Must-play games - an IFDB Poll

I am looking for the games that, in your opinion, you simply must have played in order to really call yourself an IF aficionado. Or if someone wanted to play N number of IF games in order to get as good an overview of the IF classics (contemporary or ancient) as possible, then you would recommend these N games. Thus you might sacrifice some quality because you think a game played a key role historically or exemplifies an important topic.

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	Anchorhead, by Michael Gentry 33 votes "Ridiculously intriguing" [+]"Ridiculously intriguing: Great writing and characterization" () --glassmice... "Infocomesque" [+]"Infocomesque: A must-play for Lovecraft fans." () --Puddin Tame... "Balanced, atmospheric, well implemented, big and fair" [+]"Balanced, atmospheric, well implemented, big and fair" () --tekket... "Massive, sprawling map; creepy Lovecraftian horror is dead on point throughout; one great NPC" [+]"Massive, sprawling map; creepy Lovecraftian horror is dead on point throughout; one great NPC" () --patrick.brian.mooney... "The best game I.ve ever played" [+]"The best game I.ve ever played" () --Jade68... "After playing this, everything else is a let-down" [+]"After playing this, everything else is a let-down: Anchorhead is the first piece of parser IF I played, and that was a mistake, because I've never been able to find anything that compares with it since. The atmosphere is perfect, the world rich, the puzzles immersive and well implemented, the story and mystery better than Lovecraft's own." () --edgerunneralexis... "Even if you..." [+]"Even if you don't play to completion, Anchorhead provides a rare balance of atmosphere, characterization, long-form story, and compelling puzzles." () --Emily Short... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Archbaron... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Dave Chapeskie... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Fabien Vidal... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --zer... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Azazel... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Bernie... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Xervosh... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --jahilia... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Jordan Magnuson... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --shornet... (No comment) [+](No comment) --akaisha0... (No comment) [+](No comment) --itsdnoftheworld... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk... "Epic, well-done,..." [+]"Epic, well-done, very nice coding, generally good. Also no more than one undo allowed, as with other Michael Gentry games." --Terrabytten... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --BlitzWithGuns... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Shank... (No comment) [+](No comment) --HarryKile... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Elizabeth DeCoste... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Rovarsson... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --E.K.... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karlok... "Canon." [+]"Canon." () --Nomad... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Laney Berry... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Drew Cook... Vote for this game

	Zork I, by Marc Blank and Dave Lebling 22 votes "You are likely to be eaten by a grue" [+]"You are likely to be eaten by a grue: To the extent that I consider an "IF aficionado" someone who gets most of the IF inside-jokes (if there's a point to being an "IF aficionado" that doesn't involve humor, it eludes me), there can be no more crucial a game than Zork I for getting some of the most persistent ones about grues, mailboxes, twisty passages (all alike), thieves, trolls, zorkmids and more. To speak the language of IF, you must - among other things - speak the language of Zork. I would examine my opinion in more detail, but I find only a small tag proclaiming it a product of the Frobozz Magic Opinion Company." () --Ghalev... "Classic Original" [+]"Classic Original: Humorous play, bizarre landscape, historical experience for early IF fictioneers" () --DallasBrianK... "It's Zork!" [+]"It's Zork!: A true classic, but also legit fun. If you don't Zork, you don't know IF." --PNervous... "In the beginning, there was ZORK" [+]"In the beginning, there was ZORK: It's the one that started it all! As an intro to IF it's a must-play!" () --Puddin Tame... "Never really got old" [+]"Never really got old" --Ant-Fan... "Throwing that leaflet" [+]"Throwing that leaflet" --Someoneoro... "It's a classic, maaan!" [+]"It's a classic, maaan!" --Wanderer... "A timeless classic" [+]"A timeless classic: A fun adventure that's vital to understanding the genre." --Integer Man... "Hard to argue with the longevity" [+]"Hard to argue with the longevity: Hugely important in the historical development of IF" --Mikalye... "The Original" [+]"The Original" --VanishingSky... "Where it all started from" [+]"Where it all started from" --Chuckles... "When an IF game..." [+]"When an IF game tries to be "not just a cave romp", "not just a treasure hunt", "about role-playing", "about NPC interaction", what it really means is, "not Zork". Even today, Zork is the IF (no, sod it - text adventure) against which all others are ultimately measured, for better or for worse. And it's still great fun." () --JonathanCR... (No comment) [+](No comment) --SharkFighter... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Bernie... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Xervosh... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Fredrik... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --DJ... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Xavid... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Spike... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Drew Cook... Vote for this game

