Adventure Trivia

1. The game underwent several changes during its lifetime. Who was the original designer of the game (1975-1977)?

From Quiz "Colossal Cave Adventure" - Introduction

Answer: Willie Crowther

Crowther was born in 1936 and was computer programmer. He was also a rock climber and cave explorer. The game appeared on Dec's PDP-10 computer before being ported to other machines.

From Quiz What an Adventure!

Answer: Chalice

The chalice, golden-colored like the castle, was moved by an evil wizard to another castle--one castle in the simplest level (one) of the game and a different castle in the more complex levels (two and three). While the screens and settings were the same in levels two and three, level two featured static starting points for creatures and objects and level three featured randomized starting points. When the chalice reached the interior of the Golden Castle, the walls of the castle and chalice would pulsate different colors in sync and a triumphant tune would briefly play. Interestingly, although the wizard stole the chalice and created the dragons and other castles, he did not actually appear at any point in the game.

From Quiz A Hollow Voice says Plugh

Answer: In front of a small brick building

Adventure starts with "You are standing at the end of a road before a small brick building." The locked gate is a few steps away, and requires the keys found in the small building. The white house is at the start of "Zork".

From Quiz Colossal Cave Adventure: A History

Answer: Will Crowther

Will Crowther developed "Adventure" in 1975, and released the original version in 1976. At the time, it was simply a cave simulation, that allowed players to travel the cave virtually. Woods expanded on it in 1977, adding the fantasy elements. Gillogly, who worked at the RAND Corporation, rewrote the code into C for use by Unix machines. Dave Platt wrote the 550-point version of the game, and changed much of the coding.

From Quiz "Colossal Cave Adventure" - Introduction

Answer: Enter

Enter gets you into the building. Quit terminates the game, exit is an unknown command at this point and south takes you to a small stream that runs outside the building.

From Quiz What an Adventure!

Answer: White Castle

The White Castle is present in all three levels of the game. The Black Castle is only present in levels two and three. The White Castle is simpler in level one with only a single chamber inside (similar to the Golden Castle in all three levels). There are also additional screens between the exteriors of the castles. Apart from color, the exteriors of the castles are similar with a single central entrance (with portcullis when the castle is not open) and a turreted tower in each side.

From Quiz A Hollow Voice says Plugh

Answer: Debris Room

In the Debris Room, saying "Xyzzy" transports you to the building. Anywhere else, you get the message "Nothing Happens". While Crowther maintains he simply invented the word off the top of his head, some mathematicians point out it is a mnemonic for cross products. Crowther created "XYZZY" as a short cut for his sister, who grew impatient having to walk everywhere. The XYZZY Awards were created in 1996 to recognize excellence in computer game design.

From Quiz Colossal Cave Adventure: A History

Answer: Mammoth Cave

Crowther, an expert spelunker when he wasn't programming, wrote the original game based on his explorations of Bedquilt Cave, part of the system of caves connected to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Crowther's ex-wife explored many of the caverns in the early 1970s and made significant discoveries. Crowther recreates the cave so well in the game that real spelunkers who have visited Mammoth Cave can navigate the game their first time.

From Quiz "Colossal Cave Adventure" - Introduction

Answer: Five

That was the maximum number of characters the game would recognize. Any letters after the five were not taken into account. You could input two commands on a line separated by a space. For example, if you wanted to go "Northeast" you should enter the command as NE. Otherwise the game would send you north.

From Quiz What an Adventure!

Answer: Blue Dragon

Yorgle the Yellow Dragon moves more slowly than the player. Grundle the Green Dragon (named Grindle in early development) moves at the same speed as the player. Rhindle the Red Dragon (only appearing in levels two and three) moves more quickly than the player. When the player is able to slay a dragon, the head of the dragon bends backwards. When a dragon defeats the player (by eating the player), the player's icon appears inside of the dragon's stomach. The player icon can be moved slightly inside the dragon stomach. It is also possible for a second or even third dragon to eat the player from inside the previous dragon's stomach.

From Quiz Colossal Cave Adventure: A History

Answer: FORTRAN

The original code for the game was roughly 700 lines of Fortran code. It can be found at several locations on-line.

From Quiz Adventure

Answer: A goblet

The goblet was in a fixed place in level 2 but could be anywhere (in black or white castle) in level 3. It was less than impressive and it changed colors every second. For the time, that was "big time" graphics for Atari.

From Quiz What an Adventure!

Answer: Bat

The bat has a calmer mode where it simply flies from screen to screen. In a more agitated state, the bat will carry an object which it will periodically exchange for another object. While the new object left behind might be something you could use, it could just as easily be one of the dragons. When "Adventure" was being developed at Atari, the bat was referred to in-house as Knubberrub. The name did not make it to the published manual for the game which simply referred to the bat. The bat is absent from level one of the game.

From Quiz A Hollow Voice says Plugh

Answer: Y2 Room

Saying "Plugh" allows you to transport between Y2 and the Building. "Plugh" has actually become an inside joke among game programmers, and they have incorporated it into their own games. Y2 is a reference code used in surveying, and is an actual location in the Bedquilt Cave at Mammoth Cave.

From Quiz Colossal Cave Adventure: A History

Answer: Stanford

Woods was working at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL) when he worked on "Adventure." In 1977, Woods expanded the game to the 350 point version that is most commonly known today. He added several elements, such as elves and the troll. For many years, Computer Science students at Stanford were actually required to re-code the game as part of their first programming course. Woods worked with fellow graduate student Don Gilbert to map out the game. Other additions Woods made to "Adventure": The underground volcano, the vending machine, the Soft Room, the Oriental Room, the dragon, the beanstalk and the friendly bear.

