View source for ZZT

{{Use American English|date=December 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox video game
| image = ZZT_Title_screen.gif
| caption = Title screen of ''Town of ZZT''
| developer = [[Potomac Computer Systems]]
| publisher = Potomac Computer Systems
| platforms = [[MS-DOS]]
| released = {{Video game release|NA|January 15, 1991}}
| genre = [[Action-adventure]], [[game creation system]], [[Puzzle video game|puzzle]]
| modes = [[Single-player]]
| designer = [[Tim Sweeney (game developer)|Tim Sweeney]]
}}

'''''ZZT''''' is a 1991 [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]] [[Puzzle video game|puzzle]] video game and [[game creation system]] developed and published by [[Potomac Computer Systems]] for [[MS-DOS]]. It was later released as [[List of freeware video games|freeware]] in 1997. It is an early game allowing [[user-generated content]] using [[object-oriented programming]]. Players control a [[smiley]] face to battle various creatures and solve puzzles in different grid-based boards in a chosen world. It has four worlds where players explore different boards and interact with objects such as ammo, bombs, and scrolls to reach the end of the game. It includes an in-game editor, allowing players to develop worlds using the game's [[scripting language]], ZZT-OOP.

The game was designed by mechanical engineering student [[Tim Sweeney (game developer)|Tim Sweeney]] in roughly six to nine months. It was built from a [[text editor]] conceived in 1989 to build a better editor for [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]], after he disliked editors that came with other programming languages. During development, he experimented with adding creatures and characters. He built boards that grew into worlds and refined the editor he used to create his own games{{mdash}}while studying at university. Initially, he made the game for himself, but after positive reception from his friends and neighbors, and seeing the potential for making a profit by releasing the game under [[shareware]], he released it publicly. He marketed the game by distributing it across shareware vendors and bulletin board systems, earning money through mail orders for registered worlds.

''ZZT'' was a commercial success, with around 4,000–5,000 copies sold by 2009. The game received mixed reception. Much of the positive reception focused on the gameplay, editor, and the community it developed. Criticisms focused on the game's graphical and audio limitations and perceived unfair difficulty. The sequel is ''Super ZZT'' (1991). Other ''ZZT'' worlds were published later as ''Best of ZZT'' (1992) and ''ZZT's Revenge'' (1992). ''ZZT''{{'}}s success led Sweeney to change his company's name to Epic MegaGames, and focus on competing as a [[Video game industry|video game company]] using shareware to distribute commercial games. Epic MegaGames later developed other successful games including ''[[Jill of the Jungle]]'' (1992) and ''[[Unreal (1998 video game)|Unreal]]'' (1998), using lessons from ''ZZT''{{'}}s success by focusing on developing the editor and engine to allow others to more easily make games. The game inspired one of the earliest active [[modding]] communities, which has grown by making new worlds, editing tools, and [[source port]]s, and inspiring some in the community to pursue a career in the video game industry.

== Gameplay ==
''ZZT'' is a [[Top-down perspective|top-down]] [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]] [[Puzzle video game|puzzle]] video game and [[game creation system]]. Players control a white smiley face on a navy blue rectangle that can move around in four directions.<ref name=":03">{{Cite book |last=Anthropy |first=Anna |title=ZZT |date=2014 |publisher=[[Boss Fight Books]] |isbn=978-1-940535-02-9 |location=Los Angeles, CA |oclc=887992348 }}</ref> Players can interact with objects by touching or shooting at them. Touching ammo containers, gems, torches, and keys adds them to your [[HUD (video gaming)|status bar]]. Boxes of ammo allow players to fire bullets at objects, gems increase [[Health (game terminology)|health]] and are used as currency, torches light up a small area around the player in dark boards, and colored keys allow players to open same-colored doors. Other objects in the game include bombs, doors, and scrolls. One type of object called "Object" interacts based on written scripts using the game's scripting language, ZZT-OOP. As an example, the object could be programmed to give the player health, or fire bullets at the player, flashing text in response. At any time, players can save their progress, and return to the game's exact state.

