Zork III
The Dungeon Master
| Implementers |
Bruce Daniels Dave Lebling Marc Blank Tim Anderson |
| Release Year | 1982 |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
An old, oddly youthful man turns toward you slowly. His long, silver hair dances about him as a fresh breeze blows. "You have reached the final test, my friend! You are proved clever and powerful, but this is not yet enough! Seek me when you feel yourself worthy!"
ZORK III: THE DUNGEON MASTER draws you into the deepest and most mysterious reaches of the Great Underground Empire. Nothing is as it seems. And the one responsible for the shadow and darkness -- the Dungeon Master -- embodies the greatest mystery of all.
In this test of wisdom and courage, you will face countless dangers. But what awaits you at the culmination of your odyssey is well worth risking all.
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From the Library (15 articles)
Zork: A Computerized Fantasy Simulation Game Tech
Is magic real? Do swords glow if the enemy is nearby? In the demonic world of Zork, a simulated universe entices the player into a new form of problem solving. . . .
~25 minute read
Zork and the Future of Computerized Fantasy Simulations Tech
CFS (computerized fantasy simulation) games are a new art form: the computerized storybook. Instead of reading the story, you play it. The author presents the story, but only as you squeeze it out of him by wit and brute force. It's lip to you to figure out what's going on, and the satisfaction of doing so depends on how well thought out the story is. To be fun to play, the story must be more or less consistent and complete. To a large extent, this means that the program that embodies the story must simulate the universe well. . . .
~17 minute read
Zork III Review
A Softalk reviewer recently reported the ringing of the death knell for the text adventure. This review is out to prove that he was hearing things, and Zork III is the ideal example for making the point. Zork III, along with its Zorkian predecessors and the recent mystery hit Deadline, is very much alive and totally text. . . .
~3 minute read
Infocom announces two new games: Starcross and long-awaited Zork III News
A year in the making, Zork III: The Dungeon Master is the climax of the first Zork trilogy. If you enjoyed Zork I and Zork II, you'll love Zork III â it's the most mindboggling of them all. . . .
~1 minute read
Zork! An Overview Feature
The Zork trilogy is a series of three enjoyable, exciting-to-experience, text-oriented adventures. Unfortunately, describing an adventure, without revealing clues, is like trying to describe a treasure chest without saying exactly what's in it. You'll just have to believe me, Zork is filled with many valuable jewels, and forgive me if I inadvertently slip you a clue to solving one of its many, many mysteries. . . .
~8 minute read
Zork III: As told by Scorpia Walkthrough Spoilers
Welcome back! A chair is waiting for you by the fire, and Fred is pouring out a tall one (Spelunker Beer; only the best for my customers!) Now, settle in, and I'll tell you a little about ZORK III. . . .
~7 minute read
Zork III Review
Zork III, the sequel to Zork I and Zork II, starts at the bottom of an endless staircase: "As in a dream, you see yourself tumbling down a great, dark stairway. All about you are shadowy images of struggles against fierce opponents and diabolical traps. These give way to another round of images -- imposing stone figures, a cool, clear lake, and an old, but oddly youthful man." . . .
~4 minute read
Zork I, II, and III Review
The Zork trilogy, which chronicles happenings in a vast realm known as the Underground Empire, is the most famous of the all-text adventure games. Fantastic creatures, magic spells, and diabolical traps abound at every turn, and each room or area is described in long paragraphs of rich detail, helping the player visualize the setting. . . .
~1 minute read
Zork III Review
Ever hear of Zork? It's this old game about exploring The Great Underground Empire. Bored with Zork? Is Zork II's disk fried? Well, then try Zork III. Because if you liked Zork, you'll love Zork III. . . .
~2 minute read
The Challenge of Zork Feature
Time is rarely kind to computer games. Advances in hardware, software and programming science come so quickly that older games often pale in comparison with titles boasting the latest in graphics and sound. The current hit titles have a way of pushing last year's favorites into the background. . . .
~7 minute read
Subterranean Adventures in Zork Review
INFOCOM ADVENTURES are a special breed, and have become a real cult in the United States. Three of Infocom's games, Zork I, Zork II and Zork III have generated so much interest that they have been published as game books. . . .
~4 minute read
The History of Zork -- First in a Series Feature
In the beginning, back in the 1960's, DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) created the PDP-10, a medium-sized computer. The "10", as it was called, became popular at many research installations, and a great deal of software was written for it, some of which is still far in advance of systems on more modern machines. At MIT's Artificial Intelligence Lab, an operating system called ITS (Incompatible Timesharing System) was written for the 10. ITS was designed to make software development easy. The designers of the system assumed that it would have a small, knowledgeable, friendly group of users, so they did not include any security features. . . .
~8 minute read
Zork I, II and III Review
For this month's look at the disk based adventures the White Wizard has turned his wand to Infocom's excellent Zork series as marketed by Commodore in the UK. Be prepared for more Infocom information next month, but for now ... . . .
