1. What is a text adventure?
A text adventure, also called parser interactive fiction, is a game in which the world is described in words and you interact with it by typing commands.
The game might say:
Kitchen A narrow kitchen with an alarming number of saucepans. A door leads east. A brass key lies beside the sink.
You might then type:
take key
and the game might reply:
Taken.
The important idea is that you are not choosing from a fixed list of buttons most of the time. You are giving short instructions to a parser: the part of the game that tries to understand what you typed.
LOOK, TAKE KEY, or ASK GARY ABOUT TROUSERS.2. Starting a game in AccessiIf
From the AccessiIf home screen you can browse a catalogue or open a game file from your computer.
Ctrl+O opens the Open Game dialog.
AccessiIf supports several interactive-fiction systems. You do not normally need to care which interpreter is being used; AccessiIf chooses based on the game format.
If a game launches successfully, AccessiIf moves to the game screen and begins presenting the opening text.
3. Understanding the game window
The game screen can contain four main areas:
| Area | What it does |
|---|---|
| Command input | Where you type parser commands. |
| Status and auxiliary window | Separate information supplied by the game, such as room name, score, moves, time, menus, maps or other upper-window material. |
| Choices | Selectable choices or hyperlinks supplied by games which use them. |
| Output | The main game transcript: descriptions, responses, dialogue and narration. |
Use F6 to move forward through these areas and Shift+F6 to move backwards. If a particular area is not present, AccessiIf skips it.
4. How commands work
Most parser commands follow a simple pattern:
verb verb object verb object preposition object
Examples:
look take lamp open door unlock door with key put coin in slot ask Gary about parcel
Short, direct commands are generally best. The parser is not a general conversation system. It is usually happier with EXAMINE BOX than with could you have a quick look at that rather suspicious wooden box over there please.
Press Enter to send the command.
Use Up Arrow and Down Arrow in the input field to move through previously entered commands.
5. Moving around
The most common directions are:
| Direction | Long form | Common abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| North | north | n |
| South | south | s |
| East | east | e |
| West | west | w |
| Northeast | northeast | ne |
| Northwest | northwest | nw |
| Southeast | southeast | se |
| Southwest | southwest | sw |
| Up | up | u |
| Down | down | d |
| Inside | in | usually in |
| Outside | out | usually out |
A game may define extra directions or special travel commands such as ENTER BOAT, CLIMB LADDER, or something considerably less sensible.
6. Objects and inventory
Anything in the story world which the parser treats as a distinct thing can be thought of as an object. Objects may be portable, fixed in place, openable, wearable, edible, containers, supporters, doors, devices or many other things.
Useful commands include:
take key get key drop key examine key open box close box wear hat remove hat eat sandwich switch on lamp switch off lamp put key in box put cup on table
INVENTORY shows what you are carrying. AccessiIf includes the shorthand i.
7. Talking to characters
Conversation systems vary wildly between games. Try the form suggested by the story or its help.
Common forms include:
talk to Gary ask Gary about key ask Gary about himself tell Alex about parcel give letter to Brenda show photograph to Gary
Some games use a menu or list of conversation choices rather than free-form ASK and TELL commands.
8. Common commands worth trying
| Command | Typical purpose |
|---|---|
look / l | Describe the current location again. |
examine X / x X | Inspect something closely. |
inventory / i | List carried objects. |
take X | Pick something up. |
drop X | Put something down. |
open X | Open a door, container or similar object. |
close X | Close it again, often immediately after discovering why you should not have opened it. |
again / g | Repeat the previous game command. |
wait / z | Pass one turn without another action. |
save | Ask the game to save. |
restore | Restore a saved position. |
undo | Undo the previous turn, if supported. |
help | Show game-specific help, if implemented. |
about | Show credits/instructions, if implemented. |
9. Status and auxiliary windows
Some story information is separate from the main transcript. Classic Z-machine games often show the current room and either score/moves or time. Later games can use upper windows for much more.
AccessiIf presents this information in its Status and auxiliary window control. If nothing has been supplied, it says that no status information is available.
This area can be useful even when it does not look like a traditional status line. A game may put a menu, compass display, tactical information, map or other temporary interface there.
Use F6 to move to it when you want to review it.
10. Choices and hyperlinks
Glulx and TADS games, and some other story interfaces, may present selectable choices or hyperlinks.
When AccessiIf receives them, they appear in the Choices area. Use F6 to reach that area, move to the desired choice, and activate it.
Not every game uses choices. A traditional parser game may never show this area at all.
11. Command history, aliases and multipliers
AccessiIf keeps command history. From the input field, Up Arrow and Down Arrow revisit commands you have already sent.
The Game menu also contains View command history.
