Play Zork Online For Free

How and where to play Zork for free online

Zork is a text-based interactive adventure game that was written in the late 1970s. What it lacks in graphics, it makes up for in the rich story line and mystery of not just the plot, but trying to figure out how to go about playing the game.

It will take adults back to memories of early gaming, and while kids might first be bored with it, they'll easily get hooked with the mystery and start using their problem-solving skills to solve the game.

Keep reading to find out how to play, and some tips and tricks to help you finish the game.

Looking for more retro games? Try your hand at the original Pacman.

How to Play Zork

Visit iFiction to play Zork I: The Great Underground Empire. Since this is purely a text game, you must read the text on the screen to understand what to do.

Zork online game

Our suggestion on how to first approach the game is by just trying out some text commands. Enter what you think would be a normal response to the questions and comments that you're asked and presented within the game.

Type a command and press Enter on your keyboard to input it. You'll either get a response that makes sense with the story, something humorous, or a reply with a message like "I don't understand that."

Here are a few helpful commands:

  • INVENTORY - gives you a list of items you have
  • LOOK - describes your surroundings​
  • N - Moves you north (use ​E, etc. for other directions)
  • DIAGNOSE - tells you about your injuries
  • GET or TAKE - remove the item and add it to your inventory
  • READ - Reads what is written on an item with words

Below is a link to a lot of other Zork commands.

Other Places to Play Zork Online

iFiction isn't the only website that hosts Zork. Here are some other places you can play this game:

Not every command listed above will work with all variations of this game. One example can be seen with the iFiction version in that you can't save and restore your progress, even though other versions of Zork on other websites may very well support those commands.

Zork Walkthrough & Tips

If you find yourself a little stuck while playing (which is completely acceptable given how different it is from other online games), take a look at this Zork command list. This will hopefully get you unstuck and back into the game.

There are lots of commands for moving around as well as item commands like drop, open, throw, get, etc., for interacting with things that you encounter.

If you find yourself really stuck, take a peek at this Zork walkthrough. Don't ruin the fun, though; no peeking until you're really stuck!

My Thoughts About Zork

I love it. I remember when the only type of computer games we had access to were text adventures, so Zork brings back a lot of fond memories. Also, the story line is fantastic. There was some real thought and love put into this game, and it shows.

However, it definitely isn't suitable for everyone, especially anyone who's used to playing graphical games. With just text and therefore zero graphics, and the fact that you must then read through the game like an ever-changing book, it takes some extra effort to play than visual games that just require a few controls.

However, with that being said, maybe you can take a break from your regular style of games and see just how much fun Zork can be.

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