Submit sites related to the Colossal Cave Adventure and its various derivatives here.

Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur (1989), an illustrated text adventure by Bob Bates.

As described on the box:

In the days before Camelot, when magic and evil rule England, a sword sheathed in stone appears in a quiet churchyard. Engraved upon it are the words which form your destiny. For you are Arthur, the son and true heir of the High King, Uther Pendragon.

But there is more to asserting your claim than wresting free the sword. The sword in the stone disappears -- stolen by the evil King Lot.

To win it back, you must develop the kingly qualities of wisdom, chivalry, and experience, qualities that will also prove you worthy of the throne. And you must do it all within three days, or Lot will usurp your legacy.

You are assisted by Merlin the Enchanter, who grants you the power to transform yourself into a variety of animals. Now you can explore the kingdom as no one has before: from the sky, from rivers and lakes, from on -- and under -- the earth. How you use this power, and how you solve the myriad puzzles that confront you, will determine your success in your quest.

Please only submit sites that are either the sites of an interactive fiction author or are directly about an interactive fiction author, and please only submit those sites directly related to interactive fiction. General interactive fiction sites should be submitted to Games: Video Games: Genres: Interactive Fiction. Sites about general programming using authoring systems should be put in Games: Video Games: Genres: Interactive Fiction: Design and Development: Authoring Systems.

Ballyhoo (1985), a circus mystery by Jeff O'Neill.

As described on the box:

Spangleland! Sawdust and glitter, buffoons and cotton candy! It's a place where your wildest dreams can come true! At least, that's what you think...until you get behind the scenes at the big top. Then you learn how easily sweet dreams can turn into nightmares.

Beyond the spangles lies a seedy world of deception and crime. Exploring the tattered corners of the circus lot, you overhear a conversation about the owner's daughter. It seems she's been kidnapped, and the hired gumshoe couldn't find the nose on his face. Good samaritan that you are, you start poking around on your own.

But watch your step. As the night progresses, you realize you're in as much danger as the little girl. For the kidnapper is lurking right there on the lot, trying to set you up for a permanent slot in the freak show.

As described on the box:

The story begins on the train to Litzenburg, a peaceful country just outside the Iron Curtain. In the border town of Ostnitz, Constitution day festivities include a speech by the American ambassador. But plans are afoot to destabilize this key neutral territory by assassinating the diplomat. Speeding towards the border through the Eastern bloc country of Frobnia are an easy-going American businessman, an ambitious American spy and a ruthless KGB agent. All three are soon to become entangled in the assassination plot, their lives intertwining as each carries out his perilous assignment.

You'll see the story from three viewpoints, as you step into the shoes of a different major character in each of the three chapters of Border Zone. Set in separate locations on or near the border, the chapters are complete stories in themselves, each with its own riveting conclusion.

Brimstone (1985), a real-time "electronic novel" by James Paul. Programmed by Synapse Software and published by Brøderbund.

As described on the book:

It is the Eve of All Hollows. Gawain, Knight of the Round Table, goes forth, summoned by Destiny. Across a moonlit plain, a shimmering xastle seems to beckon. On its parapets, a breath of breeze stirs a banner. The knight nears the massive door, knowing nothing of what awaits him behind those walls. Soon Gawain will discover what is known to men only in legends - or nightmares. And so will you. As the underdemon, bat-monkey-man, reaches out his gnarled and furry hand to yours, you catch a glimpse of his wild eyes. They are dancing red with the flickering fire of BRIMSTONE.

Excerpt from the box blurb:

You've just landed a great new job and moved to a spiffy house in a nice little town. You're even being sent to Paris this very afternoon for a combination training seminar and vacation. What could possibly go wrong? The answer, of course, is everything. When the bank refuses to acknowledge your change-of-address form, you'll find yourself entangled in a series of bureaucratic mishaps that take you from the feeding trough of a greedy llama to the lofty branches of a tree deep in the Zalagasan jungle.

Cutthroats (1984), a deep sea adventure by Michael Berlyn.

