Installing and Playing Zork Games on Modern Operating Systems

As you all know, the Zork series of games are getting older and our computers are getting less and less like the machines we originally played Zork on. That makes playing these excellent games harder as time goes on. Luckily, there's technologies to help us, all we need to do is to learn how to use them to make these classic games work. This website is a project designed to compile information about playing Zork games on as many modern operating systems as possible.

There are many options for playing Zork interactive fiction on almost any operating system. Below are links to some solutions, grouped by operating system.

	Windows XP/Vista/7	Linux	Mac OS X
Return to Zork (DOS version)	ScummVM-based guide last update: 2010-05-15 DOSBox-based guide last update: 2010-01-11	ScummVM-based guide last update: 2010-05-15 DOSBox-based guide last update: 2010-01-11	ScummVM-based guide last update: 2010-05-15 Use DOSBox with this generic DOSBox guide and this Mac-specific DOSBox guide.
Zork Nemesis (Windows version)	Guide last update: 2010-05-15	Use Wine or Crossover Games with info from Wine's AppDB listing for ZN.	Use Darwine with info from Wine's AppDB listing for ZN.
Zork Nemesis (Macintosh version)	Try SheepShaver to emulate Mac OS 7.5.2 through 9.0.4.	Try SheepShaver or Mac-on-Linux to emulate Mac OS 7.5.2 through 9.0.4.	PowerPC Macs w/ Mac OS X ≤ 10.4: Use Classic Environment with Apple's help. Other Macs: Try SheepShaver or Mac-on-Mac to emulate Mac OS 7.5.2 through 9.0.4.
Zork Nemesis (DOS version)	Use DOSBox with this generic DOSBox guide.	Use DOSBox with this generic DOSBox guide.	Use DOSBox with this generic DOSBox guide and this Mac-specific DOSBox guide.
Zork Grand Inquisitor (Windows version)	Guide last update: 2010-05-15	Use Wine or Crossover Games with info from Wine's AppDB listing for ZGI.	Use Darwine with info from Wine's AppDB listing for ZGI.
Zork Grand Inquisitor (Macintosh version)	Try SheepShaver to emulate Mac OS 7.5.2 through 9.0.4.	Try SheepShaver or Mac-on-Linux to emulate Mac OS 7.5.2 through 9.0.4.	PowerPC Macs w/ Mac OS X ≤ 10.4: Use Classic Environment with Apple's help. Other Macs: Try SheepShaver or Mac-on-Mac to emulate Mac OS 7.5.2 through 9.0.4.

	Windows Mobile	Android	iPhone OS
Return to Zork (DOS version)	Use ScummVM with instructions from the ScummVM wiki.	ScummVM-based guide last update: 2010-05-15	Use ScummVM with instructions from the ScummVM wiki.

I need help with the writing of and testing of these guides. If you have a game/operating system that is currently without a guide, please write a guide in the style of the current ones and send it in. Guides for playing the games on Mac OS X are needed most because I don't have a Mac that I can test on. Questions, comments or suggestions are welcome too. I want to make this a comprehensive resource for all Zork fans.

2010-05-15

For interactive fiction, renamed "Chrome OS/Browser" to "Web Browser" and "Palm" to "Palm OS".
Added "WebOS" interactive fiction section with ZOPP LITE as the first entry.
Fixed link to Pilot Frotz.
Due to reports of problems with the script for automatically installing ZGI, I removed it from the main guide instructions. It is still available from the "Other Information" section at the bottom of the guide for anyone who may need it.
Added notes on the current problems with ScummVM for Android to the Return to Zork guide.
Added info on PanRelief to "Other Information" sections of ZGI and ZN guides for Windows.

2010-01-11

Added a link back to index at top of each guide.
Removed SoftDVDMax from ZGI MPEG2 info due to problems some people had with it. DVDExpress is now the only recommendation for MPEG2 in ZGI.
Clarified info regarding DVD/MPEG2 video playback to the Zork Grand Inquisitor guide for Windows.
Added a link to @zorkgame as another way to play Zork in your browser.
Added links to Mac-on-Linux and Mac-on-Mac for playing the Mac versions of Zork Grand Inquisitor and Zork Nemesis.
Added a table for playing graphical Zork games on mobile operating systems. This currently includes a guide for playing Return to Zork through ScummVM on Android and helpful links for iPhone OS and Windows Mobile.
Cleaned up the changelog.

2009-12-19

Fixed some bugs in the Zork Nemesis Windows guide.
I'm now hosting full versions of the .zix files you need for Zork Nemesis and Zork Grand Inquisitor guides for Windows.
Added section to Zork Grand Inquisitor guide for Windows to help if you can't run the installer.
Minor formatting adjustments in the Zork Grand Inquisitor guide for Windows.
Added more ways to play Zork online in your browser.

2009-12-15

Added ScummVM guide for Return to Zork (on all operating systems).
Added information about CD Audio and the v1.2 patch to all Return to Zork guides.
Added more info on Windows Vista and Windows 7 to the Zork Grand Inquisitor and Zork Nemesis guides for Windows.
Added info regarding DVD/MPEG2 video playback to the Zork Grand Inquisitor guide for Windows.
Added more info to the table above about playing on Macs.
Added rows to the table for the Macintosh version of Zork Nemesis and Zork Grand Inquisitor, and the DOS version of Zork Nemesis.
Added links to play Zork text adventures in your web browser or on Chrome OS.
General reformatting and cleanup.
Added donation buttons. Please donate to help keep these guides online!

2009-04-17

Added link to Filfre.
Clarified RTZ with ScummVM note.
Fixed patch link and typos in manual install section for Zork Nemesis guide.

2009-01-23

Separated interactive fiction games and graphical games into two different sections because the many options for interactive fiction games wouldn't fit in the table cleanly.
Completely reworked interactive fiction information. I now provide just links to the many solutions because of their simplicity, often only involving "install program, run program, load game, play" for instructions.
Moved the guides closer to the top of the page.
Added "Other Notes Regarding Graphical Zork Games" section to detail other options and considerations for playing the graphical games that don't quite fit in with the purpose of the table.
Added "Quick Navigation" links to the top of the page that point to graphical games and interactive fiction games info sections.
Cleaned up website code so that it validates as XHTML 1.0 Strict to improve compatibility across browsers.

2009-01-16

Windows guides have been combined into a "Windows XP/Vista" label, because they should support Vista, based on user feedback.
Added reference to the Zork Grand Inquisitor patch for the CD version of the game in the ZGI Windows guide.
More troubleshooting tips have been added to the "Other Information" section at the bottom of the Zork Nemesis and Zork Grand Inquisitor guides for Windows.
Added links to information on where to begin to look for help for configurations without a guide.
Some parts of all guides have been adjusted or clarified.
News section added.

2008-07-01

Initial publishing of the website. Includes Windows XP guides for Zork Grand Inquisitor & Zork Nemesis, and Windows/Linux DOSBox guides for Return to Zork.