Ever wondered how to play interactive fiction?

Okay, probably not – chances are if you are reading this you already know. But perhaps you want to tell other people about interactive fiction, and you are wondering; where do I start? One option is here. This game will take the player through the basics of moving, and taking and dropping items, leading on to some more complicated interactions, including talking to other characters. At each step, the tutorial text (in blue) will explain what to do and why. There is also a comprehensive hint system.

You can find it here.

The TUTORIAL command allows you to toggle the tutorial comments, and play the game normally if you refer (just wait three turns at the start for the tutorial to open the door to the north) – I cannot claim it is classic, but the option is there.

It also showcases some of the features of Quest 6. It is quite a challenge creating a tutorial as the steps in the tutorial have to appear at the right moment. You need a game system that allows you to hook into every bit of it; for example, responding to the player saving the game. I also made the mistake of putting a rope in – boy was that tricky to do!

Have a play and let me know what you think. Any glaring omissions or errors?