Interactive Fiction Database

The Interactive Fiction Database (IFDB) is a database of metadata and reviews of interactive fiction.

In November 2023, the database contained 12,969 game listings, 12,784 member reviews, 51,762 member ratings, and 17,040 registered members.[1] Some games can be played in the web browser using links on the IFDB web site.[1]

History

The database was founded by Michael J. Roberts in 2007.[2]

The IFDB is currently (2023) maintained by the IFDB committee of the Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation (IFTF).[3]

Top games

In 2023, Emily Short's 2012 game Counterfeit Monkey was listed as the #1 game on the IFDB Top 100 list.[4] An additional five of Short's games were in the top 100.[4] The game was also voted #1 Interactive Fiction of All Time in a September 2023 vote.[5]

The top 10 games on the IFDB Top 100 list, using an IMDb style Bayes estimator to calculate weighted ratings based on all IFDB ratings, are (2023):[4]

  1. Counterfeit Monkey, by Emily Short
  2. Anchorhead, by Michael Gentry
  3. Hadean Lands, by Andrew Plotkin
  4. Superluminal Vagrant Twin, by C.E.J. Pacian
  5. 80 Days, by inkle and Meg Jayanth
  6. Open Sorcery, by Abigail Corfman
  7. Worldsmith by Ade McT
  8. The Wizard Sniffer, by Buster Hudson
  9. Will Not Let Me Go, by Stephen Granade
  10. Eat Me, by Chandler Groover

Emily Short has six entries among the top 100. Andrew Plotkin, Buster Hudson, Chandler Groover, Steve Meretzky, inkle, Brendan Patrick Hennessy, mathbrush, Steph Cherrywell, Jon Ingold has 3 entries each.[4]

William Crowther released Colossal Cave Adventure in 1976. In 2023, 47 years later, the game was voted #10 (tie) of best interactive fiction games.
Don Woods expanded Colossal Cave Adventure in 1977.

In a September 2023 vote among members, the following were voted the best games:[5]

  1. Counterfeit Monkey, by Emily Short
  2. Anchorhead, by Michael Gentry
  3. Spider and Web, by Andrew Plotkin
  4. Hadean Lands, by Andrew Plotkin
  5. The Impossible Bottle, by Linus Åkesson
  6. The Gostak, by Carl Muckenhoupt
  7. Photopia, by Adam Cadre
  8. Eat Me, by Chandler Groover
  9. Lost Pig, by Admiral Jota
  10. 80 Days, by inkle, Meg Jayanth
  11. Adventure, by William Crowther and Don Woods
  12. Blue Lacuna, by Aaron A. Reed
  13. Curses, by Graham Nelson
  14. The Wizard Sniffer, by Buster Hudson

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "IFDB the Interactive Fiction Database" (archived 23 November 2023), ifdb.org.
  2. ^ "Programs", iftechfoundation.org. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Contacting Us", ifdb.org. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d "IFDB Top 100" (archived), ifdb.org, 13 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Interactive Fiction Top 50 of All Time (2023 edition)", ifdb.org, 15 September 2023.