Miss Congeniality and Miss Clairol are in the news this month as we recap the results in the unofficial Neo-Retro Division of this year's IFComp, share the developing story of putting a "beauty comput...

Miss Congeniality and Miss Clairol are in the news this month as we recap the results in the unofficial Neo-Retro Division of this year's IFComp, share the developing story of putting a "beauty computer" to its best use as a text adventure platform, and much more. Jason, Nick, and Tim are on the mic in a busier-than-usual month for our ever-changing genre. (And don't let Rockbox purge Frotz!) Retro Adventurers on Discord Visible Zorker project IFComp 2026 results Carl Muckenhoupt's remarks ECTOCOMP 2026 PAW for Dragon Plague on the Discovery River Software David Bitton's Apple II collection David Bitton episode (French w/English subtitles) Futuria (Forbidden Planet Part II) for Apple IIGS Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less (IFDB) The Mystery of Silver Mountain StoryTllr engine Colossal Cave Adventure for Pascal HOME.BASE Z6 support for Agon Light Clarion/Clairol Computer research Bex's call for other Aegis Visionary users Shadowgate Commodore 64 STAG adventure creator for Spectrum A Ceia Inesperada (STAG example game) Famous Five: Five on a Treasure Island CPC Disk fix Textadventures.co.uk content policy Text Adventure 2600 Rockbox RFC Frotz removal (!) Andrew Plotkin's Roguelike Celebration presentation The Problems of Dreaming lost edition found Magic Mushroom ZX Spectrum DAAD Builder Intro to DAAD Builder Another DAAD Builder demo video Mark Hardisty's blog (DAAD tutorials) DAAD Sam Coupe support Call for testers on rebuilt Not Just an Ordinary Ballerina Flathead Electric Cooperative Graeme Cree's Flathead discovery Cover photo by Bex

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‘System’ tells you not to get friendly – the mission must always come first. But if you choose to listen, you may discover that the Scavenger under your command has their own reasons for being there. Will you put them at risk in order to achieve the mission, or will you talk to them, find out who they are and why they’re here? What kind of Operator will you be?

* Agincourt and the Illusory Universality of Military Art— Interesting read on _why_ Agincourt was different, and not just because of the longbows. * Super Menu — New, very handy, macOS app from Sindre Sorhus * Winners of the 2026 IFComp — I can't wait to play my way through these Interactive Fiction stories/games. Of course, first I must sort through the various interpreters to find my fave. Of course. * Paperlesspaper's Open Paper devices — Open source eink display. This looks amazing and I want one! * Internet Cul-de-sac — “Press the button for a small site somebody made. Visit opens it; Next for another.” A hand-curated(?) Stumbleupon type site which is _so cute_! * leminal.space/c/humangames — Lemmy community dedicated to games made by humans. * Top Down Center Out — YouTube playlist with lots of videos guiding one through a process of fitting trousers. * ‘It’s magic’: scientists rediscover how to make ancient Roman colour-changing glass — Guardian article on the magical Lycurgus Cup and how boffins at the University of Sheffield figured out how to replicate the technique. Links found via my RSS feeds, Mastodon, The Browser, Webcurios, and general internetting. Weekly links are also bookmarked on MyMarks

YouTube video by Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation

A sci-fi choice game, a Victorian house with living paintings and a 1918 communist plot: here is the IFComp 2026 podium. First place goes to SCAVS by David Hunter.

The Retro Adventurers · Episode

The Annual Interactive Fiction Competition (IFComp) is a yearly festival that invites the world to share, play, and judge new works from independent IF creators. IFComp has been running since 1995, wh...

A House of Living Pictures "'To myself.' These are the words that lie before me; yet I have no recollection of beginning this letter, nor the message that was meant to follow. I pore over these bookshelves in search of answers. I wander this house, finding strangers suspended in scenes of unmet longings. Can they tell me who I am? Will they reveal my purpose?" Uncover layers of magic, memory, and melancholy in this surreal Victorian fantasy story that brings paintings to life. Includes in-game hints and a companion website with a walkthrough, list of commands, map, example transcript, and historical references. Content warning: Amnesia/dissociation. (See game for additional warnings.)

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