OPEN MAILBOX August 2026

No rest for retro adventuring news this summer as Tim and Jason bring you lots of news: contest developments (don't delay, some deadlines are very very very soon!), Visible Zorker updates which aren't as stark as they seem, lost games and a lost development environment unearthed, and really quite a bit more.

Special thanks to Andrew Johnson for permission to use ZorkPBX demo audio.

ParserComp 2026 voting closes soon

https://itch.io/jam/parsercomp-2026

IFComp entries accepted (closing very soon!)

https://blog.ifcomp.org/post/821438949798084608/ifcomp-2026-now-accepting-intents-entries

Visible Starcross

https://blog.zarfhome.com/2026/07/visible-starcross

Arcturus Z-Machine compiler

https://github.com/ByteProject/Arcturus/tree/main

https://intfiction.org/t/arcturus-a-new-programming-language-compiler-for-the-z-machine/81091

pdp10 issues in Z1/Z2 Zork

https://intfiction.org/t/frotz-and-bocfel-cant-parse-pdp10-in-v1-v2-zork-a-shift-lock-z-machine-spec-3-7-1-easter-egg/81002

Game console Linux ports

https://github.com/LinuxMD/linuxmd

https://cakehonolulu.github.io/linux-for-jaguar/

Zork-PET / BitShifter interpreter work resumes

https://codeberg.org/root42/zork-pet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wznA6SHQnMQ

https://youtube.com/live/IvGJ7XQSHcc?feature=share https://youtube.com/live/Ywp51hY5GDo?feature=share

https://github.com/Edilbert/BSA

R.A.I.L. language unearthed

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2026/07/r-a-i-l/

Iron ChIF Adventuron

https://intfiction.org/t/iron-chif-season-one-episode-3-flacrabbit-vs-dee-cooke-using-adventuron/81129

https://intfiction.org/t/volunteer-to-beta-test-flacrabbits-game-in-iron-chif-s1e3-aug-23-27/81255

Catacombs and Goblin Towers for Commodore PET recovered

https://www.commodoregames.net/catacombs.asp 

ZorkPBX

https://github.com/aejx00/zorkpbx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvIENNmuUlY

Babelmap interpreter

https://intfiction.org/t/babelmap-rust-z-machine-glulx-scott-tui-w-graphics-and-sound-linux-macos-windows/81213

https://github.com/sharkusk/babelmap

Review-a-Thon

https://intfiction.org/t/review-a-thon-2026/80860

Never Gives Up Her Dead on Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4815350/Never_Gives_Up_Her_Dead/

Mega Adventure Creator

https://theoasisbbs.com/mega-adventure-creator-adds-new-menu-system-and-status-bar/ 

https://github.com/lipi650/MAC

Multiple Choice Adventure Engine

https://solhsa.com/mucho/mucho.html 

https://github.com/jarikomppa/speccy/tree/master/mucho 

Adventure Coder Magazine

https://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherhester/albums/page2

https://archive.org/search?query=creator%3A%22Chris+Hester%22

The Fool and His Money recovered

https://blog.zarfhome.com/2026/07/the-fool-and-his-money-returns

David Youd Enhances Secrets of the Pyramid of Light

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiUZ7qtRHB4

Atari games optioned by major film studio -- what about Infocom?

https://bsky.app/profile/neilpolowin.bsky.social/post/3mre5rfptgk2x

Interactive Fiction Discord Server (visit #retro-adventurers-podcast !)

https://discord.com/invite/8jrbVptACc

TREK37 on IFDB

https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=a026gnl4v2aclec2

Skull Island on IFDB

https://ifdb.org/viewgame?id=jrvu7excy55dtjuu