Game worlds are made up of objects within grid boards that connect to each other. Players can move across different boards by either reaching the edge of the board or entering teleporters. Six game worlds were made for the game's release; four of them are game worlds, and each of the four starts in a different area.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dr. Dos|date=July 22, 2018|title=Closer Look: Caves of ZZT|url=https://museumofzzt.com/article/304/closer-look-caves-of-zzt|access-date=December 3, 2021|website=Museum of ZZT|archive-date=December 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203124828/https://museumofzzt.com/article/304/closer-look-caves-of-zzt|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Town of ZZT'' starts in a hub world with four buildings mixed with six exits, ''Caves of ZZT'' opens with a sparse area of torches and a scroll, ''Dungeons of ZZT'' starts with a linear opening sequence with gates that lock the player inside, and ''City of ZZT'' opens with a city street as a hub with a few structures. Two other worlds were included, serving different purposes. ''Guided Tour ZZT's Other Worlds'' previews boards of each game worlds, and ''Demo of the ZZT World Editor'' creates parallels to a museum by showing all of the items, terrains, and creatures that make up ''ZZT''. The goal for players are to reach the end board, progressing either by collecting purple keys to open locked doors, or gathering objects throughout the world.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dr. Dos|date=June 19, 2017|title=Closer Look: City of ZZT|url=https://museumofzzt.com/article/230/page/1/closer-look-city-of-zzt|access-date=December 3, 2021|website=Museum of ZZT|archive-date=December 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203124827/https://museumofzzt.com/article/230/page/1/closer-look-city-of-zzt|url-status=live}}</ref> Boards can contain action or puzzles. Action boards have the player face off against creatures. Creatures include lions, tigers, and bears. When creatures, bullets, or stars touch the player, health is lost. Once the player runs out of health, the game ends. Puzzles consist of untangling combinations of boulders, sliders, and pushers, or mazes that can include [[invisible wall]]s and teleporters. Some puzzles can trap the player, leading players to require returning to an earlier save.

''ZZT'' includes an in-game editor, allowing players to make their own worlds. Players start with yellow normal walls surrounding a new board as a blank screen. The editor allows players to add and arrange items, creatures, and terrain, and connect different boards together. Each board can be set to include specific settings, such as adding a time limit, making the board dark so the player could not see the board without a torch, or limiting the number of bullets on screen at any given time. Each board had its own isolated variables within the game, and through scripting players could create ten different [[Boolean data type|boolean flags]] for the environment, shared across boards.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fiadotau |first=Mikhail |date=2016 |title=Game Engine Conventions and Games that Challenge them: Subverting Conventions as Metacommentary |url=https://czasopisma.uni.lodz.pl/Replay/article/view/2007 |journal=Replay. The Polish Journal of Game Studies |language=en |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=47–65 |doi=10.18778/2391-8551.03.03 |issn=2449-8394|doi-access=free |hdl=11089/22427 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> Using ZZT-OOP, objects can be named, given commands for actions, and can send and receive messages. Everything within ''ZZT'' is displayed in the [[Code page 437|255 characters of the IBM PC's character set]] to create environments. The game supports sixteen colors, but the editor only permits seven colors for colorable objects, and has limits in the amount of objects being placed in each board.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dr. Dos |date=September 18, 2016 |title=640x350x16 A History of ZZT's Graphics |url=https://museumofzzt.com/article/175/640x350x16-a-history-of-zzts-graphics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202055729/https://museumofzzt.com/article/175/640x350x16-a-history-of-zzts-graphics |archive-date=February 2, 2022 |access-date=April 9, 2022 |website=Museum of ZZT |language=en-US}}</ref> Players eventually learned additional ways to add more colors to the game utilizing commands and different text characters, and editing world files. The [[PC speaker]] permits seven notes at several different octaves, and instruments with unique pitches of clicks, pops, and snaps to represent percussion. Sounds are played through normal gameplay, or making custom sounds through scripting.{{cn|date=April 2023}}

