Text adventures

A text adventure is one of the earliest examples of video games. The games are presented entirely in text and the player interacts with the game by typing in specific commands such as "go North, open door or pick up lamp". Every location and event is described in text and the visual element is entirely imagined.

I have played two examples of this game type. One was called Ye Dungeon Man and the other The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Ye Dungeon Man was a relatively short game structured around three locations. The journey involves going to the canyon to collect a jewel which is then given to a character called Dennis. As a gaming experience this was quite humorous in comparison to modern game narrative and structure. The creators have recognised the functionality of text based adventures and parodied them. The result is a game that is a short yet enjoyable spoof.

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is another text based game I have experienced. It is an adaptation of the existing media of the same title. The game is constructed in such a way that it is not possible to progress unless specific items have been found or specific tasks completed. I think prior knowledge of the book would give the player an advantage. The game was also humorous but in this instance due to story content.

The game that I played had an interface allowing you to click on which direction to go and which items to pick up. Personally I would play the game again to try to reach the end. These text adventures were a predecessor to the early point and click adventure games. Text based adventures present a less clear structure than a typical contemporary video game. Exploration is a major factor and an enquiring mind and good imagination would add to an individual's enjoyment of the game.