From Quiz Adventure

Answer: A bat

There was a bat that was annoying because you could not kill him and he just HAD to be carrying something different. He would take whatever possession you were holding, including the goblet and put it in an unreachable place. He also picked up dragons though... he was not too picky. There were a few times, a dragon ate me and then the bat picked up the dragon and we'd take a crazy ride through the screens while being digested. I think that was an unintended side effect of the game for Atari.

From Quiz What an Adventure!

Answer: Use a key

The three keys are color-coded to match the castle each opens. The golden key is conveniently located just outside the castle. Inside the castle is located the key to the White Castle. Inside the White Castle (travelling through a maze in levels two and three of the game) is the key to the Black Castle. Inside the Black Castle is the chalice. In level one of the game, the White Castle has a simple interior that contains the chalice.

From Quiz Colossal Cave Adventure: A History

Answer: PDP-10

Crowther wrote the original code for "Adventure" on a Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-10. PDP stands for "Programmed Data Processor." The first PDP systems came out in 1968, and they were state of the art during much of the 1970s. However the introduction of VAX systems in the late 1970s led to their eventual demise in 1983.

From Quiz Adventure

Answer: Bright orange flashing lights in a room where you could see nothing

This was pretty weak. You would have to find your way through blinking orange lights but once you knew how to make it through, it was no problem.

From Quiz "Colossal Cave Adventure" - Introduction

Answer: Steel grate

The grate is locked. Fortunately, you have picked up the keys from the building. You unlock the grate and you are in a small room with a small opening leading west.

From Quiz What an Adventure!

Answer: Navigate a maze

The first maze (the only one in level one) is navigated by the player to get to the White Castle. In levels two and three, there is a second maze inside the White Castle as well as one inside the Black Castle. The maze inside the Black Castle is partly invisible with only the portion close to the player able to be seen. The other mazes are fully visible.

From Quiz A Hollow Voice says Plugh

Answer: Release the bird

Remarkably, the snake is scared of the bird, and runs off when you let the bird fly towards it. The rod is useful for creating magic bridges (and scaring birds), and the axe is only useful for killing dwarves.

From Quiz Colossal Cave Adventure: A History

Answer: Sierra On-line

Sierra created much of the early graphical adventure software of the 1980s and 1990s, including such legendary games as "Leisure Suit Larry." Infocom, a company started by students at MIT, created "Zork" (a text adventure inspired by "Adventure") and many of the most successful interactive fiction games of the 1980s. Adventure International was founded by Scott Adams, another pioneer in interactive fiction. Mindscape was created by Walt Bilofsky in the early 1980s to market a PC version of "Adventure."

From Quiz "Colossal Cave Adventure" - Introduction

Answer: Magic Word

Exactly that! In the room there is also a three-foot rod with a rusty star on it. If you say that magic word you go back to the house well. Repeat that you are back in the room with the note on the wall.

From Quiz A Hollow Voice says Plugh

Answer: With your bare hands

When you type in "Kill Dragon", the game will ask "With what? Your bare hands?" You have to enter "yes" and the game informs you that: "You have just vanquished a dragon with your bare hands! (Unbelievable, Isn't it?)" The bear comes in handy in scaring away the troll (after you fed the bear). The axe is only useful for killing dwarves.

From Quiz Colossal Cave Adventure: A History

Answer: Version 4

In version 4 players could score 660 points. Version 3 had 550 points, Version 5 had 501 points, and Version 6 had 551 points. The largest known version was written by David Malmberg, has 1000 possible points and is known as "Huge Cave".

From Quiz "Colossal Cave Adventure" - Introduction

Answer: Bird

There is a little bird singing. Since you have a cage that you picked-up before it is only natural that you take it. You continue west until you finally make it to the caves.

From Quiz What an Adventure!

Answer: Zero

It is possible to complete the quest without killing any of the dragons since the program only requires returning the chalice to be necessary for victory (complete with the changing colors and music). The dragons provide enough harrassment to the player who is in their vicinity, that the player will often kill one or more with the sword. Some players--who wish to gain an unofficial "maximum score"--will move all the dragons (usually but not always dead) to the interior of the Golden Castle along with the bat and all the equipment before returning the chalice.

From Quiz A Hollow Voice says Plugh

Answer: seven

You are only allowed to carry seven items at any time. You must periodically return to the small building to drop off the treasures you have collected. At some point during the game, you have to let the pirate steal your valuable possessions.

From Quiz Colossal Cave Adventure: A History

Answer: Wizardness

The certificate, issued by Mindscape and signed by Crowther and Woods, was a certificate of Wizardness. At the time, it was a serious trophy for computer geeks. The game provided a secret code when players won, which they would send to Mindscape to receive their certificate.

This is category 19701

= Top 5% Rated Quiz, Top 10% Rated Quiz, Top 20% Rated Quiz, A Well Rated Quiz
= added recently, = Editor's Pick = FunTrivia Editor = Gold Member
Teachers / educators: FunTrivia welcomes the use of our website and quizzes in the classroom as a teaching aid or for preparing and testing students. See our education section. Our quizzes are printable and may be used as question sheets by k-12 teachers, parents, and home schoolers.

 ·  All questions, answers, and quiz content on this website is copyright FunTrivia, Inc and may not be reproduced without permission. Any images from TV shows and movies are copyright their studios, and are being used under "fair use" for commentary and education.