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GET LAMP: The Text Adventure Documentary

Google TechTalks · documentary · Watch on YouTube

Game history & retro gamingHistory of computing

What it is

Jason Scott discusses making his documentary GET LAMP at a Google Tech Talk and screens part of the film. It covers the history of text adventures and interactive fiction, with interviews of Infocom developers and others.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN recommends it to anyone interested in text adventures, Infocom, MUDs and early computer gaming history.

  • 5 people recommended it
  • 5 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2014, last 2026

What HN commenters said

  1. “Recommended if text games are of interest to you.”

    Documentary featuring many Infocom employees.

    grimgrin, 2014-12 · Recommendation · in “First Infocom Z-machine implemented in hardware”

  2. “If you like text adventure games, check out Jason Scott's documentary GET LAMP”

    History of text adventures with interviews of Infocom developers.

    cpeterso, 2018-12 · Recommendation · in “Great Adventure-Game Puzzles”

  3. “Recommend watching “Get lamp” documentary to fans of MUDs, text adventures”

    Documentary for fans of MUDs and text adventures.

    freediver, 2019-03 · Recommendation · in “Iconoclast: a Gothic/Cyberpunk MUD RPG, Online Since 1996”

  4. “documentary about text adventure games called "GET LAMP" which I enjoyed a lot”

    Documentary about text adventure games that the commenter enjoyed.

    petercooper, 2022-06 · Recommendation · in “Enjoyed Jason Scott’s BBS documentary”

  5. “Jason Scott (of textfiles.com) made a great documentary video”

    Great documentary by Jason Scott about Adventure.

    anonymousiam, 2026-01 · Recommendation · in “Adventure 751 (1980)”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: get lamp, jason scott, infocom, interactive fiction, zork, retro games

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