== Development ==
[[File:Tim sweeney GDCA 2017.jpg|thumb|[[Tim Sweeney (game developer)|Tim Sweeney]] at the [[Game Developers Choice Awards]] 2017]]
[[Video game programmer]] Tim Sweeney, studying mechanical engineering at the [[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]], first developed ''ZZT'' as a [[text editor]] in [[Turbo Pascal]].<ref name="ZZT-GU2">{{cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=May 25, 2009 |title=From The Past To The Future: Tim Sweeney Talks |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/from-the-past-to-the-future-tim-sweeney-talks |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204115638/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132426/from_the_past_to_the_future_tim_.php |archive-date=February 4, 2017 |access-date=March 27, 2018 |website=[[Gamasutra]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomsen |first=Mike |date=June 15, 2012 |orig-date=February 24, 2010 |title=History of the Unreal Engine |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/02/23/history-of-the-unreal-engine |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108122259/https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/02/23/history-of-the-unreal-engine |archive-date=January 8, 2022 |access-date=January 8, 2022 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> During this time, Tim did not know how to program graphics and only had a [[Intel 80286|286]] computer and a [[Model M keyboard]].<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Conditt |first=Jess |date=March 20, 2019 |title=Epic Games has 250 million 'Fortnite' players and a lot of plans |url=https://www.engadget.com/2019-03-20-fortnite-250-million-epic-games-sweeney-interview-gdc.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320213658/https://www.engadget.com/2019/03/20/fortnite-250-million-epic-games-sweeney-interview-gdc/ |archive-date=March 20, 2019 |access-date=December 13, 2021 |website=[[Engadget]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Totilo |first=Stephen |date=July 12, 2011 |title=The Quiet Tinkerer Who Makes Games Beautiful Finally Gets His Due |url=https://kotaku.com/the-quiet-tinkerer-who-makes-games-beautiful-finally-ge-5865951 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603061428/https://kotaku.com/the-quiet-tinkerer-who-makes-games-beautiful-finally-ge-5865951 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |access-date=December 3, 2021 |website=[[Kotaku]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Boudreau |first=Ian |date=April 5, 2020 |title=When it comes to keyboards, Tim Sweeney sticks with the classics |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/ibm/model-m-tim-sweeney |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214124719/https://www.pcgamesn.com/ibm/model-m-tim-sweeney |archive-date=December 14, 2021 |access-date=December 14, 2021 |website=[[PCGamesN]]}}</ref> The text editor idea came from disliking the included editors for the [[programming language]]s he tried on his PC. Instead he wanted to recreate his previously made Pascal-like programming environment for the [[Apple II]].<ref name="ZZT-InterFanta2">{{cite web|author=Hercules|date=November 17, 2000|title=Hercules meets Tim Sweeney|url=http://if.digitalmzx.net/herculesmeets-timsweeney.shtml|access-date=March 28, 2018|website=Interactive Fantasies|archive-date=August 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824232300/http://if.digitalmzx.net/herculesmeets-timsweeney.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> He experimented with adding collision to text characters, and made the cursor a controllable character. He found it more fun to make it into a game by adding bullets and creatures to fight. From there, he designed his first levels from text files, creating different boards similar in style to [[Atari, Inc.|Atari's]] ''[[Adventure (1980 video game)|Adventure]]'', while continually offering additions to the game and editor. Sweeney studied during the day, and worked on his game during the night. The text-based graphics allowed him to produce ideas such as talking trees or interesting characters without breaking immersion.<ref name=":03" /> Most of these additions were his own, but he occasionally took ideas from ''[[Kroz]]'', such as the bomb. Development took around six to nine months, with under 1,000 hours of time spent developing the game, and making around 20,000 lines of [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]] code.<ref name=":42">{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=January 20, 2012 |title=Epic's 3D graphics wizard Tim Sweeney says business and technology are "intricately linked" (interview) |url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/01/20/epics-3d-graphics-wizard-tim-sweeney-says-business-and-technology-are-intricately-linked-interview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217130710/https://venturebeat.com/2012/01/20/epics-3d-graphics-wizard-tim-sweeney-says-business-and-technology-are-intricately-linked-interview/ |archive-date=December 17, 2021 |access-date=December 17, 2021 |website=[[VentureBeat]]}}</ref>

