“You are in a maze of twisty Google search results, all alike. Which link do you choose?”

Thank you for choosing this one, traveler. Sit down, put your feet up for a spell. How can I help?

What’s that? You want to know how to play interactive fiction—and survive?

It’s dangerous out there, it’s true. So many choices to make, so many paths to follow … so many opportunities to lose your way. This guide can help. But tell me, traveler, how long have you been on this path?

[I’m still breaking in my boots—I’m not entirely sure how to navigate IF games.]

[I’ve got a few calluses on my soles–I’ve got the basic idea, and want more IF adventures to try.]

[I’m weathered but not weary—and looking to hone my IF survival skills further.]

How to Play Interactive Fiction: The Basics

Before we talk about how to play interactive fiction, let’s start by getting something straight right now: all interactive storytelling is not the same. There are, in fact, two basic types of IF games:

Choice-based IF games: In these stories, you read some text, then when it’s time to make a choice, you have a series of options and must click on one (and possibly a confirmation button) to continue the story. This is common, for example, among Twine games and titles published by Choice of Games. (My first IF game, The Harbinger’s Head, falls under this category.)

TIP #1: Choice-based IF seems more straightforward, but it all depends on the game. Choices range from minor, superficial “nice-to-haves” like hair color or character name to choices that may have major consequences that will impact the entire course of the narrative, such as letting a vital character die. Always choose wisely, and if you can manually save, do so frequently!

TIP #2: If a game includes visible character stats, check them before as well as after making a choice. Referencing them before choosing helps you avoid relying on stats that may be too low to allow you to pass certain tests (e.g. trying to lie to a character with a low “deception” stat). Checking them afterward, meanwhile, helps you gain clearer insight into the consequences of your choices.

Parser IF games: The early MUD (multi-user dungeon) games—including one of the first IF games ever, Colossal Cave Adventure—fall under this category, as do more modern variants. These games allow the player to type in commands such as “go north” or “use sword” to interact with the environment, allowing for more freedom but also creating more potential for error and confusion (especially if, like me, you are directionally challenged).

TIP #1: Keep commands as simple as possible. While some text parsers are quite advanced and can parse fairly complex sentences, the more straightforward your commands are, the less likely it is you will get an error—or worse, do something you didn’t mean to do (e.g. accidentally stabbing a companion instead of handing them a weapon). You can always get fancier later once you’re more used to a particular game’s parser.

TIP #2: Always check out the “help” or “main menu” command first. Most games will tell you very early on how to do this (usually just typing “HELP” will do the trick), and it’s worth getting a quick list of basic commands up front so you can be aware of your options. Don’t be that person who gets lost just because they’re too proud to ask for directions.

I personally have more experience playing, and developing, choice-based IF games. If you’d like a more in-depth look at parser IF games, however, be sure to check out Brass Lantern’s excellent how-to guide for playing text adventures.

Recommended Games for Interactive Fiction Beginners

The easiest way to learn how to play interactive fiction is to play it. It can be difficult, however, to tell which games you should start with—and some are definitely better suited to beginners than others.

If you’re just getting your feet wet, look for shorter, simpler games to start with before leveling up to more complex narratives and systems. (Personally, I would try choice-based narratives before parser-based adventures, but it’s up to you, and I’ve included both just in case!) Here are a few good ones to start with, organized by genre:

Choice-Based IF Games
Fantasy	Choice of the Dragon by Dan Fabulich and Adam Strong-Morse
Science Fiction	Creatures Such as We by Lynnea Glasser
Romance	Affairs of the Court by Heather Albano and Adam Strong-Morse
Horror	Please Answer Carefully by litrouke
Parser-Based IF Games
Fantasy	Dreamhold by Andrew Plotkin
Science Fiction	Coloratura by Lynnea Glasser
Romance	Violet by Jeremy Freese
Horror	Anchorhead by Michael S. Gentry

While it doesn’t fit neatly into any of the categories above, I would also strongly recommend checking out Galatea by Emily Short. It’s the most interesting conversation with a statue you’ll ever have, I promise you.

Advanced Tips for Surviving Interactive Fiction Adventures

Fair warning, traveler—interactive fiction can be incredibly immersive, perhaps even consumingly so. But if your resolve is unwavered and you’re ready to dive a little deeper, go for it—just keep the following in mind:

Maps are your friend. If you enjoy exploring large parser IF worlds, you’ll want to keep some pencils and some graph paper handy, just in case. (Or find a free mapping program, like this one.) It’s easy to get lost in a “maze of twisty little passages, all alike” without a little cartography. Track the lay of the land as you go, and be sure to mark the locations of dead ends and death traps as well as anything you’ll want to return to later.

Interpreters may be necessary to prevent IF games of certain formats from getting lost in translation. You can learn more about IF interpreters and how to install them here.

Don’t be afraid to be a kleptomaniac. As a general rule of thumb, if you can take the thing, you should. You never know when you might need it. (Unless it’s a trap. Then don’t take the thing—yet.)

Finally, be adventurous and keep an open mind. Some games play tricks; there may be clickable links or images outside of an obvious list of choices; following these subtle clues might lead to interesting discoveries. (In chiaroscuro, for example, you’ll want to keep an eye out for the colored links.) The same is true of parsers—just because a command isn’t listed on the menu doesn’t always mean it won’t work.

If you don’t like the first IF game you try, don’t give up right away. Just like books, movies, and music, IF comes in all kinds of formats and genres. Just be warned, traveler—it’s easy to lose yourself in these sorts of adventures, and if you get in too deep, you might even find yourself wanting to make an IF game of your own…

Kim Berkley grew up reading Choose Your Own Adventure books and now writes books and games of her own. She is the author of choice-based interactive fiction such as The Harbinger’s Head and chiaroscuro, and has never ever gotten lost while playing parser IF games. Ever. (No, her fingers aren’t crossed, why would you ask that?)