	Photopia, by Adam Cadre 20 votes "Very well-made" [+]"Very well-made" --Someoneoro... "The first puzzle-less game" [+]"The first puzzle-less game" () --VanishingSky... "So hugely..." [+]"So hugely influential on story-telling in the form that it must not be missed." ( - Full review) --Emily Short... "Easiest to get..." [+]"Easiest to get into, with a great story and use of medium." () --Michael R. Bacon... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --madducks... (No comment) [+](No comment) --J'onn Roger... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Victor Gijsbers... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Jordan Magnuson... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karl Ove Hufthammer... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --DJ... "Historically..." [+]"Historically vital to understanding the community and its evolution. Also, it's a f**ing glorious game." () --Sdn... (No comment)* [+](No comment) () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --BlitzWithGuns... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Witchy W... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Shank... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Pedestr!an... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karlok... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Drew Cook... Vote for this game

	Galatea, by Emily Short 17 votes "Best NPC and conversation." [+]"Best NPC and conversation." ( - Full review) --Michael R. Bacon... "Renewed my interest in the form" [+]"Renewed my interest in the form: A really eye opening game about the potential of the medium and also very moving" --PNervous... "A must-play for..." [+]"A must-play for anyone interested in conversation systems in IF." --Molly... (No comment) [+](No comment) --SleepyEmp... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --madducks... (No comment) [+](No comment) --J'onn Roger... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Bernie... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karl Ove Hufthammer... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sdn... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Ghalev... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... "To see what IF..." [+]"To see what IF can achieve when it focuses completely on NPC interaction and characterisation." --Christina Nordlander... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --paranormal-potato... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Nathaniel... "Nuanced, detailed..." [+]"Nuanced, detailed discussion. Probably the most in-depth NPC I've seen any any game, IF or not. " --saint-cuddy... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... Vote for this game

	Spider and Web, by Andrew Plotkin 16 votes "A classic" [+]"A classic: perfect blend of storytelling, puzzles and mood, with some unique twists" --Christina Nordlander... "Tells a great story you couldn't tell in another medium." [+]"Tells a great story you couldn't tell in another medium." () --Xavid... "This whole game is pretty much a cold open " [+]"This whole game is pretty much a cold open " () --Ismarus... "Very Innovative" [+]"Very Innovative" --VanishingSky... "The game that..." [+]"The game that made me realise that IF could be a literary form." () --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --DJ... "Challenging, but..." [+]"Challenging, but not cruel. Has a wonderful premise and plot that should appeal to most." () --Sdn... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Shank... (No comment) [+](No comment) --patrick.brian.mooney... "it's really..." [+]"it's really good" --Pedestr!an... (No comment) [+](No comment) --gracemagee90... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karlok... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --SherwoodForbes... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Jim Nelson... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Drew Cook... Vote for this game

	Blue Lacuna, by Aaron A. Reed 14 votes "More an experience than a game. Immerse yourself." [+]"More an experience than a game. Immerse yourself.: So rare to find an IF that reads as good as if plays. The game flows so smoothly with it's inclination towards natural acceptance and use of nouns. An obvious, but overlooked future direction of IF." ( - Full review) --gruelove... "Impressive on so many levels. Especially impressive is how nuanced the game is. Desicions that I didn't at first think of as important affected my relationships, etc." [+]"Impressive on so many levels. Especially impressive is how nuanced the game is. Desicions that I didn't at first think of as important affected my relationships, etc." --J'onn Roger... "Haunting and beautiful. " [+]"Haunting and beautiful. : This is a story that will never leave you." --The Sarcastic Witch... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --brattish... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Divide... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Azazel... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Victor Gijsbers... (No comment) [+](No comment) --PNervous... "A landmark..." [+]"A landmark long-form game." () --Sdn... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --paranormal-potato... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Laney Berry... Vote for this game

	Trinity, by Brian Moriarty 14 votes "A brilliant from The Infocom era" [+]"A brilliant from The Infocom era" () --zer... "Infocom's finest hour" [+]"Infocom's finest hour: A must-play for those wishing to go beyond just playing a game." () --Puddin Tame... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Gemma Bristow... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Walter Sandsquish... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Form 27b-6... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Spike... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --patrick.brian.mooney... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karlok... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Nomad... (No comment) [+](No comment) --WidowDido... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Drew Cook... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Chuckles... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Arty... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Zape... Vote for this game

