View source for 50 Years of Text Games

[[50 Years of Text Games]] is a collection of essays by [[Aaron A. Reed]], originally published for free on Substack approximately once a week throughout 2021, and subsequently revised, expanded, and collected into a Kickstarter-funded physical book and ebook, published in 2023.

== Content ==
=== Main series and book ===
The main series of fifty articles was the core of the book ''50 Years of Text Games: From Oregon Trail to AI Dungeon'':
* Kickstarter editions:
** Hardcover {{ISBN|979-8-9859661-3-8}}
** Paperback {{ISBN|979-8-9859661-4-5}}
* Print-on-demand editions (via Ingram/Lightning Source):
** Hardcover {{ISBN|9798985966107}}
** Softcover {{ISBN|9798985966114}}
* E-book {{ISBN|979-8-9859661-2-1}}

Featured works:
* [{{if50online|1971-the-oregon-trail}} 1971]: The Oregon Trail
* [{{if50online|1972-rocket}} 1972]: ROCKET
* [{{if50online|1973-hunt-the-wumpus}} 1973]: Hunt the Wumpus
* [{{if50online|1974-super-star-trek}} 1974]: Super Star Trek
* [{{if50online|1975-dnd}} 1975]: dnd
* [{{if50online|1976-adventure}} 1976]: [[Adventure]]
* [{{if50online|1977-zork}} 1977]: [[Zork (game)|Zork]]
* [{{if50online|1978-pirate-adventure}} 1978]: [[Pirate Adventure]]
* [{{if50online|1979-the-cave-of-time}} 1979]: The Cave of Time ([[CYOA series|Choose Your Own Adventure]] #1)
* [{{if50online|1980-mud}} 1980]: MUD
* [{{if50online|1981-his-majestys-ship-impetuous}} 1981]: [[His Majesty's Ship “Impetuous”]]
* [{{if50online|1982-the-hobbit}} 1982]: [[The Hobbit]]
* [{{if50online|1983-suspended}} 1983]: [[Suspended]]
* [{{if50online|1984-the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy}} 1984]: [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]
* [{{if50online|1985-a-mind-forever-voyaging}} 1985]: [[A Mind Forever Voyaging]] ([https://aaronareed.net/ks/if50/AMindForeverVoyaging-Sample.pdf sample book chapter])
* [{{if50online|1986-uncle-roger}} 1986]: [[Uncle Roger]]
* [{{if50online|1987-plundered-hearts}} 1987]: [[Plundered Hearts]]
* [{{if50online|1988-prestavba}} 1988]: [[P.R.E.S.T.A.V.B.A.]]
* [{{if50online|1989-monster-island}} 1989]: Monster Island
* [{{if50online|1990-lambdamoo}} 1990]: LambdaMOO
* [{{if50online|1991-trade-wars-2002}} 1991]: Trade Wars 2002 ([https://if50.textories.com/files/50YearsOfTextGames-TradeWars.pdf sample book chapter])
* [{{if50online|1992-silverwolf}} 1992]: [[Silverwolf (by St. Bride's School)|Silverwolf]]
* [{{if50online|1993-curses}} 1993]: [[Curses]]
* [{{if50online|1994-the-playground}} 1994]: [[The Playground]]
* [{{if50online|1995-patchwork-girl}} 1995]: [[Patchwork Girl]]
* [{{if50online|1996-so-far}} 1996]: [[So Far]]
* [{{if50online|1997-achaea}} 1997]: Achaea
* [{{if50online|1998-photopia}} 1998]: [[Photopia]]
* [{{if50online|1999-king-of-dragon-pass}} 1999]: [[King of Dragon Pass]]
* [{{if50online|2000-galatea}} 2000]: [[Galatea]]
* [{{if50online|2001-the-beast}} 2001]: The Beast
* [{{if50online|2002-screen}} 2002]: Screen
* [{{if50online|2003-kingdom-of-loathing}} 2003]: The Kingdom of Loathing
* [{{if50online|2004-the-fire-tower}} 2004]: [[The Fire Tower]]
* [{{if50online|2005-shades-of-doom}} 2005]: Shades of Doom
* [{{if50online|2006-dwarf-fortress}} 2006]: Dwarf Fortress
* [{{if50online|2007-lieux-communs-el-museo}} 2007]: [[Lieux Communs]] and [[El Museo de las Consciencias]]
* [{{if50online|2008-violet}} 2008]: [[Violet]]
* [{{if50online|2009-fallen-london}} 2009]: [[Fallen London]]
* [{{if50online|2010-digital-a-love-story}} 2010]: [[Digital: A Love Story]]
* [{{if50online|2011-nested}} 2011]: [[Nested]]
* [{{if50online|2012-howling-dogs}} 2012]: [[howling dogs]]
* [{{if50online|2013-a-family-supper}} 2013]: [[Versu]]: [[A Family Supper]]
* [{{if50online|2014-80-days}} 2014]: [[80 Days]]
* [{{if50online|2015-lifeline}} 2015]: [[Lifeline]]
* [{{if50online|2016-the-freshman}} 2016]: [[The Freshman]]
* [{{if50online|2017-universal-paperclips}} 2017]: Universal Paperclips
* [{{if50online|2018-weyrwood}} 2018]: [[Weyrwood]]
* [{{if50online|2019-ai-dungeon}} 2019]: [[AI Dungeon]]
* [{{if50online|2020-scents-and-semiosis}} 2020]: [[Scents & Semiosis]]