~5 minute read
Genuine Zorkmid coin minted for the Zork Trilogy News
In the beginning, three little Zorks lived happily together in one big mainframe computer. They flourished under the loving care of Marc Blank, Dave Lebling, and a lot of other nurturing computer types, and grew up to be humorous, challenging, and full of riveting puzzles. . . .
~2 minute read
In the Box (11 images)
(Click a thumbnail to expand)
Historical Sales Data
Weekly Sales Ranking
Top weekly ranking: #9
Weeks in top 20: 3
Source: Billboard's "Top Computer Software" charts, ostensibly prepared from retailer-provided sales data. Billboard began publishing software charts on 8 October 1983 and published the charts weekly until 31 August 1985, then biweekly or monthly beginning 14 September 1985. Billboards editors considered computer games a vulgar art and never took them seriously, making many typographical and factual errors in the retail charts, eventually discontinuing them on 27 September 1986.
Units Shipped By Year
| 1982 | |
| 19831 | |
| 19841 | |
| 1985 | |
| 19862 | |
| 87-893 | |
| 90-915 |
Total units shipped: 133,005
Overall ranking: 6 of 33
Accounts for 5% of units sold
1 Includes units manufactured and sold by Commodore
2 Data for 1986 includes units shipped through June 1986 only
3 Data for April 1987 - March 1989
5 Mastertronic UK sales
Source: (1981-1989) Internal Infocom documents, archived by Steve Meretezky, (1990-1991) Mastertronic Collectors Archive
Editions (8 formats)
Folio, narrow (1982-1984)
Game blister pack (clear plastic front with cardstock backing)
Game disk in grey or white Infocom sleeve
Game manual
System-specific reference card
Warranty registration card and return envelope
Product catalog
The Folio edition of Zork III was manufactured in two size formats.
Folio, wide (1982-1984)
Game blister pack (clear plastic front with cardstock backing)
Game disk in grey or white Infocom sleeve (no sleeve with 3-1/2" disk)
Game manual
System-specific reference card
Warranty registration card and return envelope
Product catalog
The Folio edition of Zork III was manufactured in two size formats.
The plastic cover on many copies sold on the secondary market has yellowed with age.
Commodore Folder, large (1983-1984)
Game folder (Generic Commodore software folder with an insert showing the "Zork II" logo)
Game disk (Commodore-branded) in Commodore or plain white sleeve
Game manual (black & white)
Two variants of the Commodore-branded edition were produced, one in a large generic "Commodore 64 Software" folder and one in a smaller illustrated game folder.
Commodore Folder, small (1983-1984)
Game folder (Illustrated)
Game disk (Commodore-branded) in Commodore or plain white sleeve
Game manual (black & white)
Two variants of the Commodore-branded edition were produced, one in a large generic "Commodore 64 Software" folder and one in a smaller illustrated game folder.
The small Commodore Folder edition was produced in a cardboard English-only folder for the US market and in a vinyl English/French folder for the Canadian market.
Grey Box (1984-1987)
Game box, plastic cover over contents
Game manual and "FrobozzCo International Annual Report" (bound into box)
Game disk in grey Infocom sleeve (no sleeve for 3-1/2" disk)
FrobozzCo International shareholder letter
FrobozzCo International stock certificate
System-specific reference card
Warranty registration card
Product catalog
Invisiclues order form
Trilogy (1987-1989)
Game box, plastic cover over contents (all games in a single box)
Game manual and "The Great Underground Empire: A History" (bound into box)
Game disk(s): may include 3-1/2" disk, 5-1/4" disk in grey Infocom sleeve, or both (depending on system), all games on a single disk
Great Underground Empire map
Grayslopes brochure
Bozbarland flyer
FrobozzCo International stock certificate
FrobozzCo International shareholder letter
Zorkmid coin sealed in plastic bag
System-specific reference card
Warranty registration card
Product catalog
Invisiclues order form
Infocomics ad (newsprint, bent as it's too long to fit comfortable in the feelies compartment)
Includes Zork I, II, and III on a single disk and all game contents from the three games in the same box. Copies for some systems included both 5-1/4" and 3-1/2" disks.
NOTE: Copies sold on the secondary market are often missing the Zorkmid coin, which has become quite valuable in its own right. Check box contents carefully.
Mastertronic (1990-1991)
Game box
Game manual
Game disk(s) (PC copies included both 5-1/4" and 3-1/2" disks)
Released in the UK for Amiga, Atari ST and PC. #7 in Mastertronic's Infocom series.
Mastertronic (Trilogy) (1990-1991)
Game box
Three game manuals (one per game)
Game disk (CD-ROM in jewel case with insert)
Black and white Great Underground Empire map
Released in the UK for IBM PC. Included Zork I, II, and III on a single CD-ROM.