He shared it with friends and neighborhood kids, taking notes of their joy and excitement playing his own game. He discovered that making games allowed him to share something to the world, and could earn more income compared to wage earners, and chose to sell the game. The game's episodic model took inspiration from [[3D Realms|Apogee's]] [[shareware]] model, and he encouraged spreading the game across shareware vendors, user groups, and [[bulletin board system]]s. He operated his company out of his bedroom, having orders sent to his parents' address, where he would send the remaining episodes on [[floppy disk]]s by mail delivery. During development, he wrote to [[Scott Miller (entrepreneur)|Scott Miller]] for advice and to learn more about the industry. Miller responded with advice and encouragement.<ref name="Tim-Note2">{{cite web |last=Sweeney |first=Tim |title=The Official ZZT Home Page |url=http://www.epicgames.com/zzt.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991010013339/http://www.epicgames.com/zzt.htm |archive-date=October 10, 1999 |website=[[Epic Games]] |quote=}}</ref> Sweeney chose the name so it would be listed last alphabetically in shareware catalogs and on bulletin board systems, though a fan later suggested the [[backronym]] of "Zoo of Zero Tolerance", which Sweeney endorsed.<ref name="ZZT-Museum912">{{cite web|author=Dr. Dos|date=January 15, 2021|title=ZZT and Epic Newsletter Scans|url=https://museumofzzt.com/article/515/zzt-and-epic-newsletter-scans|access-date=January 15, 2021|website=Museum of ZZT|archive-date=January 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116052413/https://museumofzzt.com/article/515/zzt-and-epic-newsletter-scans|url-status=live}}</ref> He sold it as the first major game with [[object-oriented programming]].<ref name="ZZT-CGW2">{{cite magazine |author=Circle Reader Service #12 |date=July 1991 |title=Taking a Peek |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_84.pdf |url-status=live |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |issue=84 |page=78 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327045843/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_84.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2020 |access-date=April 1, 2018}}</ref> ''ZZT'' was released on January 15, 1991.<ref name="ZZT-Museum912"/> ''Town of ZZT'' alongside the in-game editor was distributed freely, while the other official worlds could be ordered to receive a single floppy disk including the purchased worlds, and drawn maps of each of the worlds.<ref name="Polygon-Last2">{{cite web |last=Pitcher |first=Jenna |date=November 21, 2013 |title=Epic Classics ships last copy of ZZT |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/11/21/5128872/epic-classics-ships-last-copy-of-zzt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519184708/http://www.polygon.com/2013/11/21/5128872/epic-classics-ships-last-copy-of-zzt |archive-date=May 19, 2016 |access-date=March 28, 2018 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref> At one point, ''City of ZZT'' was also distributed as ''ZZT's City'', through [[Softdisk]]'s [[On Disk Monthly]] service.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dr. Dos|date=October 15, 2019|title=Closer Look: ZZT's City + Interview With Stuart Hardwick|url=https://museumofzzt.com/article/428/closer-look-zzts-city-interview-with-stuart-hardwick|access-date=December 15, 2021|website=Museum of ZZT|archive-date=December 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215122640/https://museumofzzt.com/article/428/closer-look-zzts-city-interview-with-stuart-hardwick|url-status=live}}</ref> Each of the remaining official worlds, along with other ''ZZT'' games were later released as [[freeware]] on October 10, 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 10, 1997 |title=News Update |url=http://www.epicgames.com/whatsnew.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980214165401/http://www.epicgames.com/whatsnew.htm |archive-date=February 14, 1998 |access-date=December 15, 2021 |website=[[Epic Games|Epic MegaGames]] }}</ref>