	Counterfeit Monkey, by Emily Short 13 votes "Excellent use of medium" [+]"Excellent use of medium" () --Xavid... "the best that IF has to offer" [+]"the best that IF has to offer" --WidowDido... "inventive wordplay puzzles seamlessly integrated into the narrative" [+]"inventive wordplay puzzles seamlessly integrated into the narrative" --ccpost... "My favourite..." [+]"My favourite adventure. Wonderful mechanic, interesting world, glorious puzzles, thorough implementation, great replayability, welcome inclusion of subtle political themes. Perfect... Well, the closest IF has come to perfect." () --Sdn... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Shank... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --E.K.... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Jade68... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --VanishingSky... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Laney Berry... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Drew Cook... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Zape... Vote for this game

	Adventure, by William Crowther and Donald Woods 12 votes "The original." [+]"The original." () --Fredrik... "Xyzzy. Twisty little passages" [+]"Xyzzy. Twisty little passages: most of the stuff people wrote in praise of Zork are (even more) true for Adventure - Zork itself copied so much from Adventure, including most of the stuff it is credited for in this poll.." --Biep... "The starting point of big bang adventure theory." [+]"The starting point of big bang adventure theory." --Jade68... "Should be okay to play ports ;)" [+]"Should be okay to play ports ;)" () --Denk... "The first IF..." [+]"The first IF game, and the most influential." --baywoof... (No comment) [+](No comment) --DJ... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Ghalev... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --shornet... "If you're..." [+]"If you're into IF, you should play the ur-ancestor at least once" --Christina Nordlander... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Xavid... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Chuckles... Vote for this game

	Curses, by Graham Nelson 10 votes "One of the early 'modern' works of IF" [+]"One of the early 'modern' works of IF" --Rose... "Atmospheric and imaginative" [+]"Atmospheric and imaginative: Seemingly ordinary objects transport you from an ordinary attic to all kinds of magical destinations, with some excellent puzzles" ( - Full review) --Wynter... "Who could resist the craziness that follows?" [+]"Who could resist the craziness that follows?" () --Max Fog... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Fredrik... (No comment) [+](No comment) --DJ... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --shornet... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --MathBrush... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Nomad... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karlok... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Drew Cook... Vote for this game

	A Mind Forever Voyaging, by Steve Meretzky 9 votes "Emotionally-engaging, richly detailed classic." [+]"Emotionally-engaging, richly detailed classic.: There aren't many games that measure up to A Mind Forever Voyaging. Even with its age, I consider it one of the best IF available. Anyone who wants to experience the full spectrum of IF has to play this game." --Archbaron... "A masterpiece" [+]"A masterpiece: An Infocom masterpiece. I was obsessed with this game as a kid. " --PNervous... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Ghalev... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Dave Chapeskie... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Nomad... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Drew Cook... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Max Fog... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Arty... Vote for this game

	Planetfall, by Steve Meretzky 9 votes "Join the Stellar patrol and see...a mop and bucket?" [+]"Join the Stellar patrol and see...a mop and bucket?: Classic Sci-Fi IF with a good sense of humor. A must-play for those who don't think sci-fi has to be deadly serious." () --Puddin Tame... "Make you laugh and cry" [+]"Make you laugh and cry" --Chuckles... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Xervosh... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Ghalev... "This one one of..." [+]"This one one of the games that build the foundations of IF. Without the success of games like this one, there would be no IF today." ( - Full review) --starfire... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Ant-Fan... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Nomad... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Jim Nelson... Vote for this game

	Enchanter, by Marc Blank, Dave Lebling 8 votes "Best work of the classic Blank/Lebling collaboration" [+]"Best work of the classic Blank/Lebling collaboration" () --perching path... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Ghalev... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Xervosh... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Xavid... "A classic among..." [+]"A classic among classics." --Nomad... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Jim Nelson... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Drew Cook... Vote for this game

