No rest for retro adventuring news this summer as Tim and Jason bring you lots of news: contest developments (don't delay, some deadlines are very very very soon!), Visible Zorker updates which aren't as stark as they seem, lost games and a lost development environment unearthed, and really quite a bit more.

Special thanks to Andrew Johnson for permission to use ZorkPBX demo audio.

ParserComp 2026 voting closes soon

https://itch.io/jam/parsercomp-2026

IFComp entries accepted (closing very soon!)

https://blog.ifcomp.org/post/821438949798084608/ifcomp-2026-now-accepting-intents-entries

Visible Starcross

https://blog.zarfhome.com/2026/07/visible-starcross

Arcturus Z-Machine compiler

https://github.com/ByteProject/Arcturus/tree/main

https://intfiction.org/t/arcturus-a-new-programming-language-compiler-for-the-z-machine/81091

pdp10 issues in Z1/Z2 Zork

https://intfiction.org/t/frotz-and-bocfel-cant-parse-pdp10-in-v1-v2-zork-a-shift-lock-z-machine-spec-3-7-1-easter-egg/81002

Game console Linux ports

https://github.com/LinuxMD/linuxmd

https://cakehonolulu.github.io/linux-for-jaguar/

Zork-PET / BitShifter interpreter work resumes

https://codeberg.org/root42/zork-pet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wznA6SHQnMQ

https://youtube.com/live/IvGJ7XQSHcc?feature=share https://youtube.com/live/Ywp51hY5GDo?feature=share

https://github.com/Edilbert/BSA

R.A.I.L. language unearthed

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2026/07/r-a-i-l/

Iron ChIF Adventuron

https://intfiction.org/t/iron-chif-season-one-episode-3-flacrabbit-vs-dee-cooke-using-adventuron/81129

https://intfiction.org/t/volunteer-to-beta-test-flacrabbits-game-in-iron-chif-s1e3-aug-23-27/81255

Catacombs and Goblin Towers for Commodore PET recovered

https://www.commodoregames.net/catacombs.asp 

ZorkPBX

https://github.com/aejx00/zorkpbx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvIENNmuUlY

Babelmap interpreter

https://intfiction.org/t/babelmap-rust-z-machine-glulx-scott-tui-w-graphics-and-sound-linux-macos-windows/81213

https://github.com/sharkusk/babelmap

Review-a-Thon

https://intfiction.org/t/review-a-thon-2026/80860

Never Gives Up Her Dead on Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4815350/Never_Gives_Up_Her_Dead/

Mega Adventure Creator

https://theoasisbbs.com/mega-adventure-creator-adds-new-menu-system-and-status-bar/ 

https://github.com/lipi650/MAC

Multiple Choice Adventure Engine

https://solhsa.com/mucho/mucho.html 

https://github.com/jarikomppa/speccy/tree/master/mucho 

Adventure Coder Magazine

https://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherhester/albums/page2

https://archive.org/search?query=creator%3A%22Chris+Hester%22

The Fool and His Money recovered

https://blog.zarfhome.com/2026/07/the-fool-and-his-money-returns

David Youd Enhances Secrets of the Pyramid of Light

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiUZ7qtRHB4

Atari games optioned by major film studio -- what about Infocom?

https://bsky.app/profile/neilpolowin.bsky.social/post/3mre5rfptgk2x

Interactive Fiction Discord Server (visit #retro-adventurers-podcast !)

https://discord.com/invite/8jrbVptACc

TREK37 on IFDB

https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=a026gnl4v2aclec2

Skull Island on IFDB

https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=jrvu7excy55dtjuu

"I don't want to suggest this is a more obviously American game than some others, but I will say you do solve one problem by shooting a tree." - Dudley of Yesterzine

Jason and special guest player Dudley from the Yesterzine YouTube channel take on two curiosities from the early 1980s. First up is a Spectrum-exclusive adventure with few champions but a lot of rooms: Steve Silver Adventure #1 by Colin Webb and Jim Bennett.

The main course is Sirius Software's Gruds In Space by Chuck Sommerville and Joseph Dudar. It's one of many Sirius titles featuring the gremlin alien Gruds, a graphic/text puzzler with many similarities to the later Tracer Sanction as covered on Episode 4 of The Retro Adventurers.

Gruds In Space (IFDB)

Softalk November 1983 review of Gruds In Space

Steve Silver Adventure #1 (IFDB)

Your Computer September 1983 review of Steve Silver #1

Atari ST on Yesterzine

Amiga Batman Pack on Yesterzine

Classic text adventure news so late-breaking that we have to interrupt our news to bring you new news about that news! Presented again this month by Retro Adventurers Nick, Tim, and Jason.

