Ropoko

Ropoko is an interactive fiction adventure in which you play as a robot trying to escape a maze-like laboratory. The AI that manages the lab has gone out of control and begun a 700-year expansion project, so “Doctor” activates Ropoko, a newly created robot equipped with a Z80 processor. You learn words through conversations with Doctor and use your growing vocabulary to solve puzzles.

Talk and explore

You move with the cursor keys and issue commands using a single noun, such as “door” or “wire,” while in contact with a target. You do not need to enter verbs or objects as in traditional text adventures. Commands can be typed on a keyboard or chosen with a cursor, but you can only use words you have encountered in earlier conversations, making repeated dialogue important for expanding your vocabulary.

The game includes puzzles, mini-games and complex dungeons. Its estimated initial playtime is around 7 hours; after completing it, you can aim for the shortest completion time or the highest vocabulary score.

The MZ-700 version

Ropoko adapts the original game for the MZ-700, an 8-bit computer released by SHARP in 1982. Because the machine has no graphics capabilities, the original uses character graphics, with large characters occupying two-thirds of the screen and moving smoothly through machine-language programming. Its sound is limited to single-tone beeps, but the game has 12 background music tracks and 20 types of sound effects.

The adapted version adds word selection, auto-mapping and hints. It is designed to be accessible to players unfamiliar with interactive fiction.