♦ Livestream of the ZZT world “Endless: Losing Your Mind (v1.3)” by Patrik Stephens (1997) [https://museumofzzt.com/file/view/endless/] ♦
♦ Stream Contents ♦
• (2:22) “Endless: Losing Your Mind (v1.3)” by Patrik Stephens (1997) [https://museumofzzt.com/file/view/endless/]
A game that spends more time building a massive castle town than telling its story!
You awaken in a dungeon with no memory of who you are or why you have been imprisioned. Escaping the dungeon is done in seconds thanks to a rusty dagger serving as a lock pick. A few poked guards later, and you're back outside and all the guards in the city are entirely oblivious that you've escaped from prison.
You're set loose in a large 3x3 city filled with a number of buildings ranging from residences to guilds to grocery stores. A chance meeting with a prophet calling himself "Endless" reveals him to know who you are and of your destiny. Better sign up for one of the local guilds and become either an archer or a mage, and then travel south to the mountains. It'll be awhile before you leave town though!
There are loads of places that suggest a large world. A courthouse, a hippie-favored church, a furrier... Yet none of it really matters all that much. Eventually you'll get a few bucks and pick a guild where the only difference is what is asked of you to join and if afterwards your ammo is "arrows" or "mana". You can explore some sewers loaded with thieves that have stolen this or that to be recovered and finally get approved.
But I don't think the game enforces any of it. Head outside and travel to the mountains learning of the kingdom's corruption and possibly brainwashed king. Climb a mountain, discover soldiers mining for a mysterious and extremely powerful metal that may be used to turn this kingdom into a globe-spanning empire and... continue on. It's not anything you have reason to be involved in.
Set sail to the next town. Fight a giant sea monster. Discover STK suddenly being used 95% through this 95 board game...
Set sail again and roll credits.
It's a fun game! Even if exploring the castle town is a considerable process and one that could do with more of a shakeup to keep the start of the game from feeling so slow. It just feels like the game's story is happening around the player and they have no involvement in it. Surely in the sequel you'd start caring about this evil king and all, but in this game every time you come in contact with it you just continue on as if you didn't see anything. But it does do a wonderful job of feeling like a large world waiting to be explored! Both on the city-scale and the greater outside world.
♦ Play this world directly in your browser ♦
• https://museumofzzt.com/file/play/endless/
♦ Originally streamed on September 21st, 2025 ♦