University of Winchester alumnus

https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/26175575.university-winchester-alumnus-won-award-game/

ABP: Help preserve Amstrad Infocom interpreter source code!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CwYXQ6FiV/

Oo-Topos Commodore 64 copy protection

https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=89439

SchoolAdventure, adapted to Inform

https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=6duybkh9bo1oq5s4 

NAIL: Not An Inform Library

https://github.com/fredrikr/nail

Iron ChIF ZIL contest entries

https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=v2b896mwtwf5mhwt

https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=b3vcdy1s1ukd5xcw

PunyInform 6.7

https://github.com/johanberntsson/PunyInform/releases/tag/v6_7

Puny BuildTools

https://github.com/ByteProject/Puny-BuildTools#build-targets

Eclipse (Bonaventura Di Bello Project)

https://bdb-project.itch.io/eclipse

https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=03enp9z2oszblv5h

Text Adventure Literacy Jam 2026 Results

https://itch.io/jam/talp2026/results

IntroComp

https://introcomp.org/

Strange Stories RPG

https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/ed994b09-71cf-4128-88bc-e45f89cf7d1b/landing

Zork Zero for Mac VoiceOver users

https://intfiction.org/t/looking-for-mac-voiceover-users-to-test-zork-zero-in-spatterlight/80791

Mysterious eyeglasses-cleaning game (?!)

https://bsky.app/profile/retroadventurers.bsky.social/post/3mnryqxe5k22e

Interactive Fiction Discord Server (visit #retro-adventurers-podcast !)

https://discord.com/invite/8jrbVptACc

Unofficially official text adventure sequels to beloved media properties both published in 1984. That's what these two have in common.

Laugh While You Can, Monkey Boy! because this John Lithgow Appreciation Podcast features Nick and Jason playing the Adventure International-published unofficial sequel Buckaroo Banzai before marching into the world of post-war New York City as imagined in the world of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, published by Telarium/Trillium.

Fahrenheit 451 (IFDB)

Fahrenheit 451 in-game music (DeepSID)

Buckaroo Banzai (IFDB)

Your monthly classic text adventuring news update delivered this month by Jason, Nick, and Tim. The top stories are  game contests still open for players votes at time of publication! Don't delay, listen and click today!

Text Adventure Literacy Jam 2026

https://itch.io/jam/talp2026

https://gameobserver.com/6th-annual-game-jam-inspires-next-generation-of-developers-to-keep-text-adventures-alive/

Iron CHiF Season One Episode Two: ZIL

https://intfiction.org/t/iron-chif-season-one-episode-2-lancelot-vs-someone2-using-zil/79983

Inform 6 benchmarking

https://discord.com/channels/830344544679493644/830344548315037739/1501871149288525844

PunyInform v6.6

https://github.com/johanberntsson/PunyInform/releases/tag/v6_6

Visible Zorker update: Deadline for backers, Zork III goes public

https://blog.zarfhome.com/2026/05/visible-zork-3

https://archive.org/details/Suspended_Map_Recreation

https://archive.org/details/Infocom_Starcross_Chart_Recreation

Dialog 1b/01

https://intfiction.org/t/dialog-1b-01-library-1-2-0-a-machine-1-0-0-is-released/80151

https://github.com/Dialog-IF/dialog/releases/tag/release-1b01-1.2.0

War of the Worlds for Commodore 64

https://michel-molenaar.itch.io/war-of-the-worlds-c64

Modern PAW environment

https://www.reddit.com/r/interactivefiction/comments/1tgyyj2/show_if_a_modern_jsonbased_paws_engine/ 

https://carlosparamio.itch.io/paws-ai

Text Adventure Studio (formerly Apple II Adventure Studio)

https://www.reddit.com/r/textadventures/comments/1t3yypi/apple_ii_adventure_studio_is_now_officially_text/

https://textadventurestudio.com/ 

The Forgotten Nightmare release

https://intfiction.org/t/the-forgotten-nightmare-series-platform-expansion-release/80323/5

Voyage of the Beano for Spectrum Next

https://qladventures.itch.io/the-voyage-of-the-beano

Spring Thing 2026 recognizes C64 Latinorum, other neo-retro titles

https://www.springthing.net/2026/play.html

2026 IntroComp kickoff

https://mastodon.social/@Feneric/116636591715718306

It's an Infocom antiheroic classic and a throwback Infocom parody this time out as modern IF legend Andrew Plotkin (Zarf) joins Jason and Nick for two perilous adventures.

