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What is Planedrift?
Planedrift is a browser-based player for classic Infocom text adventures. It runs Zork I, II and III directly in the page, and you can also open your own .z3 story file or resume a game you started earlier. The site's pitch is a "calm, unhurried, pick-up-and-put-down" way to read interactive fiction rather than a modern game with graphics or a score.
What it actually does
- Plays Zork I–III without installing anything.
- Loads your own
.z3files, so other Infocom-era stories in that format can be played too. - Auto-saves and rewinds, which suits short sessions and makes a wrong turn less punishing.
- Searchable transcript, useful when you need to recall a clue or a room description from earlier.
- Capture to-dos while you play, a small note-taking layer for puzzles you want to return to.
- Light and dark themes with careful typography, aimed at long reading sessions.
Who it suits
Someone curious about text adventures who wants to try Zork on a lunch break, and returning players who want a comfortable reading environment rather than an emulator. If you want maps, hint systems or graphical remakes, this is a deliberately plainer tool.
A practical first step: start Zork I, play for ten minutes, and use the rewind once to see how forgiving the save model feels. If you enjoy that rhythm, the transcript search and to-do capture become genuinely useful on longer runs. For the wider catalogue of Infocom releases, the site points to the Obsessively Complete Infocom Catalog, and Wikipedia has background on Infocom if you want context on the games themselves.
Can I play Zork on Planedrift without downloading anything?
Yes. Planedrift runs Zork I, Zork II and Zork III directly in the browser, so you can start playing without installing anything or downloading a separate interpreter. The site presents them as a calm, pick-up-and-put-down way to revisit classic Infocom interactive fiction, with light and dark themes, auto-saves and rewinds, and a searchable transcript.
For other Infocom titles, Planedrift supports bringing your own story file with a .z3 extension — that part does require obtaining the file yourself. The site points to the Obsessively Complete Infocom Catalog and notes that the "Masterpieces of Infocom" releases are the versions Planedrift is tested against, so that's the safest choice if you go beyond the three Zork games.
A practical next step: open Planedrift and start Zork I to confirm the browser experience suits you. If you later want a different title, check that you have a .z3 file before expecting it to load. For background on the games themselves, the Wikipedia entry on Zork gives useful context on the series.
How do I load my own Infocom .z3 story file into Planedrift?
Open Planedrift in your browser, choose Bring your own, and select a .z3 story file from your device. Planedrift states that it plays story files ending in .z3, and that it is tested against the Masterpieces of Infocom versions of Infocom's games. If you have a different format, such as a .z5 file, it is not covered by that stated support.
A practical route:
- Obtain a
.z3file from a legitimate source; the Obsessively Complete Infocom Catalog is the archive Planedrift points to. - On Planedrift, pick Bring your own.
- Choose the file and start playing. To continue later, use resume a previous game rather than opening the file again.
- Keep the original file somewhere safe; the browser copy is convenient, not a substitute for your own backup.
Because Planedrift auto-saves and offers rewinds, you can experiment with parser commands without fear of losing progress. That makes it a low-pressure way to try a story file you are unsure about.
One decision point: if you want the smoothest experience, use a Masterpieces of Infocom .z3 release, since those are the versions Planedrift is tested against. Files from other releases may still work, but any odd behaviour is more likely to come from version differences than from the game itself.
Does Planedrift save my progress automatically, and can I rewind a mistake?
Yes. Planedrift auto-saves your game, and it also offers rewinds, so a wrong turn or a mistyped command doesn't have to end the run.
In practice, that means you can close the browser mid-session and pick up where you left off, and when you realize you've done something regrettable — walked into a dark room without a light source, or spent a move you needed — you can step back rather than restart. The site pairs this with a searchable transcript, which helps when you're returning after a break and need to remember what you already tried.
Who this suits
- Casual players: the pick-up-and-put-down framing fits short sessions; auto-save removes the "where was I?" problem.
- First-time Infocom players: rewinding lowers the cost of experimentation, which matters in puzzle games that punish wasted moves.
- Returning players: the transcript doubles as a personal log of mapped rooms and failed attempts.
A useful next step
Start with Zork I and treat rewinding as a learning tool rather than a crutch: when a puzzle fails, rewind one step and note in the transcript what changed. If you want more games afterward, the site points to the Obsessively Complete Infocom Catalog and notes that Planedrift plays .z3 story files, tested against the Masterpieces of Infocom releases — check that your file matches before loading it.
For broader context on the games themselves, Wikipedia covers the Zork series and Infocom's history.
Can I play text adventures on my phone during short breaks?
Yes. Planedrift runs in the browser, so on a phone you can open it, play a few moves during a short break, and put it down again — the page describes itself as a "calm, unhurried, pick-up-and-put-down" way to play classic Infocom interactive fiction. Auto-saves and rewinds mean you don't have to finish a puzzle in one sitting.
What suits short breaks
- Built-in games: Zork I, II and III are ready to play without setup.
- Your own stories: you can open a
.z3story file or resume a previous game. - Small-screen touches: light and dark themes, a searchable transcript, and the ability to capture to-dos while you play — handy if a break sparks something you need to remember later.
- More games: the site points to the Obsessively Complete Infocom Catalog for other 1980s releases, noting the Masterpieces of Infocom versions are the ones Planedrift is tested against.
A practical routine
Treat a break as a handful of moves rather than a session: read the room description, try one or two commands, then stop. The transcript search helps you re-find a clue you saw earlier without scrolling. If you want a different flavour of short-session play, IFDB is a general catalogue of interactive fiction worth browsing for ideas.
One trade-off: text adventures reward note-taking and patient mapping, so very short breaks suit exploration and small puzzles better than long dungeon crawls.
Where can I find more Infocom games that work with Planedrift?
The page itself points to the Obsessively Complete Infocom Catalog, and specifically to its Masterpieces of Infocom releases, which are the versions Planedrift is tested against. Planedrift plays story files ending in .z3, so that extension is the practical filter when you browse.
What to look for
- Masterpieces of Infocom versions first — these match what Planedrift is tested with, so you're less likely to hit compatibility quirks.
- .z3 story files — anything ending in another extension (such as .z5 or .z8) is outside what the page says Planedrift plays.
- The Zork trilogy is already built in (Zork I, II and III), so there's no need to hunt those down separately.
A sensible next step
Start with the catalog's Masterpieces releases, download a .z3 file, and open it through Planedrift's "Bring your own" option. If a game misbehaves, try a different release of the same title before assuming the game itself is the problem — the tested versions are the safest baseline.
For background on individual titles before you commit to one, the Interactive Fiction Database at IFDB is a useful place to read descriptions and player impressions.
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