Command aliases let you create your own shorthand. An alias can contain wildcards. For example, an alias pattern such as:
p * in *
can expand to:
put %1 in %2
so typing:
p bag in bed
sends:
put bag in bed
AccessiIf also supports command multipliers such as:
north *5 again *5 wait *10
These send the command repeatedly. They are useful for long corridors, waiting through timed sequences, or repeatedly doing something the author was confident no sane player would repeat ten times.
Alt+Enter opens the Command Palette.
12. Saving, restoring and undo
AccessiIf provides shortcuts which send the usual game-level operations:
- Ctrl+S — save.
- Ctrl+R — restore.
- Ctrl+Z — undo.
These operations ultimately depend on the interpreter and game. Some stories restrict undo or have unusual save behaviour.
13. Transcript tools
The transcript is the accumulated game output.
- Ctrl+T — save the transcript to a file.
- Ctrl+F — search the transcript.
Searching is useful when you need to find an earlier clue, name, number or description without replaying half the game.
14. Speech and repeat-output keys
Escape interrupts current speech.
AccessiIf stores recent output so you can quickly hear it again:
- Ctrl+0 — repeat the current or most recent stored output.
- Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+9 — repeat earlier stored output.
The Speech menu also contains settings and repeat commands.
15. AccessiIf game-window keystrokes
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Enter | Send the current command. |
| Up Arrow / Down Arrow | Move through command history while in input. |
| F6 / Shift+F6 | Move between input, status, choices and output. |
| Alt+Enter | Open the Command Palette. |
| Escape | Interrupt speech. |
| Ctrl+O | Open a game. |
| Ctrl+Q | Quit the current game and return home. |
| Ctrl+S | Save game. |
| Ctrl+R | Restore game. |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo. |
| Ctrl+T | Save transcript. |
| Ctrl+F | Search transcript. |
| Ctrl+0 … Ctrl+9 | Repeat recent stored output. |
| Shift+F1 | Show keystroke help. |
16. When the game does not understand you
Parser errors are part of the genre. Common responses mean different things:
| Response | Likely meaning | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| “I don't understand that sentence.” | The parser did not recognise your grammar. | Use a shorter command or a more common verb. |
| “You can't see any such thing.” | The noun is not currently in scope. | Check the room, inventory and exact object name. |
| “You can't go that way.” | No route exists in that direction. | Try another direction or examine the surroundings for a special exit. |
| “That's not something you can…” | The object exists but does not support that action. | Try examining it or a different verb. |
When stuck, begin with LOOK, INVENTORY, and EXAMINE. Those three solve an embarrassing percentage of apparently impossible situations.
17. How to approach puzzles
- Read descriptions literally. Mentioned details are often clues.
- Examine objects individually.
- Keep a note of locked doors, unreachable places and incomplete tasks.
- Try objects in plausible combinations.
- Revisit characters after finding something important.
- Use transcript search when you vaguely remember a clue but cannot remember where it appeared.
- Save before experimenting with irreversible actions.
18. What Z-machine, Glulx and TADS mean
Z-machine is the virtual machine originally associated with Infocom and later used extensively by Inform. Files commonly end in .z3, .z5, .z8, .zblorb or similar.
Glulx is a newer virtual machine designed for larger and more capable interactive-fiction games. Files commonly end in .ulx, .gblorb or .glb.
TADS is another long-running interactive-fiction system. TADS 2 games commonly use .gam; TADS 3 games commonly use .t3.
Blorb is a container format which can package a story together with resources such as sound or images.
19. Worked example: your first ten turns
Imagine the opening says:
Hallway A narrow hallway. A locked front door is north. A table stands against the wall. A red umbrella leans beside it.
A sensible first sequence might be:
look examine table examine umbrella take umbrella inventory examine door open door look search table take key
Why? You first establish the room, inspect obvious objects, take something portable, check inventory, investigate the obstacle, and then search for whatever might solve it.
There is no universal correct sequence. The point is to build a habit: observe, inspect, experiment, remember.
20. Troubleshooting
The game seems frozen
Check whether the game is waiting for a single key, a menu selection, a choice, or command input. Use F6 to inspect the available areas.
I cannot find the status information
Use F6 until you reach Status and auxiliary window. Some games simply do not provide separate status information.
A shortcut seems to do nothing
The underlying game may not support that operation. For example, undo can be disabled.
I sent the wrong command repeatedly
Congratulations on discovering command multipliers. Try undo if the game permits it.
21. Glossary
- Interactive fiction (IF)
- Stories or games in which the reader/player interacts with a simulated narrative.
- Parser
- The command interpreter inside a text adventure.
- Room
- A location in the game world. It need not literally be indoors.
- Object
- A thing represented in the game world.
- Inventory
- The objects currently carried by the player character.
- Turn
- One unit of game time, often corresponding to one command.
- Transcript
- The accumulated record of game output.
- Status line / auxiliary window
- Information displayed separately from the main transcript.
- Z-machine
- A virtual machine used by many classic and modern parser games.
- Glulx
- A newer virtual machine used by larger or more feature-rich IF.