Station Zero is a sci-fi interactive fiction game that casts you as the sole survivor of a deep-space research facility. Awakening from cryo-sleep to an eerie silence, you must navigate 20 levels of a derelict station to uncover the truth behind a vanished crew and a silent AI. As you explore, you manage critical resources like oxygen levels while solving environmental puzzles to restore power, repair communications, and ultimately escape the station.
Inspiration from ZORK
The game is explicitly described as being “in the tradition of Infocom,” the legendary studio behind Zork. It draws inspiration through several key elements:
- Text-Based Command Parser: Much like Zork, the gameplay relies on a classic “verb-noun” command system. You interact with the world by typing commands such as
LOOK,TAKE [item],EXAMINE, andUSE. - Compass-Based Navigation: Movement is handled through cardinal directions (North, South, East, West), a staple of the Zork series and early text adventures.
- Inventory and Puzzle Logic: The game features a classic inventory system where you must collect items (like a
master-keycardorfusion-core) and use or combine them to bypass obstacles, mirroring the logic-heavy puzzles of the Great Underground Empire. - Atmospheric Storytelling: Zork was famous for its rich, descriptive prose that painted a picture of a world without graphics. Station Zero replicates this with detailed room descriptions that set a tense, isolationist mood, such as “Ice crystals still cling to the pod’s interior” or “Something moved past the window… or was it merely your reflection?”.
- Modern Enhancements: While inspired by the classics, it modernizes the experience with a dedicated sidebar tracking your Oxygen, Score, and Moves, along with a visual map to help players navigate the 20-level facility.
