Special Sub-Topic: Zork I Click Here To Play: Zork I

What type of game was "Zork"?

Text adventure. The game required players to type words and read responses from the system. It required no joysticks or other accessories.

Players started the game at a house. Which of these common objects did the player find outside?

Mailbox. One of your first tasks was very simple. You had to find the box, open it and look over the contents.

"Zork" players had to take on which of the following obstacles?

Underground maze. Players descended a ladder into the maze. From then on, they navigated by walking in simple directions, the compass points.

The "Zork" player would soon be confronted by a grue. What was a grue?

Monster. You never get to see a picture of a grue. However, they had a nasty habit of killing the player.

Which of the following did the player need to ward off the grues?

A light source. Grues would pounce almost immediately in the dark. Woe betide the player who had no torch or flashlight.

Which of the following was a common means of death in the game?

Being eaten. A player could expect to become somebody's snack many times while learning to play the game. Although it was frustrating, the Zork competitor had to learn from this process. It became a valuable practice to examine and pick up objects lying around. You never knew what might be good for self-defense.

Which of the following weapons could the Zork player use?

A sword. The trusty sword could handle just about any foe. None of the other weapons exist in "Zork I".

What was the unit of currency in the world of the game?

The zorkmid. Zorkmid "replica" coins became highly valuable on the collectors' market. They showed things like emperors in the game world.

How many treasures was the player supposed to collect in the "Zork" world?

Nineteen. The items were hidden throughout the game. They comprised a variety of magical baubles.

What was one of the novel aspects of "Zork I"?

It could carry out relatively complex instructions. "Zork I" pioneered the idea of two-level commands: for instance, not just "use sword," but "use sword *on* grue". Players could actually select from a number of targets or ways to deploy an item.