As described on the box:

You're about to get yourself into very deep trouble.

You're a backwater island's top diver and foremost expert on local shipwrecks. Which makes you perfect for the job a band of the island's shadiest characters has in mind for you. It's a simple business proposition: all you have to do is salvage a fortune in sunken treasures. You stand to gain millions. The only drawback is, it could cost you your neck. Because to successfully recover the treasure, you'll have to survive the perils of diving in unknown waters - and the even greater danger of an untrustworthy crew. But none of that will stop you from taking the plunge. You're the type who believes that when stakes are this high, even when your odds are this low, it's worth running the risks of dealing with CUTTHROATS.

Deadline (1982), a murder mystery by Marc Blank.

As described on the box:

It's been called "part of the latest craze in home computing" (TIME magazine), an "amazing feat of programming" (THE NEW YORK TIMES) and the "Best Adventure of 1983" (ELECTRONIC GAMES).

It's DEADLINE, and it pits you, the keen-eyed sleuth, against a 12-hour time limit to solve a classic locked-door mystery. Armed only with the clues inside this package and your own wits, you must sift through myriads of evidence and motives to track down the killer. No easy feat, for all six of your suspects exercise free will -- coming and going, scheming and maneuvering independently of your actions. And some of these personalities are so treacherous that, should you make the wrong move, one of them may do you in.

As described on the box:

Vampire Penguins. A Corpse Line. Meltdown on Elm Street. Who could forget these classic Hollywood movies produced by your uncle, Buddy Burbank? But his greatest masterpiece has yet to be experienced... HOLLYWOOD HIJINX, starring you!

Your uncle Buddy and Aunt Hildegarde have passed away, but their memory lives on in their Malibu mansion, filled with a lifetime of Hollywood memorabilia. And you've inherited it all, with one stipulation- you can only claim your booty if you find the treasures hidden throughout the sprawling beachfront estate. If you can't find the treasures in one night, you lose the whole caboodle.

It's just the sort of thing you'd expect from Aunt Hildegarde and Uncle Buddy. And their home is familiar territory: you spent your childhood summers there with your cousin Herman. Although some say the house is haunted, you're not fooled. You know that Uncle Buddy, who wore a different polyester leisure suit each day of the week, was always rigging the place with goofy gags and booby traps.

Inside the house, everything is just as glitzy and full of fun as you remember it to be. There's the luxurious private screening room, the gold-plated bathroom faucets in the shape of Oscars, and the wacky props from old Buddy Burbank movies.

The Malibu estate seems like a funhouse at first. But the puzzles you must solve prove that Aunt Hildegarde and Uncle Buddy weren't just kidding around. Claiming the Burbank bundle turns out to be quite a challenge- and it's all in your honor.

Infidel (1983), an Egyptian adventure by Michael Berlyn, published by Infocom.

As described on the box:

INFIDEL finds you marooned by your followers in the heart of the deadly Egyptian Desert. A soldier of fortune by trade, you've come hither in search of a great lost pyramid and its untold riches. Now, alone, you must locate and gain entry to the tomb, decipher its hieroglyphics and unravel its mysteries one by one. Through the Antechamber, the Barge Room, the Chamber of Ra, death will lick at your heels as you race to the shattering climax of this match of wits between you and the most ingenious architects, builders and murderers of all time -- the ancient Egyptians.

As described on the box:

The year is 1600. You are John Blackthorne, Pilot-Major of a privateering merchant ship and the first Englishman to set foot on Japanese soil. Thrust into the exotic culture of feudal Japan, you must rely on your wits and sheer physical strength to survive. As you are drawn into the political intrigue and teeming violence, your most basic beliefs and assumptions will be tested. Act with care: in the land were honor is valued above life itself, you make a wrong decision at your peril.

Journey: The Quest Begins (1989), an illustrated menu-driven adventure game by Marc Blank. Intended to be part one of The Golden Age Trilogy, but the company folded before parts two and three could be made.

