The most popular text-based games

In the past, lots of games used ASCII characters (text) to represent the game world. These text-only video games may seem primitive and outdated and, in fact, the genre almost died with the fast evolving graphics of modern games.
A few genres traditionally linked to the beautiful world of ascii characters still survives: roguelikes (nethack, angband, etc.) and interactive fiction, for example.

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Spellbreaker

DOS19853.9/5 Infocom

A Dudley Dilemma

DOS19883.3/5

Amazon

DOS19843.7/5 Telarium

Return to Kroz

DOS1990freeware3.1/5 Apogee Software

Super ZZT

DOS19923.3/5 Epic MegaGames

Stationfall

DOS19873.9/5 Infocom

Pac Gal

DOS19823/5

Essex

DOS19853.6/5 Synapse Software

Mo'Slo

DOS1990protected4.1/5 Dr.David's Super Crispy Software

The previous file hosted here was put online by mistake (it was the deluxe version, not the basic one). Copyright holders kindly allowed Abandonware DOS to link directly to their website where you can buy the deluxe version of Mo'Slo.

Video Trek 88

DOS19823.9/5 Windmill Software

Monopoly

DOS19853.9/5

Treasure Island

DOS19853.5/5 Byron Preiss Video Productions

Omega

DOSLinux1988freeware3.8/5

Data Perfect 2.6

DOS19933.5/5

EGA Trek

DOS1988remake3.3/5

Star Saga: One - Beyond the Boundary

DOS19873.6/5 Masterplay Publishing Corporation

Baseball Mogul

Windows XP/98/9519973.9/5 Infinite Monkey Systems

Supernova

DOS1987freeware3.5/5 Apogee Software

Bureaucracy

DOSMac19873.9/5 Infocom

Bureaucracy is an abandoned text-adventure game designed by Douglas Adams (yes, the writer of The Hitchhiker Guide of the Galaxy), developed and published by Infocom in 1987. Bureaucracy is a peculiar interactive fiction; the game challenges you to solve frustrating bureaucratic problems in a world populated by strange characters.