Inform

Inform is the core distribution of a powerful programming language and design system created for writing interactive fiction, where authors describe stories as text adventure games that players explore through typed commands. The language is distinctive for its natural-language-inspired syntax that reads almost like English, allowing storytellers to define rooms, objects, characters, and narrative logic in an intuitive way that emphasizes expressive clarity and literary structure. When you write in Inform, the source code is compiled into playable story files that run on interactive fiction virtual machines such as Z-machine or Glulx, enabling classic text-based gameplay with modern tooling. Inform handles the underlying complexities of text parsing, world modeling, state management, and player input, so authors can focus on narrative design rather than low-level engine details.