Infocom: Difference between revisions

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Infocom, founded in 1979, is the shining light in the history of commercially-released [[Interactive Fiction]] games. Beginning with ''[[Zork (Video Game)|Zork]]'' in 1980, the company released over thirty games, many of which are still played.
Infocom, founded in 1979, is the shining light in the history of commercially-released [[Interactive Fiction]] games. Beginning with ''[[Zork]]'' in 1980, the company released over thirty games, many of which are still played.


The company's strengths included technical innovation (their [[Text Parser]] was one of the best in the business, and the z-code data format Infocom created is a popular choice for distributing new IF games to this day), rich storytelling, and creative packaging (most Infocom games shipped with "[[Feelies]]", thematically-related props which might form part of the [[Copy Protection]] system, constitute clues, give extra background information, or just be included for the lulz).
The company's strengths included technical innovation (their [[Text Parser]] was one of the best in the business, and the z-code data format Infocom created is a popular choice for distributing new IF games to this day), rich storytelling, and creative packaging (most Infocom games shipped with "[[Feelies]]", thematically-related props which might form part of the [[Copy Protection]] system, constitute clues, give extra background information, or just be included for the lulz).
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=== Notable Infocom games include: ===
=== Notable Infocom games include: ===


* ''[[Zork (Video Game)|Zork]]'' and its many, many sequels
* ''[[Zork]]'' and its many, many sequels
* ''[[Battle Tech]]: The Crescent Hawk's Inception'' and its sequel ''The Crescent Hawk's Revenge''
* ''[[BattleTech]]: The Crescent Hawk's Inception'' and its sequel ''The Crescent Hawk's Revenge''
* ''Starcross''
* ''Starcross''
* ''[[Planetfall (Video Game)|Planetfall]]'' and ''Stationfall''
* ''[[Planetfall]]'' and ''Stationfall''
* ''[[Suspended (Video Game)|Suspended]]''
* ''[[Suspended]]''
* ''Infidel''
* ''Infidel''
* ''[[The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy (Video Game)|The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy]]'', the game of the book of the etc., co-written by special guest implementer [[Douglas Adams]]
* ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)|The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy]]'', the game of the book of the etc., co-written by special guest implementer [[Douglas Adams]]
* ''[[A Mind Forever Voyaging (Video Game)|A Mind Forever Voyaging]]''
* ''[[A Mind Forever Voyaging]]''
* ''[[Leather Goddesses of Phobos (Video Game)|Leather Goddesses of Phobos]]''
* ''[[Leather Goddesses of Phobos]]''
* ''Trinity''
* ''Trinity''
* ''Bureaucracy'' (the return of special guest implementer [[Douglas Adams]])
* ''Bureaucracy'' (the return of special guest implementer [[Douglas Adams]])
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* [[Feelies]]
* [[Feelies]]
* [[Fictional Document]]
* [[Fictional Document]]
* [[Guide Dang It]]: Many of the games were DEVLISHLY hard, but [[Two Words Obvious Trope|two words]]: [[The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy (Video Game)|Babel Fish]]
* [[Guide Dang It]]: Many of the games were DEVLISHLY hard, but [[Two Words: Obvious Trope|two words]]: [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)|Babel Fish]]
* [[Interactive Fiction]]
* [[Interactive Fiction]]
* [[Inventory Management Puzzle]]
* [[Inventory Management Puzzle]]
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* [[Locked Door]]
* [[Locked Door]]
* [[Second Person Narration]]
* [[Second Person Narration]]
* [[Unwinnable By Design]]
* [[Unwinnable by Design]]
----
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=== Infocom games with their own trope pages include: ===
=== Infocom games with their own trope pages include: ===


* ''[[Zork (Video Game)|Zork]]'' series (including the ''Enchanter'' trilogy)
* ''[[Zork]]'' series (including the ''Enchanter'' trilogy)
* ''[[Planetfall (Video Game)|Planetfall]]'' (and ''Stationfall'')
* ''[[Planetfall]]'' (and ''Stationfall'')
* ''[[The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy (Video Game)|The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy]]''
* ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)|The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy]]''
* ''[[A Mind Forever Voyaging (Video Game)|A Mind Forever Voyaging]]''
* ''[[A Mind Forever Voyaging]]''
* ''[[Suspended (Video Game)|Suspended]]''
* ''[[Suspended]]''


=== Tropes relating to individual games that don't have their own pages: ===
=== Tropes relating to individual games that don't have their own pages: ===
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* [[Criminal Mind Games]]: in ''Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels''
* [[Criminal Mind Games]]: in ''Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels''
* [[Diabolus Ex Machina]]: ''Infidel''
* [[Diabolus Ex Machina]]: ''Infidel''
* [[Everything's Better With Platypi]]: In ''Wishbringer''
* [[Everything's Better with Platypi]]: In ''Wishbringer''
* [[Fate Worse Than Death]]: In ''The Lurking Horror''
* [[Fate Worse Than Death]]: In ''The Lurking Horror''
* [[Fauxshadow]]: In ''Wishbringer''
* [[Fauxshadow]]: In ''Wishbringer''
* [[Floating in A Bubble]]: In ''Trinity''
* [[Floating in A Bubble]]: In ''Trinity''
* [[Going By the Matchbook]]: One of the [[Feelies]] in ''Witness''.
* [[Going by the Matchbook]]: One of the [[Feelies]] in ''Witness''.
* [[Here We Go Again]]: ''Trinity''
* [[Here We Go Again]]: ''Trinity''
* [[In Case You Forgot Who Wrote It]]: ''James Clavell's Shogun'', which James Clavell didn't have an active hand in adapting.
* [[In Case You Forgot Who Wrote It]]: ''James Clavell's Shogun'', which James Clavell didn't have an active hand in adapting.
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* [[Stable Time Loop]]: In ''Trinity'', ''Sorcerer'' and ''Spellbreaker''
* [[Stable Time Loop]]: In ''Trinity'', ''Sorcerer'' and ''Spellbreaker''
* [[Sweet Polly Oliver]]: In ''Plundered Hearts''
* [[Sweet Polly Oliver]]: In ''Plundered Hearts''
* [[Things That Go Bump in The Night]]: in ''The Lurking Horror''
* [[Things That Go Bump in the Night]]: in ''The Lurking Horror''
* [[Turtle Power]]: ''Enchanter''
* [[Turtle Power]]: ''Enchanter''
* [[Villain Protagonist]]: ''Infidel''
* [[Villain Protagonist]]: ''Infidel''
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Infocom"