♦ Livestream of the ZZT world "Servo" by Graham Peet (1996) [https://museumofzzt.com/file/view/gpservo/] ♦
♦ Stream Contents ♦
• (4:40) "Servo" by Graham Peet (1996) [https://museumofzzt.com/file/view/gpservo/]
An attempt at looking at some of the last few games in the unpreserved queue that turns into a solo stream of one excellently realized puzzle game.
"Servo" is the last of the Graham Peet games in the queue, an author whose works did not make it into the ZZT community canon until preservetation efforts began in earnest decades later. Since then, Graham has become emblematic of the importance of discovering these missing worlds as every last one has been such a treat to play. Servo is no different.
While the author's other games used the player for platforming, Servo goes for the more expected object approach. This time, the game tackles the Lemmings style of puzzle platformer, predating the ZZT community fad by several years, and honestly, doing it a lot better. And I say that as somebody who loves the Zem series, Scooter, and Koopo the Lemming.
The game is technically incomplete, consisting of a debug level select with no story or way to advance to the next level after finishing one. The menu suggests plans for a gargantuan 100 level game of which 30 have been completed, which honestly is plenty for what's here.
Guide servo to the exit by issuing a limited number of the usual Lemmings commands: Climb walls, Fall safely, Build staircases, Break through walls horizontally, and Dig through walls downward. What Graham does differently is allows players to stop Servo by changing commands (before confirming new orders) making it somewhat easier to position Servo exactly where you want him, as well as being able to specify left/right rather than rely on their current direction. Unlike the other ZZT games of this style, Servo is incapable of climbing any natural ledges, requiring the use of the climb ability or building stairs which does allow him to traverse upward. The stopping of commands immediately and lack of climbing small heights makes the game take a bit of adjusting if you're familiar with Zem and the like.
But that learning curve is more than made up for by some really well thought out level designs. Servo's limited abilities per stage need to be managed carefully, with most levels having no room for error. Put all the pieces together though and you get some real challenges to overcome which makes completing a level feel much more satisfying compared to the simpler puzzles seen in other games.
This playthrough doesn't even get through all of them, which I'm hoping to get through next week. And of the levels completed only a single one seemed annoying enough to be worth skipping, (level 17,) a level where you just have to figure out exactly when and where to build a whole lot of stairs in narrow crevices that feels like a ton of trial and error.
It's also a game that's made easier via SolidHUD as the engine doesn't permit saving mid-level due to players being unable to move to unpause their loaded saves. This would likely sour the experience for a number of players, but perhaps make getting through the game feel like a real accomplishment.
I'm over here sighing and wishing the game got a proper release even with a "mere" 30 levels. It's easily one of the best puzzle worlds for ZZT of the era.
♦ Play this world directly in your browser ♦
• https://museumofzzt.com/file/play/gpservo/
♦ Originally streamed on April 6th, 2025 ♦
