I'd like to compile a list of some of the most enjoyable games available in Z-code format (blorbed or not). Please add games that you thoroughly liked, and vote for games already on the list. Everything from short pieces to epic works are welcome.
There are Z-code interpreters for a lot of platforms. For people looking for something to play on their platform of choice, a list like this could be useful.
Anchorhead, by Michael Gentry 14 votes "A huge and well written horror story with great puzzles." [+]"A huge and well written horror story with great puzzles.: It is both an interesting puzzle-fest with a gripping narrative, both a game and a story. Very few games manage to do that as good as this one does." --Kozelek... "Epic and atmospheric" [+]"Epic and atmospheric" --Fredrik Ramsberg... "Good story, interesting puzzles" [+]"Good story, interesting puzzles: Massive, difficult enough to keep you constantly engaged;not so complex that you want to give up" --Anyc12... "My personal favorite from the 90s" [+]"My personal favorite from the 90s: I was really getting into the IF scene when this was released. Maybe it was the largest to-date file size that piqued my interest, but it turned out to be a very enjoyable story with a large world for an IF game." ( ![]() | |
Curses, by Graham Nelson 7 votes "The first Inform game! Vast and difficult but still very good." [+]"The first Inform game! Vast and difficult but still very good." ( ![]() | |
Lost Pig, by Admiral Jota 5 votes "A classic about a simple orc who has to find his boss' lost pig." [+]"A classic about a simple orc who has to find his boss' lost pig.: Winner of IF Comp 2007. This is a very funny game about a simple orc who has to find his boss' lost pig. Once you get past the introductory scenes, it actually gets quite hard." --Garry Francis... "engaging and humorous" [+]"engaging and humorous" --Chuckles... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Weird City Interloper, by C.E.J. Pacian 5 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Spider and Web, by Andrew Plotkin 4 votes "Deservedly famous espionage thriller" [+]"Deservedly famous espionage thriller" --Michael L.... (No comment) [+](No comment) --VanishingSky... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Colossal Cave Adventure, by William Crowther and Donald Woods 4 votes "Z-code port is excellent" [+]"Z-code port is excellent" ( ![]() | |
Captain Cutter's Treasure, by Garry Francis 4 votes "A very atmospheric game full of pirate tropes and nice puzzles." [+]"A very atmospheric game full of pirate tropes and nice puzzles.: Winner of PunyJam #1. This is a medium-sized game with strong characters, some nice puzzles and a lot of historically researched atmosphere." --Garry Francis... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Jigsaw, by Graham Nelson 3 votes "Well-written historical episodes" [+]"Well-written historical episodes: Includes an Enigma machine code breaking puzzle" ( ![]() | |
Treasures of a Slaver's Kingdom, by S. John Ross 3 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Illuminismo Iniziato, by Michael J. Coyne 3 votes "One of my absolute favourites! Funny, well-written and challenging." [+]"One of my absolute favourites! Funny, well-written and challenging." ( ![]() | |
Vespers, by Jason Devlin 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
She's Got a Thing for a Spring, by Brent VanFossen 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) --Nomad... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Suveh Nux, by David Fisher 2 votes "Short and well-implemented game with a systematic magic language" [+]"Short and well-implemented game with a systematic magic language" --Michael L.... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Varicella, by Adam Cadre 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
The Edifice, by Lucian P. Smith 1 vote "A romp through time with some brilliant puzzles." [+]"A romp through time with some brilliant puzzles.: Winner of IF Comp 1997. This is a very cleverly executed game with some brilliant puzzles. The Feverleaf/language puzzle is one of the best puzzles of all time." --Garry Francis... ![]() | |
Return to the Castle, by John Wilson 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Tristam Island, by Hugo Labrande 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Morris, by Dee Cooke 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Marie Waits, by Dee Cooke 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Castle of the Red Prince, by C.E.J. Pacian 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Kerkerkruip, by Victor Gijsbers 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --Morningstar... ![]() | |
Dangerous Curves, by Irene Callaci 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Savoir-Faire, by Emily Short 1 vote "Very atmospheric and some great puzzling." [+]"Very atmospheric and some great puzzling." ( ![]() | |
Pytho's Mask, by Emily Short 1 vote "Lots of intrigue and romance, with a great conversation system." [+]"Lots of intrigue and romance, with a great conversation system." ( ![]() | |
Risorgimento Represso, by Michael J. Coyne 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Winter Wonderland, by Laura Knauth 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
An Act of Murder, by Christopher Huang 1 vote "Good murder mystery with replayability" [+]"Good murder mystery with replayability" ( ![]() | |
Hibernated 1 (Director's Cut), by Stefan Vogt 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --8bit_era... ![]() | |
Poll created on June 16, 2022