	Shade, by Andrew Plotkin 7 votes "Hooked me onto IF for good." [+]"Hooked me onto IF for good." --thecanvasrose... "Quite possibly..." [+]"Quite possibly the best horror IF written. The game pulls off tricks that are still noteworthy today." () --Molly... (No comment) [+](No comment) --perching path... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --madducks... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Victor Gijsbers... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... Vote for this game

	Mystery Science Theater 3000 Presents "Detective", by C. E. Forman, Matt Barringer, Graeme Cree, and Stuart Moore 5 votes "Palatable intro to some of the ways IF can be terrible" [+]"Palatable intro to some of the ways IF can be terrible" () --perching path... "This is absolutely hilarious" [+]"This is absolutely hilarious" () --CHEESEROBOT... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Ghalev... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --DJ... "A mega funny..." [+]"A mega funny read." --Nomad... Vote for this game

	Deadline, by Marc Blank 5 votes "The first really good murder mystery" [+]"The first really good murder mystery" --Ant-Fan... "A mystery puzzle for ambitious detectives" [+]"A mystery puzzle for ambitious detectives: Dynamic gameplay that was groundbreaking in its day. The NPCs, the clock, the grounds, the evidence, all must be evaluated thoroughly–and creatively–in order to build a successful case." --digitizdat... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --shornet... "#1 mystery game..." [+]"#1 mystery game on the market." () --Nomad... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Drew Cook... Vote for this game

	9:05, by Adam Cadre 5 votes "Short game with profound impact" [+]"Short game with profound impact" --Lance Campbell... "Short and sweet classic" [+]"Short and sweet classic: Great plot twist, even if implementation is a little shaky. Good as an introduction to IF." () --Cerfeuil... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... "Great example of..." [+]"Great example of an experience you can only get from playing IF." () --Virix... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk... Vote for this game

	Babel, by Ian Finley 5 votes "Thrilling & captivating " [+]"Thrilling & captivating " () --LaFey... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Whispers... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --DJ... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Jim Nelson... Vote for this game

	Worlds Apart, by Suzanne Britton 4 votes "Amazing writing, amazing atmosphere." [+]"Amazing writing, amazing atmosphere." ( - Full review) --J'onn Roger... "Wonderful, dreamlike, touching." [+]"Wonderful, dreamlike, touching." ( - Full review) --Rovarsson... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --brattish... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Laney Berry... Vote for this game

	Superluminal Vagrant Twin, by C.E.J. Pacian 4 votes "Excellent parser based space trading simulator." [+]"Excellent parser based space trading simulator." () --Edo... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) --VanishingSky... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk... Vote for this game

	Adventureland, by Scott Adams 4 votes "Set the standards..." [+]"Set the standards for games for machines with low memory capacity." () --Fredrik... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Wade Clarke... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Denk... Vote for this game

	The Space Under the Window, by Andrew Plotkin 4 votes "Short and extremely unique" [+]"Short and extremely unique: Unlike any other parser game I've ever played, almost resembles Twine. Worth the time." () --Cerfeuil... (No comment) [+](No comment) --J'onn Roger... "A unique way of..." [+]"A unique way of using the parser to change the facets of a story. Shows just how different parser-based IF can be from robust >THROW AXE AT DWARF PC-object interaction." () --Christina Nordlander... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... Vote for this game

	Whom The Telling Changed, by Aaron A. Reed 4 votes "A modern masterpiece" [+]"A modern masterpiece: This entertaining, beautiful story is immensely flexible and immersive." () --AlexisPius... "The first IF game I ever played, great mechanics, I'm biased. " [+]"The first IF game I ever played, great mechanics, I'm biased. " () --godrowr... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... Vote for this game

	Metamorphoses, by Emily Short 4 votes "Set new standards for mechanical puzzles" [+]"Set new standards for mechanical puzzles" --perching path... "Fantastic depth of implementation." [+]"Fantastic depth of implementation." ( - Full review) --Rovarsson... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --IFforL2... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... Vote for this game

	Savoir-Faire, by Emily Short 4 votes "truly brilliant, old school-esque" [+]"truly brilliant, old school-esque" ( - Full review) --OtisTDog... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sam Kabo Ashwell... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --patrick.brian.mooney... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --bkirwi... Vote for this game

