For the text adventure pfreaks—that's a term of endearment; I cut my teeth on text adventures in my younger days—this next game is a re-creation of one of the very first computer games: Hunt the Wumpus, by Gregory Yob.
For anyone unfamiliar with the game, there isn't really much to the gameplay so don't expect an enthralling interactive narrative experience the likes that might come from Andrew Plotkin, even though Zarf, himself, was inspired by this early game of yore.
The text-based adventure game is played within a series of 20 rooms connected by tunnels. Each room has tunnels leading to three (3) other rooms thus forming a dodecahedron. There is a Wumpus in one of the rooms, and it will eat you if you enter the room it is in. There are bats in two (2) of the rooms that will pick you up and fly you to a random room if you enter the room they are in. And there is a bottomless pit in two (2) of the rooms that, well, I don't need to explain what happens there, do I?
You have as your arsenal five (5) crooked arrows that you may fire into any tunnel. Save them for when you get close to the Wumpus. Should you miss, the Wumpus gets startled and moves to one adjacent room. If it moves into the room you're in, you will be eaten.
This version of Hunt the Wumpus was created by Brian Newtz using an interactive fiction engine he built in PHP, called pFiction, which he hopes to release as open source someday. In the meantime, and to get your pfix of classic computer gaming, you, too, can Hunt the Wumpus. Click.
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Comments (may contain spoilers)
Other game picks for retro text-lovers:
Homestar Runner's "Dungeonman"
[adult swim] Harvey Birdman's "Habeas Dorkus"
Posted by: andy makely | August 1, 2006 2:23 PM
It doesn't always give a warning. Also, do the bats move?
Posted by: Crab | August 1, 2006 2:50 PM
I am having a bit of trouble with this game; how do I examine a room? I have tried typing in "examine" and "examine #" where # = an adjacent room, but I can't seem to ever examine it. Help appreciated!
Posted by: Imok20
|
August 1, 2006 3:19 PM
there is nothing to examine, Imok20. If anything is in an adjacent room, it will tell you without you having to examine.
I feel a draft = pit is nearby
Bats Nearby = self explanatory
I smell a Wumpus = Wumpus nearby.
It will never tell you the exact room these things are in, but that's half the fun.
Posted by: Tjay | August 1, 2006 3:23 PM
I just beat the game in three commands :P
Posted by: Popsman
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August 1, 2006 3:24 PM
Oh
My
Lord.
Its been 10 years at least since i've seen this game.
Thanks jay.
Posted by: ashiel | August 1, 2006 3:25 PM
Got 'em in two! :D
Posted by: Popcorn Boy | August 1, 2006 3:41 PM
Thanks Tjay, what was confusing me was that when I typed in "commands" it gave "examine" as a command. :(
Posted by: Imok20
|
August 1, 2006 3:45 PM
Aha! You got the Wumpus!
THE WUMPUS IS MINE. Pretty fun game, worth replaying, which is suprising considering how simple it appears. But there is some strategy involved and quite a bit of luck!
Posted by: Imok20
|
August 1, 2006 3:48 PM
10 years? Try almost 25 years! I remember playing this game on my TI99/4a computer. Along with Munch Man and Parsec, this game was a must have!
Posted by: Monkeybelly | August 1, 2006 3:52 PM
hunt the wumpus =
flip a coin,
heads you lose,
tails i win,
0_o
Posted by: tp | August 1, 2006 4:17 PM
Back in the day, we played this on IBM Selectric typewriters.
Posted by: Maduin | August 1, 2006 6:20 PM
As did I. One that was attached to an IBM 1130, in fact. =)
Posted by: jay
|
August 1, 2006 6:23 PM
Lol I fell into a pit, and then the wumpus got me. LOL!
Posted by: Dustfinger | August 1, 2006 9:20 PM
Wah! I started in a room with a pit, thats not very fair.
Posted by: Teonis
|
August 1, 2006 10:48 PM
Finnally smote the thing. One move, one shot, after starting a new game. I have a hard time with the bats; 3 out of 4 times, they put me in the same room as the Wumpus. They are very mean bats; I'm waiting for one to drop me down a pit. Oh, and it does seem they move. I stood still and shot an arrow one turn, then the bats carried me off the next turn without moving myself.
