Zork Zero

Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive certainly earned his nickname. Never one to do things on a small scale, when Dimwit decided in 789 GUE to have a statue erected in his honor, it had to be the largest statue ever. This angered a local resident of Fublio Valley (where the statue was built), Megaboz the Magnificent, who cast a deadly curse over Dimwit, the royal family, and the entire Empire before disappearing. The king's conjurers employed their most powerful magic in an effort to counteract the curse, but they were unable to save Dimwit and his eleven siblings; they only managed to delay the kingdom's destruction temporarily.

The game begins with a brief prelude in which the player is a humble servant in Lord Dimwit's scullery. Present when Megaboz appears and casts his fateful curse, the player manages to grab a small piece of parchment left behind in the chaos.

Dave Arneson gave Zork Zero a favorable review in Computer Gaming World, calling it the best of the series to date. He praised the in-game map and help system, and later described the game as superior to Infocom's James Clavell's Shōgun.

James V. Trunzo reviewed Zork Zero in White Wolf #17 (1989) and stated that "Zork Zero, even though graphically quite pleasing, remains at heart an interactive story in which you make the choices and determine the course of action."