Lurking Horror sendup The Smirking Horror by Jason Davis leads off, a reasonably faithful re-interpretation of The Lurking Horror from Infocom. It's the first Amstrad CPC exclusive on the show and makes surprisingly minimal use of the graphics available in Graphic Adventure Creator.

For the main course we take on Infocom's Infidel, memorably parodied by Zarf himself (Episode 27's Inhumane) and created by Michael Berlyn and Patricia Fogleman. Legendary for its surly protagonist and shock ending, does it hold up to modern scrutiny?

Infidel (IFDB)

Infidel packaging (gray box)

Infidel packaging (folio)

The Smirking Horror (CPCWiki)

The Smirking Horror (playable online)

There's news out there in classic text adventures and neo-retro interactive fiction, and it's past time The Retro Adventurers got serious about delivering it! So, welcome to the first installment of a new monthly feature, OPEN MAILBOX -- where you GET NEWS AND LISTEN TO IT.

This episode compiled and presented by Retro Adventurers Nick and Jason covers multiple new Infocom/Z-Machine interpreters, Andrew Plotkin's Visible Zorker developments, an amazingly layered Cornerstone prank-that's-also-real, and other novel developments.

Zym II and Inform 6 Optimization:

https://intfiction.org/t/zym-ii-an-8-bit-z-machine-interpreter-for-symbos/79520

https://intfiction.org/t/accelerating-inform-6-games-on-8-bit-interpreters/79531

https://github.com/fredrikr/krebf

Visible Zorker - Deadline hijinx:

https://blog.zarfhome.com/2026/03/visible-zorker-march

https://www.patreon.com/VisibleZorker

New Features for Old Hardware:

https://intfiction.org/t/statusline-options/79162

https://github.com/johanberntsson/ozmoo/releases

Retro Adventurers on Discord:

https://discord.gg/8jrbVptACc

https://discord.com/channels/830344544679493644/830344937252978718/1491913229721665840

https://www.springthing.net/2026/

https://intfiction.org/t/zabbrev-has-been-ported-from-c-to-c/75176/24

https://jxself.org/git?p=zabbrev.git;a=summary

The Linchpin to Infocom’s Database Strategy?:

https://intfiction.org/t/cornerstones-vm-was-cornerstone-for-atari/79644

https://blog.zarfhome.com/2026/04/cornerstone-and-the-mu-machine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgz5GIbKx3Y

https://zilf.io/

Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation (IFTF) Grants:

https://blog.iftechfoundation.org/2026-04-08-announcing-the-2026-iftf-grant-recipients.html

Keep Circulating the Tapes:

https://ifdb.org

Thank you for another year of Retro Adventuring with us! To celebrate we've gathered together to share important news about a change in the team roster, an exciting new monthly department, and to share a first look at our new handcrafted artwork (thank you, Emily Sergent)!

Spend a little time with Jason, Nick, and Tim and watch for more game, interview, and news episodes coming soon to your feed (and YouTube, which did get sorted out!)

Our YouTube channel

Douglas Adams BBC interview (1985)

The BDB Project (Bonaventura Di Bello adventure translations)

Tim's 1987 (?) photo

Adventure Game Aptitude Test (Maniac Mansion 4-hour challenge)

Zork 78 logo pillow

Hyperspace adventure awaits as Tim Gilberts joins Jason to play two underrated science fiction games from the 1970s. For starters it's Dog Star Adventure, the first type-in text adventure in Softside Magazine. True to its 1979 roots it's steeped in Star Wars lore and vocabulary, and was ported to plenty of classic platforms in its heyday.

The feature game is Aldebaran III, one of the games created by Peter Langston in his Wander system. It, too, leans heavily on genre fiction, in this case the Retief novels by Keith Laumer, covering interstellar espionage, diplomacy, and bureaucracy in equal measure.

Aldebaran III (IFDB)

Wander source code (Github)

Wander game analysis (Renga In Blue)

Aldebaran III (CRPG Adventures)

Dog Star Adventure (IFDB)

Dog Star Adventure in Softside May 1979

Dog Star Adventure (Old School Gamer Magazine)

Ron Martinez, our guest from Episode 11, returns! This is actually a holdover from the 2025 Year-End Chatisode sessions, but it really stands alone as an exploration of Ron's recent work in narrative design involving generative AI, large language models, and other 21st century interactive storytelling techniques. Joining us on the call are regular Retro Adventurers Jason and Nick, along with This Week in Retro's Dave "Velociraptor" (Episode 29).

And it's a big day for Nabokov fans as both Pale Fire and his lecture on The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are invoked.

Hidden Agenda 2026 preview

Hidden Agenda 2026 landing page

Invention Arts

Headcanon