Zork: Grand Inquisitor
Zork: Grand Inquisitor is a 1997 adventure game developed by Activision. Set in the long-running Zork universe, it finds magic outlawed by the tyrannical Grand Inquisitor, leaving the player, aided by a talking lantern and the digitized soul of a former dungeon master, to restore it by exploring the Great Underground Empire and recovering three lost magical artifacts.
The game embraced comedy, packing its first-person, pre-rendered world with puns, absurd characters, and full-motion-video performances from actors including Erick Avari as the Inquisitor, Dirk Benedict, and Rip Taylor. Its puzzles ranged from spellcasting to inventory logic, and it consciously carried the spirit of the classic Zork text adventures, complete with the ever-lurking grue, into a multimedia era. Fans regard it as one of the funniest and most polished of Activision's later graphic adventures.
Zork: Grand Inquisitor remains available through digital storefronts that bundle classic Activision adventures for play on modern computers.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to Zork: Grand Inquisitor, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
The Forgotten City Indie
€ 24,99A puzzle-box world you learn by repetition, rewarding curiosity the way the old text games did.
The Forgotten City runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. It is Steam Deck Verified.
80 Days Indie
€ 9,99An acclaimed indie interactive-fiction adventure of branching journeys.
80 Days runs on PC, Mac, Linux. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Verified.
Roadwarden Indie
€ 14,99An indie illustrated text RPG-adventure with deep interactive fiction.
Roadwarden runs on PC, Mac, Linux. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Thaumistry: In Charm's Way Indie
€ 3,29A modern comedy text adventure written by an Infocom veteran, parser and all.
Thaumistry: In Charm's Way runs on PC, Mac, Linux. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Untested.
Zork Anthology
€ 5,99The classic Zork games and their world bundled for modern systems.
Zork Anthology runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Steam Deck.
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