Phantom of the Arcade 2: Shadows, Darkness, and Dread is a text adventure in the style of Infocom classics like Zork and Planetfall. Fans of the genre should be able to jump right in, but in case you’re not familiar with text adventures (also called interactive fiction), here are a few pointers:
- You interact with the world of a text adventure by typing in simple commands such as TAKE BOOK or OPEN DOOR. To move from room to room, type the appropriate compass direction, such as north, south, or west (or n, s, and w if you don’t feel like typing out the whole word).
- Here’s a list of verbs that you may find helpful while playing the game: LOOK (to see everything that’s in a room, including the exits); EXAMINE (to see something in greater detail); TAKE (to add something to your inventory); DROP (to remove it); INVENTORY (to remind you what’s in your pockets); PUSH (if you see something heavy); OPEN; CLOSE; GET; GIVE; PUT; WEAR; REMOVE; UNLOCK. The game will recognize other verbs, too, but these are the ones you’ll probably use most often.
- Text adventures can be a little strict with the words they recognize. If you see a “fluffy dog” in the game, then try to pet the “puppy,” the game might not understand what you mean. If you’re having trouble making something work, try phrasing it a different way.
You can play right now just by clicking on the image above. There may be a Java security dialogue the first time you load the applet. Or, if you’d rather not play using the Java version, you can download the game and play it with an Z-Machine Interpreter you’d like.
We encourage you to help each other out with hints in the comments, but please, no spoilers or walkthroughs.
If you want to keep it old-school, feel free to bust out the graph paper, but we’ve provided you with a map in case you’d rather not.
Downloads
- Download the Game (.z8 Format)
- Download the Map!
- Windows Frotz 2002 (Windows Interpreter)
- Mac OS X Zoom (OS-X Interpreter)
If you can escape from the amusement park in one piece, enter your Escapist username at the end and follow the instructions to earn a special badge! Fair warning, though: Make the wrong decision and you’ll be trapped for eternity. (But it’s not all bad – you get a badge for that, too.)
Don’t miss 30 Vampires in 30 Seconds, 30 Robots in 30 Seconds, and 30 Horror Movies in 30 Seconds for some more hauntingly good fun. Complete all four Extravaganza events for another special Halloween badge! You can also find last year’s Phantom of the Arcade back in our archives if you’re looking for some more text adventure goodness.