	De Baron, by Victor Gijsbers 4 votes "Uses several tricks best enabled by IF in service of big ambitions" [+]"Uses several tricks best enabled by IF in service of big ambitions" --perching path... "It’s not for everyone (it’s very dark), but I would still consider it a ‘must-play’ game" [+]"It’s not for everyone (it’s very dark), but I would still consider it a ‘must-play’ game" () --Karl Ove Hufthammer... "The best piece of..." [+]"The best piece of puzzleless IF." () --Sdn... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --WidowDido... Vote for this game

	Gun Mute, by C.E.J. Pacian 4 votes "Shows IF's limits aren't always obstacles to surmount" [+]"Shows IF's limits aren't always obstacles to surmount" ( - Full review) --perching path... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Fabien Vidal... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... Vote for this game

	Main Hall & Beginners Cave, by Donald Brown 3 votes "First Eamon adventure" [+]"First Eamon adventure: Not the best, but the first. For the best I recommend "A Runcible Cargo"." () --Denk... "The beginnings of a unique series!" [+]"The beginnings of a unique series!: The great thing about Eamon is that you can carry your character, treasure and weapons through literally hundreds of adventures (if you survive, that is). Another recommendation is Thror's Ring, or anything else by Tom Zuchowski." () --Fredrik... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... Vote for this game

	All Roads, by Jon Ingold 3 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sdn... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edo... Vote for this game

	The Hobbit, by Philip Mitchell and Veronika Megler 3 votes "Limited parser but with flavour!" [+]"Limited parser but with flavour!" () --LaFey... "Revolutionized IF..." [+]"Revolutionized IF for small computers." () --Fredrik... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk... Vote for this game

	Andromeda Apocalypse — Extended Edition, by Marco Innocenti 3 votes "This one has it all" [+]"This one has it all: Feelies, a little graphics and music, a modern scoring system, a built-in "InvisiClues" system, and list of exits in each room. Plus all the things which make a great story: heavy emotional impact, just the right length, just the right difficulty, flashbacks, vivid room descriptions." ( - Full review) --mjhayes... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Witchy W... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Edo... Vote for this game

	1893: A World's Fair Mystery, by Peter Nepstad 2 votes "Colossal and well written." [+]"Colossal and well written." () --LaFey... "This is what IF..." [+]"This is what IF should generally look like." () --Nomad... Vote for this game

	Violet, by Jeremy Freese 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) () --E.K.... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --VanishingSky... Vote for this game

	Kaged, by Ian Finley 2 votes "great plot twists" [+]"great plot twists" () --Denk... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Arty... Vote for this game

	Open Sorcery, by Abigail Corfman 2 votes "Unique viewpoint and solid mechanics" [+]"Unique viewpoint and solid mechanics" --Nathaniel... "First IF game I..." [+]"First IF game I played in which player experience was a mechanic of the game" --Laurie N... Vote for this game

	The Lurking Horror, by Dave Lebling 2 votes "A well-done and underappreciated masterpiece" [+]"A well-done and underappreciated masterpiece: One of the best interactive fiction games I've ever played in terms of setting a mood of horror, yet blending horror and the fantastically mundane My favorite text adventure of all time." () --Integer Man... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk... Vote for this game

	The Mulldoon Legacy, by Jon Ingold 2 votes "Clever, Atmospheric Massive Puzzlefest By A Master " [+]"Clever, Atmospheric Massive Puzzlefest By A Master : Great old school puzzlefest. Large, bug free and full of atmosphere. " () --Canalboy... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Denk... Vote for this game

	Hunter, in Darkness, by Andrew Plotkin 2 votes "Will change the way you think of cave crawlers" [+]"Will change the way you think of cave crawlers" --Lance Campbell... (No comment) [+](No comment) --VanishingSky... Vote for this game

	Lost Pig, by Admiral Jota 2 votes "Funny, not too difficult, captures the original sense of the genre without alienating newcomers, good PC" [+]"Funny, not too difficult, captures the original sense of the genre without alienating newcomers, good PC" --mg51... "quick and cute" [+]"quick and cute" --Chuckles... Vote for this game

	PataNoir, by Simon Christiansen 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) --akaisha0... "A novel puzzle..." [+]"A novel puzzle system where you interact with the metaphors describing the objects." --Christina Nordlander... Vote for this game

	For a Change, by Dan Schmidt 2 votes "Surreal, Minimalist, Perfect" [+]"Surreal, Minimalist, Perfect: The first game that got me into the genre. Surreal, minimalist. perfect" ( - Full review) --Angharade... "Classic. Inventive language" [+]"Classic. Inventive language: Does things with words not many other games do. Linguistic puzzles. Worth trying even if you can't beat it (I had to resort to a walkthrough)." () --Cerfeuil... Vote for this game

