To never play this game even though it's legally available free and works on virtually any computer should be a crime.
Zork is played by typing what you want to do into a text prompt like so:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/meanquestion/grue.gif
I love Zork. I love Zork because the descriptions of the environment provided can do a better job of making you feel like you are there than a lot of modern games can with graphics. I love it because of its geeky, self-aware, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.
I love it because the interface is extremely simple and the puzzles are complex. Since it's a text-based game, it has a very open nature; the list of possible actions a player can attempt are much higher in this game than in any modern game. Because of this solving puzzles can be more difficult, but it also makes it more rewarding.
It's worth mentioning that Zork has no sound or graphics, but that really isn't a bad thing. For example, the system requirements aren't a big concern--as long as you have a computer with more than 150 K of hard drive space free, and the processing power of a 386 you can handle it. Grey text on a light screen is great from an ergonomic standpoint too. And when you think about it, who really needs graphics anyway? It is more like a novel you can interact with than a game.
Zork is now free, since activision, who ended up buying infocom, decided to make it so (it is not legally ambiguous abandonware). You can download it here. ( http://www.infocom-if.org/games/zork1/zork1.html )
Even though it was released in the 1980s, Zork is fun by any standards. This game is amusing, fairly lengthy, and free--it's an incredible value. To never play this game even though it's legally available free and works on virtually any computer should be a crime.