Oh October. Why must you be such a busy month? So busy that I nearly forgot that October 31st is also November Eve. Though I used that as a subtitle last year, this year it's gotta be Cherry Pie instead.
The Oktrollberfest flood is beginning to trickle in, and with a number of newly found older titles as well, I figured it would be best to get these games published and out of the queue while the getting is good.
I also need to finish my own Oktrollberfest game which has been doing a good job of trolling me, so I'll keep it brief!
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“La Vie Moderne: The Dork Ages” by Snorb (2025)
Program Description
A remake of a game from twenty-five years ago.
An embarrassing childhood 24 Hours of ZZT game gets rediscovered, and Snorb does the logical thing and gives it a modern remake. Trying not to spoil myself too much before playing it. We've got sewers, airplanes, and loading screens? Looks like it's having a lot of fun taking the anything-and-everything approach games made by young ZZTers tend to take and transforming those ideas into something you can actually have fun playing. (Or so I hope.)
Forgive the standard player appearance. These images were made with the file viewer.
“La Vie Moderne VI” by Snorb (2025)
While exploring the Caves of ZZT, you get lost. And the only way out is to get the four Cyan keys. Again.
Sorry. Can't tell you much more. I need to stream this on Sunday* as part of the Oktrollberfest games, and even getting screenshots meant spoiling myself, which is why I got the screenshots well before publishing in hopes that I would forget everything I saw.
(*Game may streamed on a different date.)
“Slop Disposal” by Zinfandel (2025)
To the incinerator goes the LLM output! Cute blinking fire effect!
“Snack Quest” by Zinfandel (2025)
Get a snack! From the fridge! Observe the items in your home along the way.
I suspect this one is based on a true story.
“The Prophecy” by DrCrab123 (1997)
After your town is destroyed by the infernal Glandersnoch, you set out to defeat the monster. The very next town you enter is still aflame from the beast's latest attack, but these people have a prophecy speaking of the one who will come to town through the flames and smoke and be able to succeed in defeating the Glandersnoch. Explore a multi-board world map entering various landmarks with powerful names (Dunequake Mountains? Gushmore Falls?) Beat up a few baddies, discover entrance to the Glandersnoch's lair, and destroy the beast once and for all.
Easier said then done! Lots of passage issues, many soft-locks (deliberate and unintended), and a number of fights where letting go of the shoot button for a moment will do you in.
“Endless: Losing Your Mind (v1.3)” by Patrik Stephens (1997)
One of those massive near-100 board RPG adventures. You awaken in prison with no memories of who you are or why you were imprisoned. After a quick escape, the guards of a large castle town lose interest in pursuing and kind of just let you openly explore the town, which just as the text file proclaims, is pretty massive. A prophet tells you to join a guild and travel to the mountains where he'll explain everything, and then an hour later you may just do that.
It's definitely ambitious! There are a number of optional quests and a few dungeons in the town itself to fight your way through before heading to the world map for even more. There's a hint that something big is happening, with a king becoming evil and focusing all efforts on mining some mysterious new metal that he just can't get enough of. Seems a bit inspired by Final Fantasy IV in that regard. Nothing the player does really intersects with that side of the story, but then this is just part one of what was intended to be a series lasting until the author was unable to continue making it. ...which seems to have happened after one game.
“Role-Playing Game Battle Engine” by Lord Kadro (1997)
An RPG engine that players are encouraged to use and modify for their own games. Not a bad idea (though ZOCRPGZZT it ain't). This one features a large section for enemy art, digit objects to display enemy health, and a basic attack/defend system for the player.
Simple stuff, but it feels very incomplete with extra space for unimplemented additional party members and their equipment. Probably a bit too rudimentary for folks to have opted to use it as a base.
“My ZZT Test World” by Jonathan Dennis (1997)
A test world consisting of scattered objects that do various things the author was figuring out. With a little organization, this could be useful for a total beginner to have some minimal examples of how various ZZT-OOP commands are used. Was fun to explore as many of the objects have a bit of flavor text explaining what it is they're about to do.
“Wargame Magazine #1” by Kyle134 (1997)
A typical first issue of a ZZT magazine. Invites readers to submit games they'd like to see reviewed. In the mean time, the author makes the unusual decision to review not just Town, but Demo and Tour as well! Invites readers to join Wargame Software, currently a company of one. It does have a cute arcade/movie section that combines Star Wars and Rocky.
“Ultra Tool Board” by Jammor357 (1997)
One of many toolkits out there. This one has a lot of empty space so it's got plenty of unfulfilled potential. Includes some common blends, fades from white to black of each color, plenty of built-in items and enemies, and a peculiar set of special object colors.
“Shining Force: Shining the Great Labyrinth” by TymeUltima (1997)
A missing first of two ZZT Shining Force fan games. Centered around a small settlement outside the labyrinth, you get to be the one to delve into it, explore each branch, collecting items and defeating bosses, and collect the four orbs in order to be able to defeat the evil Darksol. Expect a lot of hidden paths and difficulties in finding out where you should be going at any given moment! A good effort that tends to get bogged down a lot during play.