Posted by: Teonis
|
August 1, 2006 10:56 PM
Christ, the oldest game I can remember had GRAPHICS. Number Munchers on an Apple IIe.
Even then we had Macs on the other side of the classroom with actual GUIs, so apparently I'm a young un'.
Posted by: lavkian | August 2, 2006 3:36 AM
Oh, and this just hit me after winning the game 3 times in a row;
That's where the Nethack Wumpus came from.
Posted by: lavkian | August 2, 2006 3:46 AM
Hi everyone, I'm the creator of this version of the game. I just wanted to clarify for everyone:
Yes the bats move - every turn. The Wumpus moves about 25% of the time, and always moves if you fire an arrow.
Also note that the Wumpus or a bat can get you even if you don't smell/hear them. That's because you may be two rooms away, but if you move to the same room they move to, they'll get ya!
Posted by: Brian Newtz | August 2, 2006 7:27 AM
I dont understand how to shoot those darn arrows...excuse my language
Posted by: EvilJoker77 | August 2, 2006 6:45 PM
You sound frustrated, EvilJoker. All you do is type...
fire room#
Substitute "room#" with the room number you wish to fire towards.
Posted by: jay
|
August 2, 2006 7:14 PM
O.K. Heres what happened on my first go...
Enter a command: move 17
Zap -- Super bat snatch! Elsewhereville for you!
Y Y Y Y I I I I E E E E . . . Fell in pit
Game Over. Do you want to play again (y/n)?
That was rather harsh first go :S
Good game in general.
Posted by: Khrisper | August 3, 2006 11:51 AM
Haha... I love the simplicity. Yiiieeee! You fell in the pit. It almost makes it worth losing. I love these games.
Posted by: sweetie | August 3, 2006 5:56 PM
Woo! Killed the Wumpus in one move! :-p
*daces like an idiot, then realizes everyone is staring, stops dancing, and walks away quickly*
Posted by: Tjay | August 4, 2006 3:36 PM
Aha! You got the Wumpus! *smiles delightedly
Posted by: sweetie | August 4, 2006 7:00 PM
I remember playing this and Hamurabi and some others on a university mainframe at computer camp. There were no monitors, all output was printed on the old green and white paper. Anybody else remember any of the really old games? I can only think of these, but I'm sure there were more.
Posted by: FactWino | August 4, 2006 10:48 PM
OH YEAH! I KILLED THAT WUMPUS TO DEATH!
Posted by: MANAX | August 15, 2006 4:10 AM
die wompus die your so ugly i hate you stupid wompus
Posted by: ronnie | August 27, 2006 8:03 PM
"move 17"
"YIEEEEEEE You fell in a pit and died."
Juuuuust great.
Posted by: Janelle | September 9, 2006 6:51 PM
hay isnt a wumpu one of those aple things in cash bandicoot ?????? lol :S
Posted by: motzo | September 12, 2006 7:30 AM
Just the word 'wumpus' makes me love this game to death.
Posted by: jessie | October 27, 2006 10:44 PM
Does anyone know the game the classroom? where you're supposed to cheat off classmates (everyone is a little circle) well, i can't get passed day 4. help me please!!
Posted by: Amanda | December 3, 2006 10:26 AM
Hey Amanda, does this look like The Classroom?
Posted by: stuntman021 | August 6, 2007 9:19 PM
Posted by: Severe Flame | August 25, 2007 6:22 PM
Posted by: Mettan | September 19, 2007 7:23 PM
In the old "Hunt the Wumpus" I used to play in college, the wumpus didn't move unless you fired and missed. That meant the game was marginally less random, and therefore slightly better/more enjoyable.
Nevertheless, this brought back memories of scribbling maps of interconnected caves instead of doing homework...
Posted by: Reka | November 25, 2007 8:25 PM
I like this one:
http://www.dreamcodex.com/playwumpus.php
Posted by: wouter | November 28, 2007 2:41 PM
heh, I found myself being chased by bats: move 18. Bats nearby. Move 16. Bats nearby. Move 6. Bats nearby. Move 3. YIPPIE you fell into a pit :P
Posted by: InsertNameHere
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April 9, 2008 5:23 PM