== Reception ==
Following ''ZZT''{{'}}s release, about three to four copies were sold daily, at around 800 copies by November 1991,<ref name="ZZT-Museum912" /> and around 4,000 to 5,000 copies in total by 2009.<ref name="ZZT-GU2" /> Sweeney earned around {{US$|100|1991|round=-1}} per day by November 1991, and around {{US$|30000|1999|long=no|round=-3}} from ''ZZT'' by May 1999, of which most of the profit came from its first year.<ref name="ZZT-Museum912" /><ref name=":33">{{Cite web|last=Bovelander|first=Wouter|date=May 25, 1999|title=Tim Sweeney -- interview|url=http://home.wxs.nl/~wbovela/interview.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001011010456/http://home.wxs.nl/~wbovela/interview.htm|archive-date=October 11, 2000|access-date=December 3, 2021|website=Planet ZZT++}}</ref><ref name=":23">{{Cite web|last=Dr. Dos|date=February 15, 2021|title=The Epic Mega Haul|url=https://museumofzzt.com/article/518/the-epic-mega-haul|access-date=December 13, 2021|website=Museum of ZZT|archive-date=December 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213114815/https://museumofzzt.com/article/518/the-epic-mega-haul|url-status=live}}</ref> After Sweeney moved out of his parents' house to establish proper corporate headquarters for Potomac Computer Systems, then renamed [[Epic MegaGames]], his father Paul Sweeney, continued fulfilling [[mail order]]s to the original address under the Epic Classics label, allowing for purchase of physical copies of ''ZZT''.<ref name="Polygon-Last2" /> The final copy of ''ZZT'' was shipped to game designer Zack Hiwiller in November 2013.

Contemporary and retrospective reviews from critics were mixed. A comment from ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' billed ''ZZT'' as "truly charming", finding the gameplay simple to learn.<ref name="ZZT-CGW2" /> Scott Wolf of [[PC Gamer|''PC Gamer'' (US)]] stated the graphics and sound for ''ZZT'' to be "truly awful", while the gameplay serves as a flashback to "when gameplay was not overshadowed by flashy video and animation".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Wolf |first=Scott |date=December 1995 |editor-last=Bennet |editor-first=Dan |title=Lupine Online |magazine=[[PC Gamer (US)]] |location=Burlingame, CA |publisher=Imagine Publishing |volume=2 |issue=12 |page=297 |issn=1059-2180}}</ref> Benj Edwards has called ''ZZT'' an "influential and underrated game", crediting its current enjoyment from playing community made worlds and making unexpected things with the "fairly robust" built in editor.<ref name=":53">{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=February 19, 2021 |title=Before Fortnite, There Was ZZT: Meet Epic's First Game |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/713532/before-fortnite-there-was-zzt-meet-epics-first-game/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228051831/https://www.howtogeek.com/713532/before-fortnite-there-was-zzt-meet-epics-first-game/ |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |access-date=December 28, 2021 |website=How-To Geek}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=September 3, 2007 |title=Great Moments in Shareware: ZZT |url=https://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/358/great-moments-in-shareware-zzt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228051831/https://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/358/great-moments-in-shareware-zzt |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |access-date=December 28, 2021 |website=Vintage Computing and Gaming}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=March 10, 2016 |title=7 Classic PC Games With ASCII Graphics |url=http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/342727/7-classic-pc-games-with-ascii-graphics/6 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160718080258/http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/342727/7-classic-pc-games-with-ascii-graphics/6 |archive-date=July 18, 2016 |access-date=December 28, 2021 |website=[[PC Magazine]]}}</ref> This is while crediting the official worlds for being a "depthy adventure game full of puzzles, challenge, and humor". Chris Kohler of [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] called it a simple, fun, and not always intuitive game design tool under the façade of a simple adventure game, blending seamless game design and play that makes it attractive and user-friendly.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine |last=Kohler |first=Chris |date=October 1, 2008 |title=First Impressions: LittleBigPlanet's Ever-Expanding World of Wonder |language=en-US |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/10/first-impressio/ |access-date=April 9, 2022 |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=March 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304070159/https://www.wired.com/2008/10/first-impressio/ |url-status=live}}</ref> He found making a game fun, due to the interface being nearly identical to the game, allowing for the easy placement of objects and terrain. ''[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]''{{'}}s Ollie Toms focused on the editor, finding the game to be "a colourful, characterful, years-long course in scripting and programming games".<ref name=":63">{{Cite news |last=Toms |first=Ollie |date=October 23, 2019 |title=Have you played… ZZT? |work=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]] |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/have-you-played-zzt |url-status=live |access-date=December 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218125019/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/have-you-played-zzt |archive-date=December 18, 2021}}</ref> He wrote that though ZZT-OOP was basic and limited, children could learn about and make games without knowing anything about programming. ''[[Hardcore Gaming 101]]'' in a podcast episode stated ''ZZT'' was "not all that fun", criticizing that official worlds and community made worlds included unavoidable damage, and instant death.<ref name="Switter-Host3">{{Cite podcast |host=Switter |title=Episode 99: Kirby's Dream Land 3, ZZT |website=Top 47,858 Games of All Time |publisher=[[Hardcore Gaming 101]] |date=May 14, 2018 |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/podcasts/top-47858-games-of-all-time-episode-99-kirbys-dream-land-3-zzt/ |access-date=December 28, 2021 |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228051831/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/podcasts/top-47858-games-of-all-time-episode-99-kirbys-dream-land-3-zzt/ |url-status=live}}</ref> They found that games that attempted to expand and push the engine further are generally "rough around the edges", or "more functional rather than good". Rather, they admired ''ZZT'' like a [[Experiment|science experiment]] or a demo from a [[demoscene]], existing to study and push the limits of ''ZZT'', finding the game itself and the community that built from it technically impressive.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

