8 Best Text Based Games That You Should Know Update 04/2024

best text based games

You can play text-based adventure games, which are also called “Interactive Fiction,” or IF, as a type of game. All of the interaction in these games happens through words on the screen. People still enjoy this type of adventure today, even though it began as a primitive game because of hardware limitations.

Then there are some text-based games that you don’t have to pay for or install to play. It’s not that you can’t play them right now in your web browser. You can play these great text-adventure games on the web.

The Dreamhold

The Dreamhold

The Dreamhold is a great way to learn about interactive fiction because it was made for people who have never played it before. The game also has a “tutorial voice” that gives you advice as you play. The game is short and easy to play.

However, even if you aren’t very good at games, you can still enjoy The Dreamhold. As soon as you’re done, just type Tutorial Off to turn off that part of the game. if you want even more of a challenge, type “expert” to go into “Expert mode,” which makes some puzzles even more difficult.

You wake up inside of a cell in this game’s main story line. You don’t remember how you got there, and you need to look around to find out.

Zork

Zork is an old and well-known text game. When it was first made available in the late 1970s, it was very good at telling stories and was very good at recognising text. For a game that’s so old, the text parser isn’t very picky about what you write in.

In fact, Zork is split into three parts. The first one puts you in front of a white house and gives you no more information. After you get into the house, you’ll start the real adventure and need to get as much treasure as you can.

Zork can be saved and restored, and you can even change how much information the game gives you about new places by using the short and long commands. This game is a great place to start if you want to learn more about text adventure games. Check out how long you can last before being eaten by a grue.

Spider and Web

Spider and Web

It was made by the same person who made The Dreamhold. Spider and Web is a text-based game from 1998. In this story, you’re a spy who was caught when you were pretending to be a tourist. It takes time for you to figure out what’s going on at the same time your character does.

Compared to other games, the dialogue options in this one are very simple. When someone asks you a question, you can only say “Yes,” “No,” or “No.” The game isn’t easy because this makes it easier for you to figure out what to do.

A lot of the time, it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on and keep your story straight. You can save and restore so you don’t have to start over from the beginning. The game also has an Undo command in case you make a mistake.

Night House

Does this sound like something you’d enjoy? You play as a young boy who wakes up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Night House is a game about this. As time goes on, he finds out that his family isn’t home, and is thrust into a much scarier situation than he thought possible.

There are a few things Night House does that aren’t just text input. The right side of the screen has simple directions that you can use to move around. It also keeps track of what you have and what’s around you. At the top of your screen, there is a simple map. This helps you stay on track when you’re moving around.

With extras like sound effects of the storm, Night House adds a little something extra to the text-adventure game. Do this if the other games on this list were too simple for you.

Torn

Torn

Interactive fiction isn’t the only type of game that uses text. Torn is an online game that has a lot of active players. There, you start a new life and decide which way you want to go. Become a criminal and beat up everyone else. Or become very smart and follow the law and run a good business.

When you start the game, it tells you that it’s going to be a long-term thing. In this way, it’s great for quick fixes when you have time. You don’t need to spend a lot of time on it at once. Afterward, you’ll be able to make your life in the city how you want it to be.

In Torn, you will have to sign up for an account. This is different from the other games on this list, which you can start right away. Then again, it only takes a second. And even though it has a lot more options than other text-based games, Torn is still a fun game.

Alter Ego

Alter Ego is a very good text game for Android. The game is made up of two main mechanics. You tap on EGOs to get it, and then you use it to move forward in the story. This is how it works: The game has a lot of different endings, and what you do affects how the game goes. There is also a part where it tries to figure out who you are based on the choices you make. Most people think it’s about right. Between the idle clicker mechanics and the text mechanics, it’s a good game.

A Normal Lost Phone

A Normal Lost Phone

A puzzle text game called A Normal Lost Phone is on this page. Find out who the person is and how they got hurt by going through their phone. You can read their texts, look at their photos, and even see what apps they have on their phones. The game is a little more focused on the story than the text or puzzles, but it’s still a good game. It’s also free if you use Google Play Pass. Another game in this series is called Another Lost Phone: Laura’s Story. There is another game in this series called Another Lost Phone (Google Play). This app hasn’t been updated since 2017, so it may or may not work on your phone.

BitLife

BitLife is a text-based life game. You make a person, write about their whole lives, and make decisions for them. The game features a lot of choices, including a bunch of jobs, various life paths, and you can even adopt a bunch of pets. Attend college and get a good job, or drop out and live off their parents. It’s up to you. This is one of the best life-simulation games out there. AltLife is another good choice in this area.