iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Drew Cook: A Biting Cat

Andrew Plotkin @eblong.com · 03/10/2026

Anatomy of a wild-pointer bug in Infocom's Infidel. Yes, in the released version. I believe this is a brand-new discovery. blog.zarfhome.com/2026/10/infi...

blog.zarfhome.com

Infidel goes wild

Planetfall was yesterday's public release, but of course I've spent the past few weeks concentrating on Infidel. A couple of days I came across the most egregious bug I've yet seen in an Infocom game....

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I'm going to start a new Dark Souls 1 character and stream for, oh, maybe 90 minutes. This is not going to be, er, high level play exactly. www.twitch.tv/thebitingcat

twitch.tv

thebitingcat - Live on Twitch

I am not great at Dark Souls | Streaming dark souls: remastered for 2 viewers.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

saw someone mention Vonnegut's Mother Night on Discord this morning, was reading it by noon

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Reposted by Drew Cook: A Biting Cat

Andrew Plotkin @eblong.com · 01/10/2026

Visible Planetfall is up. eblong.com/infocom/visi... blog.zarfhome.com/2026/10/visi...

eblong.com

The Visible Zorker: Planetfall

A software exhibit that allows you to explore Zork and also Zork's source code at the same time.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I didn’t dislike it, but I think expectations might have muted the experience. I’d like to see it as fresh as I am able. With Bywater recently passed, it seems a good time for reassessment. Some people do seem to have strong feelings about it.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Ok ok yes Lanterns has been brilliant But is the guy who wrote Lost going to wrap this up in one episode #lanterns

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I’m revisiting Infocom’s Bureaucracy for an upcoming essay. I feel I might enjoy it more than I did last time, though I cannot say why. Perhaps this is just a fortunate season of liking. I have laughed a few times already.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I think we are getting close to a second playtest for Inherent Depravity, the RE fangame. There's a big set piece sort of boss fight thing to wrap up, and I need to write some in-world texts. I wonder how people will feel about it? It's going to be Very Drew Cook

Inform IDE compile report: 77395 words, 65 rooms, 248 things

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Continued discussion of the RE fangame in Inform. I'm trying to work my way toward a system of initiative (i.e., deciding who gets to act first), but it's tricky. topexpert.blog/2026/09/28/w...

topexpert.blog

Thoughts on an initiative system for Inform.

Some basic design discussion for RPG mechanics using the Inform programming language.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I've published "complete packages" for all of my Inform games: zip archives including source, image assets, templates, scripts, and extensions. Everything required to compile from scratch. I've also updated the code to improve support for mobile web browsers. ifdb.org/showuser?id=...

ifdb.org

Drew Cook - Member Profile

IFDB is a game catalog and recommendation engine for Interactive Fiction, also known as Text Adventures. IFDB is a collaborative, wiki-style community project. Members can contribute game listings, r...

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Reposted by Drew Cook: A Biting Cat

Sarah W. @silvercypher.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

#ECTOCOMP2026 is coming soon! Starting October 1, submit your creepy, horrifying, or spooky-sweet seasonal interactive fiction. Then we can celebrate all the games on October 31 when the entries are revealed! More info here: itch.io/jam/ectocomp...

itch.io

ECTOCOMP 2026

A game jam from 2026-10-01 to 2026-11-30 hosted by rubereaglenest, Passerine & alyshkalia. "...the witches, who came from the kingdom's most remote corners to gather on certain nights of the year with...

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Reposted by Drew Cook: A Biting Cat

the snepn't @kathrosetail.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

i think the funniest part about all the "native pc port" and "decomp" projects almost always being vibecoded is that when you look at them most of the time theyre literally just recompiled versions of already-existing emulators made just to run that game

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Today, I extend grace to the makers of harmless media that I do not like.

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Reposted by Drew Cook: A Biting Cat

Sarah W. @silvercypher.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Cool news: I cowrote a puzzle hunt inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time! A whole entire puzzle hunt with 100+ puzzles!! It starts on November 6 and it's gonna be really fun! Read more about it here: rcveeder.net/oot/

rcveeder.net

Ocarina of Time Fanfic but with Puzzles

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I am still working on the Inform survival horror game! The map is maybe 2/3 finished

An overhead grid map for an old-fashioned text adventure game

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Reposted by Drew Cook: A Biting Cat

Dave Gilbert @wadjeteyegames.com · 13/09/2026

If anyone has contacts at Valve who can help expedite this, we certainly wouldn't say no to the help. In the meantime, I'll be here swimming in cortisol.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

This is going to be the first time in a minute that I haven't owned a current Nintendo system for a new Fire Emblem release. I'm having some feelings about it as a superfan, but I don't have a good reason to buy a Switch 2 atm. I have dire ergo issues with handhelds so I could only play it docked

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I am currently planning to stream some of porpentine's "Money for Girls" tonight on twitch. I should start around 830 CST. Streams usually go about 90 minutes. Hopefully my voice doesn't give out! www.twitch.tv/thebitingcat

twitch.tv

thebitingcat - Twitch

omg I got a pc — thebitingcat streams live on Twitch! Check out their videos, sign up to chat, and join their community.

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Reposted by Drew Cook: A Biting Cat

Tom @warriorcult.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Perfect couple of posts summarising the Wolverine / AAA space.

