Madison Steinau
Spider and Web, created by Andrew Plotkin (fondly known as Zarf) in 1998, quickly became one of the most defining and memorable pieces of interactive fiction from that era, continuing to influence the genre for decades. Utilizing the relatively new Inform 6 language, Plotkin’s use of a more complex and robust parser, along with the story’s dual narratives, makes Spider and Web iconic. However, this example of interactive fiction (IF) is not just a testament to Plotkin’s creativity—it also stands as a lasting example of the potential of IF in shaping our understanding of truth, player agency, authorial intent, and the breaking of traditional narrative boundaries.
To better understand the impact of Spider and Web on the world of IF, we must start by examining the history and context of the work. Interactive fiction began as early as the 1960s with Raymond Queneau’s “Un conte à votre façon” (Story as You Like It). Notably, 1975 marked a significant shift when digital spaces began to merge with interactive fiction, kickstarting the genre as we know it today with Will Crowther’s Adventure, also known as Colossal Cave Adventure. While iconic texts like Zork and Enchanter rose to popularity in the 70s and 80s, selling millions of copies, choice-based games like these declined in the 90s as more visually oriented games took center stage.
As the mid to late 90s rolled around, text adventures and other forms of interactive fiction became a thriving underground community, mainly based on wikis and forums. This community catered to a niche audience and was no longer part of the commercial mainstream. During what could be considered a lull in the genre, Andrew Plotkin created Spider and Web. The game won multiple awards, including the noteworthy XYZZY Awards, specific to IF, and is still beloved. (Fun fact: The name “XYZZY” itself is a reference to Colossal Cave Adventure, where it functioned as a magic word allowing characters to travel instantaneously. Pretty cool.)
The Interactive Fiction Database lists Spider and Web‘s awards over the years.
Using the mechanics beloved in previous text adventures, Plotkin utilized the newly available Inform 6, a natural language processing language from 1996, to reinvent the complexity and intricacies of player agency and storyline options in a text adventure. Inform 6, with its stronger parsing and more sophisticated capabilities, offered greater flexibility for creativity. This open-source language was perfectly suited to hobbyists and others passionate about interactive text in the 90s. Given the time and context of Spider and Web’s release, the awe-inspiring reaction to the game becomes abundantly clear, especially when examining the narrative structures within the story.
Spider and Web opens with the player assuming the role of an explorer in an alleyway. The player can move north, south, east, and west, examining the alley. Suddenly, and seemingly at random, the player finds themselves in an interrogation scene. As the antagonist—the interrogator—questions the player, they learn that their character is both a tourist exploring the world and an undercover spy. Through navigating conversations with the interrogator and understanding the external environment, it becomes clear that the interrogator has ulterior motives. The player’s experience is further complicated by the main character’s memory loss, which expands the player’s understanding of how to operate in the world.
The cheat sheet above functions as a guide for how to operate and move around Plotkin’s world… or web within the story.
As the player navigates these dual narratives, a more complex picture of the character emerges. The interactivity within this interactive fiction reveals something fascinating about the exploration of truth in this medium. Because the main character suffers from memory loss, and the player is slowly discovering the story alongside them, both are positioned to uncover the truth together. However, with each branching of the story, it becomes apparent that the mechanics of the narrative vary depending on the player’s choices.
This idea of the player functioning as a co-author with Plotkin’s original story is intriguing, as it interplays with notions of truth and the multiplicity of truths within the narrative. In his article “Truth in Interactive Fiction,” Alex Fisher discusses how the branching of stories creates key distinctions from the main work, which he terms “branch truths” and “work truths.” These truths, while operating in the same narrative, differ fundamentally. As players make mistakes and the game remembers these, influencing subsequent choices, the branching storyline uniquely positions the player as a co-creator of the narrative, alongside the original work.
A simple, unassuming opening page gives zero hints of the adventure to come. A blinking cursor waits at the carrot for players to enter a command.
However, since truth is influenced by both the player and the mechanics of the creator’s work, it becomes something of a layered multiplicity—interwoven like a spider’s web. The title Spider and Web doesn’t just refer to the characters or actions within the interactive experience but also to the “work truth” of the text. Plotkin has meticulously structured his interactive narrative with many detailed threads, just like a web. Although the player explores this web, they are not its creator—Plotkin is. The player might best be seen as another spider visiting Plotkin’s web, with Plotkin as the original architect, giving flexibility in how one interprets the web’s connections. There may be sections of the web that players never explore or completely avoid, but the core storyline woven by Plotkin influences all the “branch truths”, as Fisher would say.
The IF game’s title reveals itself as players interact with the choices presented throughout the game and examine each thread.
Plotkin’s consideration of the intricate design is evident from the very start, with the detailed cheat sheet of commands provided at the beginning of the game. This attention to detail and creativity is further corroborated by Spider and Web winning the Best Game of the Year in 1998 at the XYZZY Awards and continuing to win awards up until 2011. It is fair to say that this text holds significant importance in the IF community. Wikis, public forums, and online groups like The Interactive Fiction Database still discuss the game in 2024, bonding over Spider and Web’s many hidden layers and the impact it has had on expanding the world of text-based adventure games. The work’s ability to weave truth through player exploration within Plotkin’s framework was made possible by careful planning and the era’s new technology. These elements make Spider and Web a pinnacle of IF, showcasing its collaborative narrative between player, characters, and Plotkin in uncovering the story’s secrets and determining the true identity of the protagonist.
Play Spider and Web for yourself by clicking on here or sit back and watch a walkthrough of the game with the video below. Although, it is highly recommended to at least play around yourself first!
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