Pick Up the Phone Booth And Die

Pick Up the Phone Booth And Die (1996) is a minimalist piece of interactive fiction by Rob Noyes. As the title suggests, you die when you pick up the phone booth. However, the game can be won, and in just two moves. The puzzle was a finalist for the 1997 XYZZY Award for Best Individual Puzzle.

The game inspired a large number of parodies, such as Pick Up the Phone Booth and Aisle (2001) written collaboratively by 13 authors, which itself was a finalist for 2001 XYZZY Award for Best Use of Medium.

There is also a sequel, Pick Up The Phone Booth And Die 2 (1996).