As described on the box:

In Journey, you become part of a mesmerizing epic created in the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. For five long years, failed crops, tainted water, and sickness have blighted a peaceful land. Brave villagers have set forth to find relief for their suffering region, but none have returned. Now, yet another small band is preparing to begin the odyssey. You'll share the adventures of Tag, Praxis, Bergn, Esher, and Minar as they solve puzzles, overcome obstacles, explore unknown lands. Pass into the world of Journey with ease. The game is simple to learn: your challenge lies in choosing the right path, casting the best spell, and knowing whether to lie or tell the truth. Your imagination will be taxed more and more with each passing day as the difficulties become increasingly complex.

The Infocom titles included are:

• Ballyhoo
• Beyond Zork
• Deadline
• Enchanter
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
• Infidel
• Lurking Horror
• Moonmist
• Planetfall
• Sorcerer
• Spellbreaker
• Starcross
• Stationfall
• Suspect
• Suspended
• The Witness
• Zork I
• Zork II
• Zork III
• Zork Zero

The Infocom titles included are:

• Border Zone
• Bureaucracy
• Cutthroats
• Hollywood Hijinx
• A Mind Forever Voyaging
• Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It
• Plundered Hearts
• Seastalker
• Sherlock in The Riddle of the Crown Jewels
• Trinity
• Wishbringer: The Magick Stone of Dreams

As described on the box:

Ever since you arrived at G.U.E. Tech, you've heard stories about the creepy old campus basements and storage rooms, some so ancient that they contain only rotting piles of unidentifiable junk. Until now, you have never ventured lower than the ground floors of the monolithic classroom and dorm buildings, avoiding the warren of tunnels that connect them.

But tonight, something draws you down into the mysterious depths of the institute. Perhaps it's the blizzard raging outside, making the outdoors as threatening as anything you could imagine within. Perhaps it's the nightmare you had, hinting at horrific mysteries below and leaving you with a strange object that seems to lead you inexorably downward. Or perhaps it's just another way for you to avoid writing that twenty page term paper you have due tomorrow.

In any event, you soon find yourself wandering away from your computer and into the dark nether regions of G.U.E. Tech. Suddenly, you're in a world that rivals your most hideous visions, a realm of horror lurking beneath the calm corridors and study halls.

Shapes emerge from dark corners. Eerie sounds draw closer. Slimy passageways lead to sights so horrifying that they will feed you nightmares for weeks.

The Masterpieces of Infocom (full title: Classic Text Adventure Masterpieces of Infocom), a collection of 33 Infocom text adventures by Activision.

The Infocom titles included are:

• Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur
• Ballyhoo
• Beyond Zork
• Border Zone
• Bureaucracy
• Cutthroats
• Deadline
• Enchanter
• Hollywood Hijinx
• Infidel
• Journey
• Leather Goddesses of Phobos
• The Lurking Horror
• A Mind Forever Voyaging
• Moonmist
• Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It
• Planetfall
• Plundered Hearts
• Seastalker
• Sherlock in The Riddle of the Crown Jewels
• Sorcerer
• Spellbreaker
• Starcross
• Stationfall
• Suspect
• Suspended
• Trinity
• Wishbringer
• The Witness
• Zork I: The Great Underground Empire
• Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz
• Zork III: The Dungeon Master
• Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz

(The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Shogun were excluded.)

Also included are staff e-mails and 6 winners of the annual Text Adventure Authorship Contest:

• A Change in the Weather
• The Magic Toyshop
• The Mind Electric
• The One
• Toonesia
• Uncle Zebulon's Will

A Mind Forever Voyaging (1985) by Steve Meretzky. (Sometimes referred to as "AMFV" for brevity.)

As described on the back of the box:

IT'S 2031. The world is on the brink of chaos. In the United States of North America, spiraling crime and unemployment rates, decayed school systems and massive government regulations have led to a lazy, contentious society.

To reverse this critical situation, government and industry leaders have developed a Plan combining the economic freedom and strong moral values of the 1950's with the technological advancements of the 21st century. Will the Plan ensure peace and prosperity? Or will it set the earth on a suicide course to destruction?

