The Arcade · 1991 shareware
ZZT 1991
Towns of colored blocks and a built-in editor — make the next board yourself.
- World editor
- Towns of ZZT
- Boards and keys
- Walk the grid
The best shareware was a toy you could open.
In this game
A 30-day pass to The Arcade — a cabinet of playable titles. You buy access to the collection, not the games themselves.
About this cabinet In the cabinet
Tim Sweeney released ZZT in 1991 under Potomac Computer Systems — the company that became Epic. You are a white smiley on a navy tile. Town of ZZT is the shareware world; the registered set added Caves, Dungeons, and City. Gems are health and money. Colored keys open same-colored doors. Torches light dark boards. Ammo lets you shoot.
The real product is the editor and ZZT-OOP, the tiny language behind every talking statue and ruffian. A generation learned to build games by opening the toy. From the title you can play or edit. Worlds you make stay in this browser unless you export them yourself.
How to play
| Arrows or keypad | Walk. |
|---|---|
| Shift + arrow | Shoot in that direction (needs ammo). |
| T | Light a torch on a dark board. |
| S | Save. |
| P | Pause. |
| Q | Quit to the title. |
| Title screen | Play a world or open the editor and make the next board. |