== Legacy ==
By getting $100 per day from ''ZZT'', Sweeney was convinced he could earn enough from the [[shareware]] industry, and decided to work in the [[video game industry]].<ref name="ZZT-GU2" /> He renamed the company to Epic MegaGames in October 1991.<ref name=":23" /> Shortly after the release of ''ZZT'', Sweeney started a level designer contest for registered users to make their own worlds and submit them to him.<ref name="ZZT-Museum912" /> Over 200 users submitted their custom worlds. The best collaboration games that won the contest were included in ''The Best of ZZT'' and ''ZZT's Revenge'', released in 1992. The winners of the contest received prizes of gift certificates, while others would receive honorable mentions. The six winning custom worlds that made up ''ZZT's Revenge'' earned the designers employment in Epic MegaGames, with the winning worlds being "Ezanya", "Fantasy", "Crypt", "Smiley Guy", "Manor", and "Darbytown".<ref name=":03" /> Sweeney later asked one of these developers, Allen Pilgrim, to create the shareware world "Monster Zoo" for the sequel to ''ZZT'', ''Super ZZT'', released on October 15, 1991.<ref>{{Cite web|last=DOSGuy|date=April 27, 2015|title=Allen Pilgrim Interview|url=https://www.classicdosgames.com/interviews/allenpilgrim.html|access-date=February 7, 2022|website=RGB Classic Games|archive-date=February 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207104137/https://www.classicdosgames.com/interviews/allenpilgrim.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Other worlds available for purchase were "Proving Grounds" and "Lost Forest". The game plays similarly to ''ZZT'', while adding more features such as greater colors accessible within its editor, new enemies and objects, and scrolling map screens that allowed for larger boards than in ''ZZT''. Although ''Super ZZT'' incorporated several additions to ''ZZT'', it never caught on with the ''ZZT'' community like the original ''ZZT'' did, and very few games were ever created for ''Super ZZT'', with one reason being due to the editor being hidden during normal play.<ref name="ZZT-InterFanta2" />

After publishing ''Best of ZZT'' and ''ZZT's Revenge'', Sweeney realized the community began creating worlds that reached or exceeded the quality of his work.<ref name=":33" /> Furthermore, he believed that games with cutting edge graphics and sound similar in commercial quality to [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] or [[Sega Genesis]] games would have higher sales in the shareware model, taking influence from ''[[Commander Keen]]'' and ''[[Duke Nukem (video game)|Duke Nukem]]''. As such, he moved away from ''ZZT'' indefinitely to work on other projects like ''[[Jill of the Jungle]]''. He has commented on wanting to build a [[Massively multiplayer online game|massive-multiplayer online]] version of ''ZZT'' during an interview, but his future focus on the company was to move forward with new franchises, while learning from the success of ''ZZT''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Elig|date=July 15, 2007|title=An Interview with Tim Sweeney|url=https://www.digitalmzx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12521|access-date=December 28, 2021|website=dMZX Forums|archive-date=December 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228051840/https://www.digitalmzx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12521|url-status=live}}</ref> Sweeney and Mark Rein later credited that much of the core idea of ''[[Unreal (1998 video game)|Unreal]]'' and ''[[Unreal Engine]]'' came from what Sweeney learned from the success of ''ZZT'', with a focus on building games with clean code and editing tools, so that others can build their own games.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":53" /> Mark Rein has claimed that ''[[Unreal Tournament]]'' became a spiritual successor to the game thanks to the game's modding community and versatile developer tools.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kohler |first=Chris |date=February 5, 2007 |title=Interview: Epic's Mark Rein |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |url=https://www.wired.com/2007/02/interview-epics/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213084933/https://www.wired.com/2007/02/interview-epics/ |archive-date=February 13, 2022 |issn=1059-1028}}</ref>
<!--[[KevEdit]] and [[ZZTAE]] redirect here.-->