As the world's first conscious, intelligent computer, only you can visit places that have never been seen before. Only you can view the future. And only you know what must be done to save humanity.

A major departure for Infocom, A Mind Forever Voyaging is reminiscent of such classic works of science fiction as Brave New World and 1984. You'll spend less time solving puzzles, as you explore realistic worlds of the future.

As described on the box:

In Moonmist, you are a famous young American detective. An old friend, Tamara Lynd, has written you a letter (included in the package), asking for your help. And so you have travelled to England to test your detective skills.

As the story begins, you are outside Tresyllian Castle - the old, dark, hauntingly beautiful castle where Tamara now lives. Tamara greets you, and you meet some interesting guests. But your visit soon turns to mystery, as a trail of riddles and clues leads you to a hidden valuable treasure.

But Tamara is worried about a ghost that is tormenting her. What does the ghost want? Is it jealous of her? Does the ghost want the hidden treasure for itself? Or is the ghost a fake - just someone dressing up to frighten Tamara? If so, why?

As described on the box:

Infocom's first collection of short stories takes you to a place where nothing is quite as it seems. It's a place where you really can make a mountain out of a molehill, where 'the fur is flying' is taken literally, and where a bow can be turned into a beau.

Each of the eight stories in Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It involves a different type wordplay. You'll find yourself challenging your wits and your memory to come up with the cliches, spoonerisms, and other verbal trickeries needed to complete the puzzles. But don't view this as a hard row to hoe. Nord and Bert contains built-in hints, which you can call upon when the going gets rough.

All eight stories take place in the mixed-up Town of Punster. However, no two contain the same people, locations, or objects. Each is played independently of the others, although you'll use passwords obtained in seven of the stories to get into the eighth. As for mapping, it's out the window. You simply type where you want to go.

Plundered Hearts (1987), an interactive romance novel by Amy Briggs.

As described on the box:

In the 17th century, the seas are as wild as the untamed heart of a young woman. But when you set out on the schooner Lafond Deux, bound for the West Indies, your thoughts are only of your ailing father who awaits your care. Little do you know that your innocent journey will soon turn to dangerous adventure.

You barely survive an encounter with pirates, whose plans for you include a fate worse than death. The explosives, the rocky reefs, the vicious crocodile - all these are obstacles which you must overcome with cunning and agility. True, it's not easy; but at least you can control your fate. What you cannot control is much more dangerous: your passion for Nicholas Jarmison, the handsome pirate captain.

Tall and lean, with azure eyes that penetrate deep into your soul, he makes your blood quicken despite his unsavory past. When you're in his arms, swirling around the dance floor or secluded in the flowered depths of the gazebo, you are apt to forget your mission.

But don't dally too long with Nick. For your father is waiting, and on his rescue lies the fate of more than one man. Prepare for adventure on the high seas, lass. You'll need every bit of pluck you can muster.

In PLUNDERED HEARTS, Infocom brings your wildest fantasies to life. You'll thrill to spine-tingling peril, heart-pounding romance, and challenging predicaments. To create this exotic adventure, author Amy Briggs read hundreds of romance novels, researched 17th century costumes and ships, and was wooed by a dashing pirate.

As described on the box:

There's something down the in the ocean, something terrifying. And you have to face it -- because only you can save the Aquadome, the world's first undersea research station.

As described on the box:

Travel back in time to Victorian London, where the city is bustling with preparations for Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee. Crowds of sightseers and souvenir vendors fill the streets in eager anticipation of the Jubilee Week events. Newspapers detail the gala array of festivities. Sumptuous receptions for foreign dignitaries. Special services at Westminster Abbey. A Royal Procession through the streets of London. And the Queen reigning over all, resplendent in the Crown Jewels.

At least, that's the official plan. Unbeknownst to the celebrants thronging the city, a crisis has arisen: the Crown Jewels have been stolen from the Tower of London. If they're not recovered before the festivities begin, the theft will be exposed and the government will fall into international disgrace.

