This repository contains the source code for a 1977 version of Zork, an interactive fiction game created at MIT by Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels, and Dave Lebling. The files are a part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tapes of Tech Square (ToTS) collection at the MIT Libraries Department of Distinctive Collections (DDC).

The files within this directory are the Zork specific files from the 9005196.tap tape image file within the /tots/recovered/vol2 directory of the ToTS collection. Most files are written in the MDL programming language and were originally created on a PDP-10 timeshare computer running the ITS operating system.

The files were extracted from the tape image using the itstar program. The filenames have been adapted to Unix conventions, as per the itstar translation. The original filename syntax would be formatted like, LCF; ACT1 37, for example. All files have been placed into this artificial zork directory for organizational purposes.

The lcf and madman directories contain the source code for the game.

The act2.27 and dung.56 files outside of the two main directories, are the decrypted versions of act2z.27 and dungz.56. The decrypted versions were created recently and added to this directory by DDC digital archivist, Joe Carrano, for researcher ease of access.

Files with extensions .nbin and .save are binary compiled files.

There was a zork.log file within the madman directory that detailed who played Zork at the time of creation. DDC excluded this file from public release to protect the privacy of those named.

This file is metadata about the Zork files, using the CodeMeta Project schema.

This file describes the details about the rights to these files. See Rights for additional information.

This file is the readme detailing the content and context for this repository.

A file tree listing the files in the zork directory showing the original file timestamps as extracted from the tape image.

[filename], Zork source code, 1977, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tapes of Tech Square (ToTS) collection, MC-0741. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Distinctive Collections, Cambridge, Massachusetts. swh:1:dir:ab9e2babe84cfc909c64d66291b96bb6b9d8ca15

To the extent that MIT holds rights in these files, they are released under the terms of the MIT No Attribution License. See the LICENSE.md file for more information. Any questions about permissions should be directed to [email protected]

Thanks to Lars Brinkhoff for help with identifying these files and with extracting them using the itstar program mentioned above.

This repository also contains a JavaScript port of the original Zork game, which can be played in a web browser.

1. Open the game.html file in a modern web browser.
2. Type commands into the input field at the bottom of the screen and press Enter.
3. Explore the Great Underground Empire!

This JavaScript version has been updated to more closely match the behavior of the original 1977 MDL version of Zork. These updates include:

• Thief Behavior: The thief's logic has been updated to be more faithful to the original, including his patrol routes, robbing behavior, and interactions with the player.
• Visual Appearance: The game's appearance has been updated to mimic a classic green phosphor CRT terminal, for a more authentic retro experience.
• Puzzle Logic: Several puzzles have been updated to match the original MDL implementation, including the mirror room, the cyclops, and the loud room.
• Data Verification: A thorough verification of the game's data has been performed to correct discrepancies in object and room properties.