The following list of text-based games is not to be considered an authoritative, comprehensive listing of all such games; rather, it is intended to represent a wide range of game styles and genres presented using the text mode display and their evolution across a long period.
On mainframe computers Years listed are those in which early mainframe games and others are believed to have originally appeared. Often these games were continually modified and played as a succession of versions for years after their initial posting. (For purposes of this list, minicomputers are considered mainframes, in contrast to microcomputers, which are not.)
TitleYear CreatedCreatorNotes BBC1961John BurgesonBaseball simulator The Sumerian Game1964Mabel Addis, William McKayThe first edutainment game. Unnamed American football game1968 or beforeUnknownFor the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System. One of "many games" in library of 500 programs. The Sumer Game1968Doug DymentAKA Hamurabi Highnoon1970Christopher Gaylo Baseball1971Don Daglow Oregon Trail1971Don Rawitsch Star Trek (strategy game)1971Mike Mayfield Star Trek (script game)1972Don Daglow Hunt the Wumpus1973Gregory Yob TREK731973William K. Char, Perry Lee, and Dan Gee Cornell U. Hockey1973Charles Buttrey Wander1974Peter Langston dnd1975Gary Whisenhunt and Ray Wood Dungeon1975Don Daglow Colossal Cave Adventure1976Will CrowtherThe original adventure game Dukedom1976Vince Talbot Empire1977Walter Bright Mystery Mansion1977Bill Wolpert Zork1977Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels and Dave Lebling Acheton1978Jon Thackray, David Seal and Jonathan PartingtonAdventure game originally hosted on Cambridge University's Phoenix mainframe Decwar1978Hysick, Bob and Potter, Jeff MUD1978Roy Trubshaw and Richard BartleThe first multi-user dungeon. See List of MUDs for later examples. Battlestar1979David Riggle Brand X1979Peter Killworth and Jonathan MestelAKA Philosopher's Quest HAUNT1979John Laird Martian Adventure1979Brad Templeton and Kieran Carroll New Adventure1979Mark Niemiec FisK1980John Sobotik and Richard BeigelText based adventure game Hezarin1980Steve Tinney, Alex Shipp and Jon Thackray Kingdom of Hamil1980Jonathan PartingtonAdventure game originally hosted on Cambridge University's Phoenix mainframe Monsters of Murdac1980Jonathan PartingtonAdventure game originally hosted on Cambridge University's Phoenix mainframe Quondam1980Rod UnderwoodAdventure game originally hosted on Cambridge University's Phoenix mainframe Rogue1980Michael Toy, Glenn Wichman, and Ken Arnold LORD1981Olli J. PaavolaBased on The Lord of the Rings Star Trader1982Bretten Au, Kevin Ryan, Kent Beck, Ron Lumsden, and James WaltersA space game originally hosted on University of Oregon's mainframe computer Avon1983Jonathan PartingtonShakespearean adventure game originally hosted on Cambridge University's Phoenix mainframe Castle1983Barry Wilks Dunnet1983Ron Schnell Fyleet1986Jonathan PartingtonAdventure game originally hosted on Cambridge University's Phoenix mainframe Crobe1987Jonathan PartingtonAdventure game originally hosted on Cambridge University's Phoenix mainframe Nidus1987Adam Atkinson Quest of the Sangraal1987Jonathan PartingtonAdventure game originally hosted on Cambridge University's Phoenix mainframe Spycatcher1989Jonathan Partington and Jon ThackrayAdventure game originally hosted on Cambridge University's Phoenix mainframe; released commercially by Topologika Software as Spy Snatcher
On personal computers
