The entire source code for a huge array of Infocom text adventures and interactive stories is now available on Github, thanks to historian and archivist Jason Scott.
There are 45 code repositories in total, spanning a variety of popular titles including The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Zork, Planetfall, Sorcerer, and Nord and Bert.
It’s notable news for those interested in preserving and safeguarding video game history, and Scott hopes the repositories will serve as an educational time-capsule for game developers and fans alike.
Although the code itself is written in ZIL (Zork Implementation Language), which will probably seem foreign to most, Scott has posted a handy instruction manual that should help make it more legible.
The only downside to the story is that Activision, which purchased Infocom in 1986, still owns the company IP, meaning it could eventually clamp down and halt Scott’s preservation efforts.