An early modding community emerged within [[Prodigy (online service)|Prodigy]], [[AOL|America Online]], [[CompuServe|Compuserve]], and the Internet.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Au |first=Wagner James |date=April 16, 2004 |title=Triumph of the mod |url=https://www.salon.com/2002/04/16/modding/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703193721/http://www.salon.com/2002/04/16/modding/ |archive-date=July 3, 2015 |access-date=January 8, 2022 |website=[[Salon.com|Salon]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Schreiner |first1=Lukas |last2=von Mammen |first2=Sebastian |title=The 16th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (FDG) 2021 |chapter=Modding Support of Game Engines |date=2021-08-03 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1145/3472538.3472574 |series=FDG'21 |location=New York, NY, US |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |pages=1–9 |doi=10.1145/3472538.3472574 |isbn=978-1-4503-8422-3|s2cid=239053857}}</ref> Many fan-made worlds and editing tools are curated on a fan website, ''Museum of ZZT''. The game provided the community with an outlet for creativity and self-expression without artistic or programming skills, especially among stigmatized groups such as [[transgender]] people.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Welch|first=Tom|date=December 2018|title=The Affectively Necessary Labour of Queer Mods|url=http://gamestudies.org/1803/articles/welch|journal=Game Studies|volume=18|issue=3|issn=1604-7982|access-date=December 28, 2021|archive-date=December 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201209094717/http://gamestudies.org/1803/articles/welch|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2021, more than 3,000 worlds have been created using the built in editor, or third party editors such as KevEdit.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dr. Dos|title=Mass Downloads|url=https://museumofzzt.com/mass-downloads/|access-date=December 27, 2021|website=Museum of ZZT|archive-date=December 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228051831/https://museumofzzt.com/mass-downloads/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Dr. Dos |title=Closer Look: Modern ZZT Editing With KevEdit |url=https://museumofzzt.com/article/232/closer-look-modern-zzt-editing-with-kevedit |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418031706/https://museumofzzt.com/article/232/closer-look-modern-zzt-editing-with-kevedit |archive-date=April 18, 2018 |access-date=April 17, 2018 |website=Museum of ZZT}}</ref> Tim Sweeney has claimed that tens of thousands of workers in the game industry have previously made worlds in ''ZZT''.<ref name=":42" /> A port called ''Zeta'' allows for playing ''ZZT'' games on Windows or a web browser, and another source port, ''DreamZZT'', allows ports to consoles, specifically the [[Dreamcast]] and [[Nintendo DS]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Carless |first=Simon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zrqz84QUuSEC&pg=PA67 |title=Gaming Hacks |publisher=[[O'Reilly Media|O'Reilly Media, Inc.]] |year=2004 |isbn=9780596007140 |edition=1st |location=Sebastopol, CA |pages=67 |oclc=326649266 |access-date=April 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108122300/https://books.google.com/books?id=zrqz84QUuSEC&pg=PA67 |archive-date=January 8, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> Worlds continue to be developed that have expanded beyond its intended genre, creating [[shoot 'em up]]s, [[List of Tetris variants|falling block puzzle games]], complex [[Role-playing video game|role-playing games]], and [[Point-and-click Adventure|point-and-click adventure]] games, sometimes deriving from other entertainment releases.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Kohler |first=Chris |title=Retro Gaming Hacks: Tips & Tools for Playing the Classics |date=October 12, 2005 |publisher=[[O'Reilly Media|O'Reilly Media, Inc.]] |isbn=978-1-4493-0390-7 |editor-last=Jepson |editor-first=Brian |location=Sebastopol, CA |pages=441 |chapter=Chapter 8, Playing at Game Design |access-date=June 18, 2018 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fz8lndvLhJQC&pg=PT441 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108225428/https://books.google.com/books?id=Fz8lndvLhJQC&pg=PT441 |archive-date=January 8, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Switter-Host3" /> The [[source code]] of ''ZZT'' was lost in a computer [[Crash (computing)|crash]],<ref name="ZZT-GU2" /><ref name="Tim-Note2" /> a community developer, Adrian Siekierka, [[Reverse engineering|reconstructed]] and released the source code in 2020, creating a binary accurate executable of ''ZZT'' with Sweeney's permission.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gipp|first=Stuart|date=March 17, 2020|title=ZZT's source code has been reconstructed - Reconstruction of ZZT is a game-changer for the ZZT community|url=https://retronauts.com/article/1480/zzts-source-code-has-been-reconstructed|website=Retronauts|access-date=April 12, 2020|archive-date=March 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318034925/https://retronauts.com/article/1480/zzts-source-code-has-been-reconstructed|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Siekierka|first=Adrian|date=August 4, 2020|title=ZZT Stories: The Reconstruction|url=https://blog.asie.pl/2020/08/reconstructing-zzt/|website=asie's blog|access-date=July 18, 2021|archive-date=July 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724233720/https://blog.asie.pl/2020/08/reconstructing-zzt/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On January 28, 2023, the original source code for ''ZZT'' 3.0 (without third party content) was uploaded to [[GitHub]] under the [[MIT License]] with permission of Tim Sweeney.<ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Siekierka |first=Adrian |user=cbrzeszczot |number=1619439008827973632 |date=28 January 2023 |title=According to [Tim Sweeney], the original ZZT source code was lost in the early 90s: "[... If] I had it, I'd release it, but I lost it in a crash a long time ago." But they were all of them deceived, for another backup was made. |access-date=31 January 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131040434/https://twitter.com/cbrzeszczot/status/1619439008827973632 |archive-date=31 January 2023}}</ref>

