Planned Release Date: May 2026

About This Game

The Forgotten Nightmare Series

A classic text adventure reborn for a modern age.

The Forgotten Nightmare Series is an all-text adventure game spanning three complete chapters of interactive fiction — a love letter to the golden era of games pioneered by Scott Adams on the Commodore VIC-20, reimagined with a modern interface for today's players. There are no graphics. No soundtrack. Just you, your imagination, and a world that desperately needs to be understood.

The Story

You awaken suspended upside-down by your seatbelt inside an overturned van. You don't know where you are. You don't know who you are. The world outside is silent — strangely, unnervingly empty. As you escape and begin to explore, it becomes clear that whatever happened here was not a local event. Towns lie abandoned. People have vanished. Natural disasters, wars, and plagues are accelerating across the globe. And somewhere in the chaos, the truth about your identity — and the world's fate — is waiting to be uncovered.

Set in a post-apocalyptic future shaped by end-times events, this Christian-themed series unfolds across three interconnected chapters, each expanding the story, the cast of companions, and the stakes. As your memory slowly returns, so does a deeper understanding of what the world has become — and why.

Gameplay

This is a full free-form text adventure — not a multiple choice game. You are in control. Commands follow the classic verb/noun structure of the genre: take key, open door, use hammer on loose board. Simple to learn, but the thinking required to know which commands to use and when is anything but. Progress by exploring your environment, collecting items, and solving problems that demand genuine critical thinking. There are no waypoints and no hand-holding — just a richly described world to figure out on your own terms.

Expect 10 to 24 hours of gameplay per chapter depending on your puzzle-solving experience, giving the full series well over 30 hours of content for dedicated players.

Key Features

• Three complete chapters of story-driven interactive fiction included in one purchase

• Classic verb/noun command system — enter commands via keyboard typing, on-screen buttons, or a game controller

• Auto-drawing map that charts your exploration as you go, so you never lose your bearings

• Built-in hint system to nudge you forward when you're stuck

• Comedic responses — the game has a sense of humor, so go ahead and try something ridiculous

• No graphics, no soundtrack — pure imagination-driven gameplay in the tradition of classic interactive fiction

• Inspired by the classics of the text adventure genre, including the foundational work of Scott Adams on the Commodore VIC-20

• Faith-themed story exploring hope, identity, and redemption against the backdrop of a world in collapse

A Note From the Developer

My first experience with text adventure games was on the Commodore VIC-20. I fell in love with the genre immediately. After becoming a Christian in 1994, I wanted to do two things: revive a lost genre of gaming, and share the hope that faith gave me. The Forgotten Nightmare Series is the result of that vision — a game built with heart, humor, and a genuine respect for the classics.

Who Is This For?

Whether you grew up with Zork, Scott Adams' classics, or have never played a text adventure in your life, The Forgotten Nightmare Series offers something rare: a game that trusts you to think. It's for players who want story, challenge, and the quiet satisfaction of solving a puzzle with nothing but their wits and imagination.

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

No AI was used to write the storyline or visual assets in the game. All of it is my own creative work. However, AI was used to assist in the creation of game artwork used for the store page and for helping craft and improve store descriptions.

Mature Content Description

The developers describe the content like this:

This is a post-apocalyptic text adventure focused on exploration and environmental storytelling. Throughout the narrative, players encounter written references to people who have died prior to the events of the story. These include victims of an industrial accident, two individuals who have died by suicide while isolated, and a fire report describing a fatal house fire involving a child.

In later chapters, the story also references additional loss and hardship, including implied deaths from a collapsed apartment building, animals feeding on a dead deer, and a wounded woman who speaks with the player before passing away. The narrative includes moments where the player character and companions are injured, as well as the death of one of the protagonists.

All of these events are conveyed through non-graphic written descriptions. The game does not feature visual depictions of violence or active combat, and players do not initiate violent actions.