Zork Zero - The Revenge of Megaboz

Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz is a prequel to the Zork trilogy, the fifth in the line of Zork computer games from Infocom. Like its predecessors, it takes players to the kingdom of Quendor, where they explore a text-based world and solve puzzles by typing commands. However, unlike its predecessors, Zork Zero features a full graphical interface, with scene-based colours and borders, an interactive map, menus, an interactive encyclopedia, and playable mini-games, including Peggleboz and Double Fannuci.

The game comes with a printed calendar and biographies of the twelve Flathead kings. More than mere packaging, these items are required for gameplay, as part of anti-piracy measures inserted into the game. (The game sometimes requires the player to look up facts from these materials).

Zork Zero is set before the original Zork trilogy (hence the name), and begins on the ill-fated 14 Mumberbur, 789 GUE, or Curse Day — the day Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive was assassinated by the wizard Megaboz the Magnificent for erecting an excessively huge statue of himself in Fublio valley. At the same time, Megaboz cursed the empire, such that 94 years hence, all of the Eastlands would be destroyed.

The game begins with a short scene in which the player witnesses the dramatic encounter, and then skips forward 94 years to the promised time of the curse. It is in this time that the game takes place, and the player's task is to stop the curse.