Material from the following online posts is also included in the book's introduction (some of which can be read in [https://if50.textories.com/files/50YearsOfTextGames-Sample.pdf this sample]):
* [{{if50online|christopher-strachey-and-the-dawn}} Christopher Strachey and the Dawn of Interactive Text]
* [{{if50online|hutspiel-and-dr-dorothy-k-clark}} HUTSPIEL and Dr. Dorothy Clark]
* [{{if50online|business-wargames}} Business Wargames: Early Complex Text Games]

=== Further Explorations ===
''Further Explorations: A Companion to 50 Years of Text Games'' is a supplement of bonus material, originally exclusively for backers, and later revised and expanded and [https://if50.substack.com/p/further-explorations made generally available] in April 2024.
* First edition (March 2023; for Kickstarter backers; 9 chapters, 57 pages):
** Softcover {{ISBN|979-8-9859661-5-2}}
* Second edition (March 2024; 12 chapters, 85 pages):
** Paperback {{ISBN|979-8-9859661-7-6}}
* Ebook {{ISBN|979-8-9859661-6-9}}

As well as general chapters on [[wordplay]] ([{{if50online|genre-explorations-wordplay}} online]), one-room games, visual novels, and hacking sims, and a timeline of text game history, both editions cover these works:
* [[The Gostak]] ([{{if50online|the-gostak}} online])
* [[A Dark Room]]
* [[Planetfall]]
* [[Anchorhead]]
The second edition additionally covers:
* [[Amnesia (by Disch)|Amnesia]] ([{{if50online|amnesia}} online])
* [[The Antagonists]], and type-in games ([{{if50online|the-antagonists}} online]; commissioned by [[Chris Charla]])
* The Mist, and [[adaptation]]s ([{{if50online|stephen-kings-the-mist}} online]; commissioned by David M. Rheingold)

=== Ultimate Collector's Edition feelies ===
Kickstarter backers at the [https://if50.textories.com/portal/50years-uce.html Ultimate Collector's Edition] level received a box of [[feelies]] including paper tape, a replica [[Adventureland]] cassette, a 3.5" floppy disc, and a custom-produced hint book.
* As well as most of the book's text, the floppy disc contains a short Z-code work: {{ifdb game|You Are Standing|8krn2lj9iob8cz36}}.

== Reviews ==
* [https://bluerenga.blog/2023/05/30/review-50-years-of-text-games/ Jason Dyer]

== Links ==
* [https://if50.textories.com/ Project website], including how to buy, errata, and current info on playing the featured works
* Print-on-demand sales: [https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/447553/50-Years-of-Text-Games main book], [https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/468664/Further-Explorations-50-Years-of-Text-Games Further Explorations]
* Ebook sales of the [https://aareed.itch.io/50-years-of-text-games main book] and [https://aareed.itch.io/further-explorations Further Explorations] on itch.io, including sample chapters
* [https://www.redbubble.com/people/aaronareed/explore?asc=u&page=1&sortOrder=recent Merch store] (posters, T-shirts, etc]
* [https://if50.substack.com/ Original Substack blog/newsletter], with free access to the 2021 versions of the essays (and some bonus ones)
** [https://intfiction.org/t/50-years-of-text-games-blog-series/48882 Discussion of articles as they were published], on the intfiction forum.
* [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aaronareed/50-years-of-text-games Kickstarter] (2022)

[[Category:Publications]]
[[Category:Crowdfunded projects]]