User @nisei_yoshimi posted on X:

time was if you wanted a wolverine game you called up acclaim or etc and they gave it to some lads from scunthorpe named like Galactic Visions who would code a 6/10 third person action game for PS2 xbox and gamecube in ten months. and it would cost about £500 and a few curries

Follow up post by @nisei_yoahimi:

developing a 6/10 wolverine game in 2004: uh we thought if we did like tomb raider but a bit of devil may cry combat it'd be well fun innit

developing a 6/10 wolverine game in 2026: the company has my children. I have not left the office in months. Take this note to the authori

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I had a very similar experience! Thanks for reading along.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Introducing Infocom's "Bureaucracy," a game that went through a very rough development. It is seldom discussed today, though it can be quite forward-looking. golmac.org/bureaucracy-...

golmac.org

An introduction to Infocom's "Bureaucracy."

A critical introduction to Infocom's ill-fated "Bureaucracy."

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I’ll stream maybe 90 minutes of Sinking City 2 by Frogwares later this evening. It’s a Lovecraftian thing. Haven’t ever launched it; that’s all I know! I’ll start between 830 and 900 cst tonight www.twitch.tv/thebitingcat

twitch.tv

thebitingcat - Twitch

omg I got a pc — thebitingcat streams live on Twitch! Check out their videos, sign up to chat, and join their community.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I am one of those people who doesn't love the look of the OoT remake, IG. Faces in particular. Oh, well, I don't own a Switch 2 anyway Though I'll get one for Fire Emblem one of these days

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The best song on the Breeders' Title TK is "Forced to Drive," isn't it? youtu.be/3-XsaLH9qsg?...

youtu.be

Forced to Drive

YouTube video by The Breeders - Topic

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

What is the secret of… Inherent Depravity? An Inform thing this Spring

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I wrote some advice for handling line breaks in Inform. Line breaks are kind of a rough ride for a lot of people, including me. topexpert.blog/2026/09/03/w...

topexpert.blog

where will it end? who will draw the line (break)?

Please help, I can’t hold all these line breaks.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

My unsolicited advice is, ironically, solicit advice.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

pov: you want to playtest your game, but you are also about to start ECT for two weeks

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Had to reinstall OS; back on BlueSky after a break! I wrote a short post about stopping the turn clock in Inform games. topexpert.blog/2026/08/14/t...

topexpert.blog

time trap

stopping the clock.

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Reposted by Drew Cook: A Biting Cat

Andrew Plotkin @eblong.com · 01/07/2026

(From last night:) The Visible Zorker project has just posted Starcross! eblong.com/infocom/visi... I am working through every Infocom text game, one per month, and creating an annotated playable version with source code and live tracing of all game activity. See how Infocom did it!

eblong.com

The Visible Zorker: Starcross

A software exhibit that allows you to explore Zork and also Zork's source code at the same time.

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Reposted by Drew Cook: A Biting Cat

The Retro Adventurers @retroadventurers.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Plenty of contest results, a new Inform library (or is it?) and news so late-breaking we have to interrupt our news to bring other news! retroadventurers.podbean.com/e/44/

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

I'm making a survival horror game in Inform 10. It's inspired by the original Resident Evil and cheesy action movies of the period. It's just fun to make! lots of crunchy mechanics. Hoping to test the first third of it soon!

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

This is your last call for the IF Review-a-Thon! If you've written an interactive fiction game with fewer than five online reviews, you can enter it in the *Review-a-Thon!* Details here: intfiction.org/t/if-review-...

intfiction.org

IF Review-a-thon 2026: coming soon!

Now that it’s June, the third annual IF Review-a-thon is just a month away! When July 1, 2026 to August 15, 2026 What The IF Review-a-thon is a chance for authors of minimally-reviewed games to rece...

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

seeing my work discussed with such thoughtfulness and care feels incredible the-rosebush.com/2026/06/pars... #interactivefiction #parser #pww

the-rosebush.com

Parser poetics in Portrait With Wolf – The Rosebush

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Reposted by Drew Cook: A Biting Cat

Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

I've finished up my series on Infocom's Hollywood Hijinx. I don't enjoy it mechanically, but it's a good natured game that gives a critic a lot to think about. golmac.org/remembering-...

golmac.org

Remembering Avalon

Remembering Hollywood Hijinx as a relic of Infocom's nostalgic past.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

I've finished up my series on Infocom's Hollywood Hijinx. I don't enjoy it mechanically, but it's a good natured game that gives a critic a lot to think about. golmac.org/remembering-...

golmac.org

Remembering Avalon

Remembering Hollywood Hijinx as a relic of Infocom's nostalgic past.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

inform trail camera will be up for a few hours this afternoon! www.twitch.tv/informtrailc...

twitch.tv

informtrailcamera - Twitch

Inform 10 trail camera

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

The second part of Gold Machine's series on Hollywood Hijinx is up! It was definitely worth a second look. golmac.org/postcards-fr...

golmac.org

Postcards from the Hedge

Second in a series on Infocom's Hollywood Hijinx focusing on the text of the game.

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Scouring the text of Infocom's Hollywood Hijinx. One thing I note is that the protagonist exists beyond the world of their game. They have a family, a backstory. Anecdotes. This isn't a thing many Infocom games afford, at least not in such detail. #infocom

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Since you say generated code, you may mean computing efficiency? I simply mean lexical efficiency, as in "I'm lazy and would like to type fewer words." :) I see how that's unclear, I'll edit. Thanks

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Drew Cook: A Biting Cat @bitingcat.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

The last in a two-part series about creating new conditional phrases and adjectives in Inform 10 topexpert.blog/2026/06/01/a... #interactivefiction #inform

topexpert.blog

adjectival advantages

Creating or specifying custom adjectives.

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