Back in the day, before graphics replaced playability (though let’s face it, the Wii has brought it back), some of the best games there were… in fact, the only ones, were text based interactive adventures.

Not to over-romaticize them but some of them were epic and such a critical part of hacker lore that they’ve entered the cultural lexicon.

It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

what is a grue?

The grue is a sinister, lurking presence in the dark places of the earth. Its favorite diet is adventurers, but its insatiable appetite is tempered by its fear of light. No grue has ever been seen by the light of day, and few have survived its fearsome jaws to tell the tale.

Some absolute genius has brought these back with Parchment, a web-based Z-machine that is now online.

So, having seen a pointer to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (dead link), I had to have a go again. I had forgotten how much fun it was.

Of course, playing HGTTG is scarily reminiscent of working for the large NGO I am currently working for and living in England. It’s blurring the line of what’s entertainment a bit. =<

read mail

There are many pieces of mail. Most are from some computer company called Infocom which wants you to buy their games. Hidden underneath is an official letter from the local council, dated some two years ago and inexplicably not delivered till now, explaining that a demolition order has been served on your home. The date of demolition is today’s date.