Update - Version 1.3 available!!

09/19/2009

Three months and 1 day after being originally submitted for approval, Frotz 1.3 is now finally available in the App Store.

New features in Frotz 1.3:

• Story Font Size preference: allows you to vary the main story font size from 8 to 16 point.
• Status Line magnification: tap anywhere on the status line to magnify it for readability. (This is in lieu of allowing larger status line fonts, because many games require a minimum number of screen columns, which would force you to scroll left and right to see the entire line.)
• Command Helper Menu: tap on the command prompt to bring up a helper menu of common words.
• Command Line History: double-tap on the command line to bring up a menu of recently entered commands.
• Accessibility Improvements: improved accessibility hints for VoiceOver users. Selecting the story window will recite only the story output since the most recent command.
• Bug fixes (OS 3.0): restored the ability to tap on the story output to scroll one page, or show the keyboard if at the end.
• Bundled stories: includes a large subset of well-rated stories from the IFDB bundled with Frotz; the IFDB story browser uses these bundled files instead of downloading them from the Internet.

Update - Version 1.3 resubmitted

09/04/2009

Version 1.3, with font size options and command line history, has been resubmitted to the App Store as of Sept. 4, 2009 after being previously rejected. The point of contention was Frotz's ability to download new games from the Internet, as downloading interpreted content is disallowed by the App Store rules.

To obtain compliance, the newly submitted version no longer has Internet download capability. Instead, it now has all Z-code games rated 3 stars or more from the Interactive Fiction Database pre-bundled with Frotz; the user experience of browsing IFDB to select and add games is still the same unless you try to pick an unbundled game. Not included with Frotz are games which are low-rated, in a language other than English, newer than the IFDB snapshot taken on 9/1/2009, or games not in IFDB at all.

Version 1.3 Rejected by Apple

08/10/2009

Apple has rejected my update to Frotz on the grounds that it violates the clause of the SDK agreement dealing with interpreters. They did not, however, take down the previous version of Frotz. I'm investigating what my options are.

Burned out on all the new-fangled graphics and dazzling eye candy on your shiny new iPhone? Nostalgic for a simpler time? Then take advantage of those crisp high-resolution fonts to relive the glory days of the Great Underground Empire, or play any of hundreds of great works from the Interactive Fiction Database.

Version 1.3 Pending

07/21/2009

I submitted a new version of Frotz to the App Store for approval on June 18. It's been over 7 weeks in limbo now and I haven't heard anything back from Apple. It's extremely frustrating, so much so I am considering abandoning the App Store and moving Frotz to jailbroken iPhones. If you have opinions on this, feel free to post to the Frotz Discussion board.

Assuming it's eventually approved by Apple, 1.3 will include:

• New Story Font Size option: change the main story font size from 8 to 16 point font
• Status Line magnification: tap anywhere on the status line to magnify it for readability. (Because many games expect a minimum number of screen columns, supporting larger status line fonts requires scrolling left and right, which is awkward and cumbersome, but magnification seems to solve the problem.)
• Command Line History: double tap on the command line to bring up a menu of recently enter command
• Common Words Menu: Triple tap on the command line to bring up a menu of common words. (This is an initial implementation and I plan to add a compass rose and improve the UI in the future.)
• Bug fixes for iPhone OS 3.0, restoring the ability to tap to scroll and show/hide the keyboard

New Version 1.2 Available

04/15/2009

My apologies for the long hiatus in development. A new version of Frotz is now available on the App Store. Changes include:

• More performance improvements: Frotz manages story metadata better and uses less memory.
• Support for transferring both story files and saved games using a built-in FTP server
• Preferences allowing you to select custom text and background colors and change the story font
• Ability to disable automatic word completion, useful for playing games in languages than English
• Fixed bugs handling fixed-width text in story output

New Version 1.0.1 Available

8/27/2008

A new version of Frotz is now available on the App Store. Changes include:

• Performance improvements: Frotz no longer slows down during long sessions, and uses less memory.
• Miscellaneous bug fixes and interface improvements.
• Added help for users new to Interactive Fiction.
• Support for deleting bundled games from Story List.
• Support for transferring games with MobileFinder.

Color/font settings did not make it into this version, but will be available shortly. Well, as shortly as possible given Apple's week long turn around for approval.

Interactive Fiction at Your Fingertips

Frotz lets you play hundreds of free works of Interactive Fiction (a.k.a. text adventure games) on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Frotz plays games written in the Z-Machine format. This format was invented by Infocom and was used to produce great text adventures from the 80s such as the Zork Trilogy, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Trinity.

In the past decade, text adventures have experienced a renaissance thanks to a great Internet community of interactive fiction writers and fans. Many of these games are written using the same engine that powered Infocom's titles, thanks to the Inform compiler and authoring system created by Graham Nelson.

Frotz includes several built-in games, and includes a web portal for downloading new ones from the Internet.

Click here for support and FAQ.