50 Years of Text Games

From Oregon Trail to AI Dungeon

Aaron a Reed

$80.95 $69.18

Paperback

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English

Changeful Tales
01 October 2023

Reference works; History of engineering & technology; Computing: general; Games development & programming; Hobbies, quizzes & games

Since a winter morning in 1971 when a teacher wheeled a teletype into his classroom to debut a game about the Oregon Trail, people have been telling interactive stories on digital platforms. From text adventures to VR poetry, MUDS to mobile romance sims, and chatbots to roguelikes, these games without graphics have pioneered new techniques for interactive storytelling, engaged imaginations with clever engines and beautiful prose, and explored the new terrain of fiction you can play.

50 Years of Text Games: From Oregon Trail to AI Dungeon picks one text-based game from each year between 1971 and 2020 and studies how it works, what it's about, why it's special, and its lasting legacy. From famous classics to overlooked gems, from personal stories to million-word epics, and from games printed by teletypes to games downloaded on smart watches, this is the fascinating story of interactive fiction's first half-century.

By: Aaron a Reed
Imprint: Changeful Tales
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 203mm, Spine: 33mm
Weight: 1.252kg
ISBN: 9798985966114
Pages: 642
Publication Date: 01 October 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Aaron A. Reed is an award-winning writer working at the intersection of writing and play. He is the creator of Blue Lacuna, voted in 2011 one of the top ten text adventures of all time, and was lead author on the nonfiction book Adventure Games: Playing the Outsider (Bloomsbury Press).

Reviews for 50 Years of Text Games: From Oregon Trail to AI Dungeon

"""Absolutely essential... a stunning, peerless introduction to interactive fiction."" - Colin Post ""Mandatory reading... if you're interested in games writing or design you really must read this."" - Bruno Dias"