Other games have been inspired by ''ZZT'', such as ''MegaZeux'', ''PuzzleScript'', and ''[[Frog Fractions 2]]'', and authors of ''ZZT'' worlds became professional video game developers.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Warren|first=Jonah|title=2019 IEEE Games, Entertainment, Media Conference (GEM) |chapter=Tiny online game engines |date=18-21 June 2019|location=New Haven, CT, US|publisher=IEEE|pages=1–7|doi=10.1109/GEM.2019.8901975|isbn=978-1-7281-2404-9|s2cid=208210552|via=IEEE Xplore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Graft |first=Kris |date=February 20, 2018 |title=Frog Fractions 2 ARG co-creator reflects on what makes a good alternate reality game |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-frog-fractions-2-i-arg-co-creator-reflects-on-what-makes-a-good-alternate-reality-game |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214222058/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-frog-fractions-2-i-arg-co-creator-reflects-on-what-makes-a-good-alternate-reality-game |archive-date=December 14, 2021 |access-date=December 14, 2021 |website=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]]}}</ref> ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' has made comparisons to ''[[Minecraft]]'' and ''[[Roblox]]'', in its ability to serve as a start for new [[video game developer]]s. ''Wired'' and ''Hardcore Gaming 101'' found similarities in its seamless blend of gameplay and editing to ''[[LittleBigPlanet]]''.<ref name=":63" /><ref name=":1" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Portal bar|1990s|Video games}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book | author-link=Anna Anthropy | first=Anna | last=Anthropy | title=ZZT | publisher=Boss Fight Books | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-940535-02-9}}

== External links ==
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020126190941/http://www.epicgames.com:80/zzt.htm|date=January 26, 2002|title=Official website}}
* {{Mobygames|/zzt}}
* {{GitHub|asiekierka/almost-of-zzt|Mostly complete source code repository for ''ZZT'' 3.0}}

{{Epic}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1991 video games]]
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[[Category:Software using the MIT license]]
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