Fred Harris goes behind the scenes at Boston-based software company Infocom. The developer has found great success with its line of text-based adventure games—like Zork, Planetfall, Enchanter, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy—that eschew graphics in favor of simple text displays and arcade-style gameplay in favor of what the company calls "interactive fiction."

Dave Liebling, game designer and founding member of Infocom, is currently putting the finishing touches on a new game called Spellbreaker. He explains the steps involved in creating a good text adventure game.

This clip is from Micro Live, originally aired on November 29, 1985.

You can play the 30th Anniversary Edition of Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1g84m0sXpnNCv84GpN2PLZG/the-game-30th-anniversary-edition

For more retro computer programs (and programs!), visit the rather wonderful archive of the BBC Computer Literacy Project, here: https://clp.bbcrewind.co.uk

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