Only 48 hours remain to solve the crime. With Scotland Yard failing to make headway, the Prime Minister calls on Sherlock Holmes, the famous consulting detective. But riddles left at the scene of the crime include a direct challenge to Holmes, who suspects a deadly trap. To throw the scoundrel off his guard, Holmes turns the investigation over to you, his trusted cohort, Dr. Watson.

With Holmes by your side, you use your wits, intuition, and myriad of clues to solve the riddles and piece together the mystery. Your search for the jewels and the villain leads you all over London, from the most popular tourist attractions to the seediest back alleys. As Big Ben strikes each successive hour and dangerous complications impede your progress, you realize you're facing that most dastardly of foes, Holmes's archnemesis... the vile Professor Moriarty.

As described on the box:

STARCROSS, Infocom's science fiction mind-bender, launches you headlong into the year 2186 and the depths of space. And not without good reason, four you are destined to rendezvous with a gargantuan starship from the outer fringes of the galaxy. Upon docking with the strange craft, you must succeed in gaining entry to its mysterious interior. Once within, you will encounter a microcosm of the galaxy, peopled with both harmful and helpful beings. But the great starship serves a far larger purpose than mere cultural exchange. It bears a challenge that was issued eons ago, from light-years away- and only you can meet it.

As described on the box:

You have walked into a hotbed of deceit and trickery. And now they're accusing you of something you couldn't have done. But they have proof that you did it. "You're a killer," they say.And until you can prove them wrong, you're guilty as charged - murder.

Among society's upper crust, murder is the kind of nastiness that must be cleaned up quickly. So isn't it convenient that you, a struggling journalist looking for a good time and a good story, end up the scapegoat? The evidence is stacked against you, and you're being forced to prove your own innocence. And someone else's guilt. But, no one wants to help you. You're an outsider. And only an outsider could be so rude as to accept an invitation to the social event of the season. Then spoil it all.

As described on the box:

They said you would sleep for half a millennium -- not an unreasonable length of time, considering you'd be in limited cryogenic suspension. Your body would rest frozen at the planet's nerve center, an underground complex 20 miles beneath the surface. Your brain, they told you, would be wired to a network of computers; your mind would continue to operate at a minimal level, overseeing maintenance of surface-side equilibrium. And you would not awake, so they promised, until your 500 years had elapsed -- barring, of course, the most dire emergency.

Then, and only then, you would be awakened to save your planet by strategically manipulating six robots, each of whom perceives the world differently. But such a catastrophe, you have been assured, could not possibly occur.

Good morning.

• The Hobbit (1982)
• Lord of the Rings: Game One (1985) a/k/a The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Return of the King (1988)
• The Crack of Doom (1989)

As described on the box:

It's the last day of your $599 London vacation. Unfortunately, it's also the first day of World War III. Only seconds remain before an H-bomb vaporizes the city... and you with it. Unless you escape to another time, another dimension.

For every atomic explosion unlocks the door to a secret universe; a plane between fantasy and reality, filled with curious artifacts and governed by its own mischievous logic. You'll criscross time and space as you explore this fascinating universe, learning to control its inexorable power.

Trinity leads you an a journey back to the dawn of the atomic age... and puts the course of history in your hands.

The Witness (1983), Infocom's second interactive mystery, by Stu Galley.

As described on the box:

FEBRUARY 1938, LOS ANGELES. FDR's New Deal is finally rolling. Hitler's rolling, too; this time through Austria. But as Chief Detective for a quiet burgh on the outskirts of L.A., you've got other fish to fry.

One gilt-edged society dame is dead. And now it looks like some two-bit grifter is putting the screws to her multi-millionaire old man. Then you step in and the shakedown turns ugly. You're left with a stiff and a race against the clock to nail your suspect... unless you get nailed first!

Nobody said a sordid family affair like this was going to be a cinch. Everyone from the knock-out heiress to the poker-faced butler may end up in the slammer before it's over. Ahead of you is a Gordian knot of motives and alibis. And the only testimony you can trust is that of your own eyes -- because you are The WITNESS.