Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The Lost Treasures of Infocom serves up 20 classic text adventures in one streamlined package, uniting everything from Zork and Enchanter to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Planetfall. At its core, gameplay revolves around the familiar verb–noun parser: you type commands like “open door,” “get lamp,” or “ask Floyd about Leela,” and the game responds with vivid text descriptions. While each title shares this fundamental mechanic, the puzzles and challenges vary wildly—ranging from whimsical circus stunts in Ballyhoo to brain-bending magical rites in the Enchanter trilogy.

Individual games introduce unique twists on the parser model. In Beyond Zork: The Coconut of Quendor, you’ll juggle RPG-style stats and resource management alongside conventional exploration, whereas Suspended casts you as an overseer of six android personalities, each with its own skill set. Murder mysteries like Deadline and Suspect emphasize deduction and careful note-taking, while horror-leaning experiences such as The Lurking Horror demand both courage and caution.

Modern interface enhancements dramatically improve accessibility without sacrificing authenticity. A unified launcher lets you jump between games, manage save slots, and consult an in-game hint system. You can “rewind” commands, view transcripts of your entire session, and even copy text directly to your clipboard—amenities that were unimaginable when Infocom first released these titles in the late ’70s and ’80s.

Difficulty is appropriately challenging: puzzles are logical but occasionally devious, encouraging experimentation and note-taking (virtual or physical). For newcomers, there’s a learning curve as you acclimate to the text-only format; veteran adventurers will appreciate the faithful reproduction of each game’s original parser quirks and idiosyncrasies.

Graphics

True to Infocom’s origins, the games themselves remain entirely text-based—there are no 3D models or cinematic cutscenes here. Instead, The Lost Treasures of Infocom modernizes presentation through a clean, customizable UI. You can choose from several typewriter-style fonts, adjust text and background colors, and resize the window or run in full-screen. The design prioritizes readability, ensuring that long blocks of narrative remain inviting rather than fatiguing.

To complement the text, this compilation provides scanned images of original “feelies”—maps, brochures, postcards, and other physical artifacts that once shipped with boxed copies of Infocom games. These digital extras not only aid puzzle-solving (for example, the Deadline murder-board or the hieroglyphic tablets in Zork Zero) but also recreate the tactile charm that made Infocom packaging legendary.

Simple yet effective ambient sound effects are available for select titles. A gust of wind in the cavernous halls of the Great Underground Empire, or the faint hum of the S.P.A.C.E. ship in Planetfall, adds a subtle layer of immersion. You won’t find bombastic orchestral tracks here, but these minimalist cues feel right at home alongside the evocative prose.

Story

Infocom’s greatest strength has always been storytelling, and this collection showcases 20 distinct narratives spanning genres and moods. In Zork I, II, III, you explore a sprawling underground realm filled with whimsical creatures, elaborate traps, and pun-laden treasure hunts. The dark corridors of The Lurking Horror plunge you into a haunted university, while Ballyhoo invites you into a turn-of-the-century circus brimming with oddities.

Science-fiction fans will revel in the offbeat humor of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the heartfelt camaraderie of Planetfall (featuring the unforgettable sidekick Floyd). Enchanter, Sorcerer, and Spellbreaker weave an epic magical trilogy, and Beyond Zork combines fantasy adventure with RPG elements for a longer, more open-ended quest. Detective stories like Deadline and Suspect reward careful observation and deductive reasoning, while experimental pieces such as Suspended and The Witness challenge you to think in entirely new ways.

Across all titles, the writing is sharp, witty, and often self-aware. Characters leap off the page with memorable dialogue, environmental descriptions set vivid moods, and plot twists frequently subvert expectations. Though some puzzles reflect the era’s trial-and-error style, the storytelling remains engaging—even decades after the original releases.

Overall Experience

The Lost Treasures of Infocom represents an extraordinary value: 20 fully restored text adventures in one package, each preserved exactly as intended. Whether you’re rekindling childhood memories or encountering interactive fiction for the first time, the compilation delivers hours upon hours of engrossing gameplay. The unified launcher, optional hints, and modern conveniences eliminate many of the technical headaches common to retro gaming.

Players seeking blockbuster graphics or twitch-reflex action will need to adjust expectations, but anyone who loves narrative depth and cerebral puzzles will find themselves enchanted. The blend of genres—fantasy, horror, comedy, sci-fi, mystery, satire—ensures there’s something for every literary taste. And with built-in digital feelies and sound cues, the package captures not just the games themselves but the spirit of Infocom’s original releases.

Ultimately, The Lost Treasures of Infocom stands as both a historical archive and a living library of masterful storytelling. It’s a must-have collection for puzzle enthusiasts, writers, historians of game design, and anyone eager to experience the golden age of interactive fiction.