Rye because it’s speaking to you, the player. I just wished it did more.
- Open Sorcery by Abigail Corfman: Definitely a classic. I wish I had more to say, but it’s just good.
- Eat Me by Chandler Groover: Everything about this title is sumptuous and delicious. I also enjoy games where there’s a good chance of me looking up something in the dictionary.
- Mirror and Queen by Chandler Groover: Another contender that seems heavily under-appreciated. The one-word parser mechanic is ingenious; it really feels like I’m roleplaying a queen deeply reflecting about the world around her.
- Endless, Nameless by Adam Cadre: Really fun game foreshadowing the current era in the interactive fiction community. It feels like a bridge between the old and the new.
- Amnesia by Thomas M. Disch: Unbelievably flawed for various reasons, but I find it memorable. The bizarre mechanics forced onto the game are what makes it special to me; it has one of the worst anti-piracy measures I’ve ever seen, the subway system is extremely accurate, and the hunger system is so strange. There’s also a deep beauty to Disch’s writing and how he captures New York City. The plot is a bit derivative for my taste since it’s twisting conventional noir tropes into something more absurd, but it’s really rollicking fun once Disch gets into dreamlike scenes. I wonder what it would be like if the game was written as a hypertext game since that seems to be how he viewed interactive fiction then.
- Counterfeit Monkey by Emily Short: The game that will probably appear on many people’s list. Much praise can be written about it, but I think I prefer Short’s more character-driven works.
- Fabricationist DeWit Remakes the World by Jedebiah Berry: The visuals it evokes through the mixed media interfaces are impeccable.
Okay, I swear I won’t edit this post again. (JK, I saw a typo.)
Perhaps you can select a shortlist of 20 from your longlist?