(I was carrying Gabe around the other day and it occurred to me that I was just serving as a bad interface for a text-based adventure. This post will make the most sense to people who played Infocom games back in the 80s.)

Bedroom                                                                              Score: 5                    Moves: 10

You are in a child’s room. The walls are covered with drawings and pictures of castles. A small bed with a princess themed bedspread sits  in one corner. The floor is littered with toys, including a plastic turtle and some building blocks. You see a shelf full of children’s books. A closed closet door is to the west. An open door exits to the southwest.

There is a rolled up pair of socks on the floor.

You are being carried by your father.

>take socks

The socks are on the floor and out of your reach.

Your father looks at you in the mirror on the closet door and makes a face.

>say “take socks”

You make a grunting noise.

Your father points out the variety of books on the bookshelf that you can read.

>point at socks

Your father crouches down, picks up the socks and places them in your hand. They are blue and brown in an argyle pattern, about your size.

Your score has gone up!

Your stomach starts rumbling. It’s probably time to get something to eat.

>ask for milk

You make a noise with lots of “Mmm” sounds in it. Your father smiles and dances you around the room.

>sign milk

You can’t use the SIGN command in this way.

>sign “milk”

You open and close your hand and look at your father expectantly. He looks down at his chest and shrugs.

>leave

I don’t understand the word “leave.”

>point at door

Which door do you mean, the closet door or the room door?

>room door

Your father looks at the open room door and then swings it back and forth while making a “weee” noise.

>point southwest

You stab your finger at the open doorway and your father walks through.

Hallway                                                                              Score: 10                    Moves: 16

You are in a hallway lined with smiling family photos. Doorways lead off to the northeast, southeast, south and west. A closed gate to the north bars your way down a flight of stairs.

Your mother is here.

>sign “milk”

Your father hands you to your mother.

Your score has gone up!