A new version of Frotz (1.2) is now available on the App Store. Click here for details.

This page contains frequently asked questions and miscellaneous help about using Frotz for the iPhone/iPod Touch.

To report a bug or usability issue with Frotz on iPhone or iPod Touch, please click here, or go to the Issues tab, click "New Issue", and describe your problem. (Note that this requires you to sign in to GMail. If you do not have a GMail account, you can also report a bug by emailing ifrotz at gee mail dot com.)

• I just upgraded my device from OS 2.0 to to OS 2.1 or later. Why don't my Infocom/personal story files show up anymore?

Because Apple broke the ability of apps to read other app's files, on purpose, without providing developers any other means of interoperability between apps. But see the next question.

• How can I transfer my own story files (e.g. Infocom files) so Frotz can find them?

If you have the Lost Treasures of Infocom, other Infocom game files from antiquity, or your own personal Z-Machine game files, you can use them with Frotz.

• Frotz 1.2 now includes a built-in FTP (file transfer protocol) server, so you can easily transfer your own story files, as well as saved games, from pretty much any computer. To enable the FTP server, press the (i)nfo button in Frotz, select the "File Transfer" button, and follow the instructions. Note that you must be connected to a wireless network to use file transfer; it will not work over Edge or 3G.
• Note that Frotz will not look for stories in ZIP files if you transfer them with FTP; you should transfer the files individually and make sure they end in a standard suffix such as .z5 or .zblorb.
• If you have your files on a web server, you can access them using the built-in web interface:
• In Frotz, go to "Browse IFDB", select the Search icon at the bottom, and type in the URL of your web server.
• Frotz will download and install if you click on any link ending in .z3, .z4, .z5, .z8, .dat, or .zblorb.
• You cannot download saved games this way; use the FTP server instead.
• Frotz can also handle ZIP downloads. If you click on a ZIP file, Frotz will download it, extract files with the playable extensions and add them to the story list, and then delete the ZIP file. Again, this doesn't work with FTP, but I plan to add that in a future version.

• What device/OS versions is Frotz compatible with?

Frotz works on iPod or iPod Touch with OS versions 2.0 and later.

• Why is Frotz free?

Frotz would be worth nothing without the wealth of great games created by the talented writers and game designers in the IF (Interactive Fiction) community. I've gotten a lot of enjoyment playing these games over the years, and since I'm not a very good writer, this is my way of giving back.

• Can I make a donation?

See above for my motivation in making Frotz. But if you really like Frotz and want to make a donation, you can do so via PayPal. (Also consider sending thank you emails to the authors of the games you like!)

• How do I save my game?

A review of Frotz on iTunes incorrectly states that there is no way to save state in games. If you press the Home button or answer a call, Frotz will automatically save your game state, but to save your game in progress and start a new one, you actually do it the old-fashioned way.

Just type "save" at the game's prompt to save your game, and "restore" to load a previously saved game. This is mentioned on the (i)nfo page, but perhaps needs to be made more salient for people without old-school experience playing text adventures.

• How do I delete games?

When you're not playing a story, the standard Edit button in the top right can be used to go into 'delete' mode. When a story is active, this is replaced by "Now Playing", but you can still use the swipe gesture to delete a story.

• Performance

The performance problems in Frotz 1.0 have been fixed in 1.0.1, and further improved in 1.2. If you notice very poor performance, please file a new bug report. Please do not just file a negative review on iTunes without also filing a bug report so I can have an opportunity to reproduce and fix it.