Commercial text adventure games These are commercial interactive fiction games played offline. TitleYear CreatedCreatorNotes Adventureland1978Scott Adams of Adventure Internationalseries Zork I: The Great Underground Empire1980Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels and Dave Leblingseries C.I.A Adventure1980Hugh Lampert of CLOAD Softporn Adventure1981On-Line Systems Madness and the Minotaur1981for Spectral Associates The Hobbit1982Philip Mitchell and Veronika Megler of Beam Software Valhalla1983Legend Time and Magik1983Level 9 Forbidden Quest1983Pryority Software Valley of the Minotaur1983Nicolas van Dyk of Softalk The Wizard of Akyrz1983Brian Howarth of Mysterious Adventures and Cliff J. Ogden for Adventure International The Biz1984Chris Sievey of Virgin GamesMusic band simulator for the ZX Spectrum High Stakes1984Angelsoft The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy1984Douglas Adams and Steve Meretzky of Infocom Mindwheel1984Robert Pinsky for Synapse Software Zyll1984Marshal W. Linder and Scott B. Edwards for IBM The Pawn1985Magnetic Scrolls A Mind Forever Voyaging1985Steve Meretzky of Infocom Brimstone1985James Paul for Synapse Essex1985Bill Darrah for Synapse Hampstead1985Peter Jones and Trevor Lever for Melbourne House Bored of the Rings1985Delta 4 Mind Wheel1985Brøderbund Software Heavy on the Magick1986Gargoyle Games Breakers1986Rodney R. Smith for Synapse Terrormolinos1986Peter Jones and Trevor Lever for Melbourne House Amnesia1987Thomas M. DischThe only entirely non-graphical text adventure ever published by Electronic Arts Braminar1987 Dodgy Geezers1987Peter Jones and Trevor Lever for Melbourne House Enchanted Castle1987Michael R. Wilk Gnome Ranger1987Level 9 Jacaranda Jim1987Graham Cluley Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It1987Jeff O'Neill for Infocom Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels1987Bob Bates for Infocom Shadows of Mordor1987Melbourne House Knight Orc1987Level 9 The Guild of Thieves1987Magnetic Scrolls Fish!1988Magnetic Scrolls Ingrid's Back1988Level 9 Corruption1988Magnetic Scrolls Dr. Dumont's Wild P.A.R.T.I.1988Michael and Muffy Berlyn Avalon1989Yehuda SimmonsA MUD, notable for its pioneering introduction of various innovations such as plotted quests, real estate, banking and distinct skills The Hound of Shadow1989for Eldritch Games Humbug1990Graham Cluley Islands of Danger1990Carr Software Danger! Adventurer at Work!1991Simon Avery Spy Snatcher1992Jonathan Partington and Jonathan Thackray for Topologika
Miscellaneous games TitleYear CreatedCreatorNotes Wizard's Castle1978Joseph R. Power Aliens1982Yahoo SoftwareSpace Invaders clone for Kaypro. CatChum1982Yahoo SoftwarePac-Man clone for Kaypro. Ladder1982Yahoo SoftwareDonkey Kong clone for Kaypro. Text Train1982Bert Kersey, Beagle Bros Software Snipes1983SuperSet Sleuth1983Eric N. Miller Beast1984Dan Baker, Alan Brown, Mark Hamilton and Derrick Shadel Manor 1986 Leon Baradat Based on Hammurabi, Kingdom, and Dukedom for Apple II Kingdom of Kroz1987Scott Miller of Apogee Software Mtrek1987Chuck Peterson of UCSC ZZT1991Tim Sweeney of Epic MegaGames Curses!1993Graham Nelson MegaZeux1994Alexis Janson of Software VisionsSupports editing the character set to allow for more advanced graphical capabilities than most text mode games. Jigsaw1995Graham Nelson Chibot Ultra Battle1999 PAEE1999Enrique D. Bosch For a Change1999Dan Schmidt Shade2000Andrew Plotkin Shrapnel2000Adam Cadre
Online games
Play-by-email games These are play-by-email games played online. TitleYear CreatedCreator Lords of the Earth1983 Quantum Space1989 Atlantis PbeM1993 Eressea PbeM1996
BBS door games These are BBS door games played online. TitleYear CreatedCreator TradeWars 20021987Gary Martin for Martech Software Legend of the Red Dragon1989Seth Able Robinson
MUDs
Text-Based Browser Multiplayer Games Torn City (2003) is played in a web browser and involves multiplayer components: it is based mainly around text and has very limited graphical elements.
See also List of graphic adventure games
References