Text-based games: ASCII, etc. sorted by release date
In the past, lots of games used ASCII characters (text) to represent the game world. These text-only video games may seem primitive and outdated and, in fact, the genre almost died with the fast evolving graphics of modern games.
A few genres traditionally linked to the beautiful world of ascii characters still survives: roguelikes (nethack, angband, etc.) and interactive fiction, for example.
A few genres traditionally linked to the beautiful world of ascii characters still survives: roguelikes (nethack, angband, etc.) and interactive fiction, for example.
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VisiCalc 1.0
DOS1979freeware4.3/5 Software Arts
VisiCalc was the first spreadsheet software for personal computers, and it played a pivotal role in the early history of personal computing. It was developed by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston and first released in 1979 for the Apple II computer. VisiCalc is often considered the first electronic spreadsheet, and its success had a significant impact ...
B-1 Nuclear Bomber
DOS19813.6/5 Avalon Hill
Galaxy
DOS19814.1/5 Microcomputer Games Inc.
Softporn Adventure
DOS1981freewareNSFW4/5 Sierra On-Line
The Wizard's Castle
DOS1981freeware3.3/5
The Wizard's Castle is a classic text-based, dungeon-crawling adventure game released in 1980, designed by Joseph R. Power. The game was originally developed for the Exidy Sorcerer computer and later ported to various platforms, such as the TRS-80 and early IBM PCs. The game is set in a mysterious wizard's castle, where the player takes on the...
Adventure in Serenia
DOS19823.6/5 Sierra On-Line
Deadline
DOS19823.9/5 Infocom
Executive Suite
DOS19823.9/5 Armonk Corporation
Pac Gal
DOS19823.1/5
Pac-girl
DOS19823.7/5 Magicom Multimedia
Starcross
DOS19823.7/5 Infocom
Video Trek 88
DOS19823.9/5 Windmill Software
Volkswriter 3
DOS19823.8/5 Lifetree Software
Zork I: The Great Underground Empire
DOS19824.2/5 Infocom
Zork is one of the most popular text-adventures and one of the first interactive fiction games ever created. The first Zork was developed in the seventies and ported on various platform by Infocom in the early 80s. Infocom was one of the most prolific developers of text-adventures for home computers and created memorable interactive fiction ga...
Air Trax
DOS19833.5/5
Black Friday
DOS19833/5
Borland Turbo Pascal 1.0
DOS19834/5 Borland Software Corporation
Borland Turbo Pascal 2.0
DOS19834/5 Borland Software Corporation
Classic Hangman
DOS19833.6/5 Norland Software
Enchanter
DOS19833.3/5 Infocom
Forbidden Quest
DOS19833.8/5 Pryority software
Infidel
DOS19833.3/5 Infocom
Microsoft Word
Windows XP/98/95Windows 3.x19833.7/5 Microsoft
Midway Campaign
DOS19834/5 Microcomputer Games Inc.
Murder by the Dozen
DOS19832.7/5 BrainBank
Planetfall
DOS19834.2/5 Infocom
Sleuth: A Murder Mystery
DOS1983freeware4.1/5 Norland Software
Suspended
DOS19833.9/5 Infocom
The Witness
DOS19834/5 Infocom
Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz
DOS19834.2/5 Infocom