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  • Writer's pictureDerek

Why the Zork Trilogy is still worth playing (and how to play it!)

The Zork Trilogy is a series of text-based adventure games that were groundbreaking for their time. Released in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the games were among the first of their kind and set the standard for the adventure game genre. Despite their age, the Zork games are still available to play today, and can be found online at GameFools.



When the first Zork game was released in 1977, it was unlike anything else that had come before it. The game was entirely text-based, meaning that there were no graphics or animations to accompany the player's actions. Instead, the game relied entirely on the player's imagination, with descriptions of locations and objects provided through text.

What made the Zork games so groundbreaking was the level of interactivity that they offered. Players could type in commands to interact with the game world, such as "take sword" or "open door". The game would then respond with a description of what had happened as a result of the player's actions. This level of interactivity was virtually unheard of at the time, and helped to create a sense of immersion that was unparalleled in other games of the era.


The Zork Trilogy was also notable for its sense of humor. The games were filled with clever and often absurd jokes, such as a troll who demanded that the player solve a riddle before allowing them to pass, or a grue (a fictional monster that lived in the dark) that would instantly kill the player if they entered a dark room without a light source.


Despite their age, the Zork games have stood the test of time, and are still beloved by fans of the adventure game genre. While the lack of graphics may be off-putting to some modern players, the games remain a testament to the power of imagination and interactivity in video games.


For those who are interested in experiencing the Zork Trilogy for themselves, the games can be played online at GameFools. While the original games were released for the personal computer, the online versions can be played in any web browser, making them accessible to a wide audience. Whether you're a longtime fan of the series or a newcomer to the adventure game genre, the Zork Trilogy is well worth checking out.



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