	A Change in the Weather, by Andrew Plotkin 1 vote "The first (co-)winner of IFComp - high quality" [+]"The first (co-)winner of IFComp - high quality: Strange how exciting a slice of life game can get" () --Denk... Vote for this game

	Slouching Towards Bedlam, by Star Foster and Daniel Ravipinto 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) () --E.K.... Vote for this game

	The Owl Consults, by Thomas Mack, Nick Mathewson, and Cidney Hamilton 1 vote "Multi-PC superhero story done right. " [+]"Multi-PC superhero story done right. : Good puzzly superhero story with multiple perspective PCs. Puzzles are fun, the narrative voice is wonderful, and the game is very well paced." () --patrick.brian.mooney... Vote for this game

	A Fire Darkly: Chapter 1, by Louis Rakovich 1 vote "Dark, beautifully-written and fun" [+]"Dark, beautifully-written and fun: A great new game. Highly recommended." ( - Full review) --SLane... Vote for this game

	Sorcery! 2, by Steve Jackson and inkle 1 vote "Amazingly good gamebook adaptation" [+]"Amazingly good gamebook adaptation" ( - Full review) --Victor Gijsbers... Vote for this game

	Theatre, by Brendon Wyber 1 vote "Creepy Lovecraftian horror" [+]"Creepy Lovecraftian horror: Huge, detailed, realistic map. Excellent puzzle structure. The game just keeps opening up, getting creepier along the way, until the revelation at the end." --patrick.brian.mooney... Vote for this game

	Not Just an Ordinary Ballerina, by Jim Aikin 1 vote "This is an immense puzzle game that feels atmospheric and spooky." [+]"This is an immense puzzle game that feels atmospheric and spooky." ( - Full review) --BeingTheWriter... Vote for this game

	The Axe of Kolt [8-bit versions], by Larry Horsfield 1 vote "1991 adventure convention award: Best text only 8-bit adventure" [+]"1991 adventure convention award: Best text only 8-bit adventure" --Denk... Vote for this game

	Repeat the Ending, by Drew Cook 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Tabitha... Vote for this game

	Christminster, by Gareth Rees 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --Denk... Vote for this game

	Aisle, by Sam Barlow 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --Tabitha... Vote for this game

	Seabase Delta, by Peter Torrance 1 vote "Perhaps the most famous Quill game with graphics. A budget game for several machines in 1986." [+]"Perhaps the most famous Quill game with graphics. A budget game for several machines in 1986.: A well designed two-word-parser game with good puzzles and atmospheric graphics" () --Denk... Vote for this game

	Worldsmith, by Ade McT 1 vote "A modern classic" [+]"A modern classic: Remember to play story mode, otherwise you will just play a short strategy game." () --Denk... Vote for this game

	Sunset Over Savannah, by Ivan Cockrum 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Canalboy... Vote for this game

	Uncle Zebulon's Will, by Magnus Olsson 1 vote "First (co)winner of IFComp" [+]"First (co)winner of IFComp" () --Denk... Vote for this game

	Mindwheel, by Robert Pinsky, William Mataga, Steve Hales 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Xervosh... Vote for this game

	Finding Martin, by G.K. Wennstrom 1 vote "Piano/bath. Fuzzy room. A phone booth. Awesome mechanics. What more can be said?" [+]"Piano/bath. Fuzzy room. A phone booth. Awesome mechanics. What more can be said?" () --Max Fog... Vote for this game

	Eternal, by Endmaster 1 vote "Interactive Masterpiece" [+]"Interactive Masterpiece: Multiple epilogues, expansive branching, multi-faceted characters, puts your brain at work." ( - Full review) --Heli N.... Vote for this game

	Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur, by Bob Bates 1 vote "This game never finishes with clever puzzles" [+]"This game never finishes with clever puzzles: Ring & Invisible Knightpuzzle (think about the key), the demon's word password, the CYR, and that isn't all. The puzzles are cleverly written and designed so they become more than a classical puzzle." () --Max Fog... Vote for this game

Is there another game that you think should be on this list? Just fill in the title of a game you'd like to vote for.

Poll created on March 26, 2009