The Great Interactive Fiction Excerpt Hunt

A solving note: some of these are findable with logical deduction, while others will require some scavenging through games suspected of having the indicated message. As a final warning: the copyright date does not necessarily correspond to the date of writing or release. (Also, if a game was later released into the public domain, I'm using the original copyright date.)

2. [Copyright 1987]
The dog went barmy when I started practicing the cornet. What shall I do?
1) shut the dog in the coal shed;
2) practise out in the coal shed;
3) stop and watch telly instead.

3. [Copyright 1997]
Forcing yourself to relax, you lie back in the pool of liquid. The cilia on the bottom of the pool wrap themselves around you and draw you down. At first, you struggle, but then you realize that you can breathe the clear liquid as if it were air. You feel the cilia massage your body. After several minutes of this very relaxing treatment, they release you, leaving you feeling only slightly better than before.

4. [Copyright 1982]
The runes are in an ancient language. Some pictures, among the runes, depict flames, stone statues, and figures of old men.

5. [Copyright 1995-1998]
Before you can even get the hand  holding the bottle halfway up, Old Dan grabs the bottle and takes a gigantic swig.  His eyes open  so wide you can see through his head.  Then he rockets straight into orbit, disappearing into the stratosphere, leaving only a trail of blue smoke behind him.

6. [Copyright 1995]
The poets' words don't drift away on the fiery rivers here. There aren't any poets.

7. [Copyright 1987]
 "Passengers will please remain seated," drones the conductor.

8. [Copyright 1991]
If you take the three frescos to represent past, present, and future, the third fresco presents an unsettling vision.  The reptiles depicted in the first fresco have been transformed into mechanical gargoyles.  These reptoids encrust the buildings and their open pouts seem to mouthspeak orders which direct the scurrying population below.

9. [Copyright  1987-1992]
For fifty miles, billboards have been inviting you to "See Hat City!  The Hat Capital of the World."

10. [Copyright 1981]
You are surrounded by gently swaying silver birches which seem to change position when you're not looking. The gaps between them somehow close when you approach. The trees give off a heavy scent which is almost overpowering at times.

11. [Copyright 1985-1986]
"I am having great trouble in finding someone to perform an extremely simple task and I wonder if you would help me out. If you deliver this sealed letter to King Erik of Kerovnia, you will be well rewarded when I next meet you on your travels and I would be forever indebted to you."

12. [Copyright 1985/1990]
IT LOOKS LIKE A POSTER OF YOU!! BUT THEN, YOU CAN'T REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE.

13. [Copyright 1993]
As you enter, one of the women in labcoats walks over to you. "Ah, you must be subject 32," she says with a bit of impatience in her voice. "Everyone else is ready to begin. Now, if you'd take your seat, we could proceed with the experiment." She walks back toward the center of the room and confers with another of the scientists.

14. [Copyright 1981]
I can see myself thin,fat & tall

15. [Copyright 1993]
This is the sort of money which is burned in shrines. The logic goes something like this : You don't want the Gods to think you have too many blessings. You try to prove this. You show the gods that you are humbly reducing your wealth (to acceptable limits) by burning money at the shrines. You are not stupid. Hence you are not going to burn real, hard cash. Thus : fake money. Of course, what this says about the assumed gullibility of Gods could be discussed at length, but at some different time and venue.

16. [Copyright 1998]
Somewhere, a guard sings "O Sole Mio."

17. [Copyright 1987]
She looks a lot like an ogre-sized fried roach.

18. [Copyright 1997]
You really have no intention of turning on the blender, do you? You may not be able to replace what is in it!

19. [Public domain]
For once, your sleep is restful and complete, and interlaced with dreams of unself-conscious sexual attraction. If only the real world was as certain.

20. [Copyright 1992]
The manuscript is entitled, "The Spooky Old House". It begins; Once upon a time there was this big old house. A man had to stay in it one night and there were a lot of ghosts. And boy, it was real spooky.....(that's all you have written so far.) You can see why many have called you the Master of Horror.

21. [Copyright 1983]
There once was a cowboy named Mix
Who managed just one shot in six
    He looked quite surpised
    When he opened his eyes
And saw that his gun wasn't fixed.

22. [Copyright 1991]
This time it is the roars of the Cowardly Lion that stop you in mid-action. The poor creature dies of heart failure as he is strapped down and forced to watch an entire late night horror movie marathon. The Wicked Witch finds the whole thing incredibly amusing, and almost ends up rolling on the floor.

23. [Copyright 2000]
You hit a high arcing serve to the unicorn's backhorn. Since the unicorn has no backhorn, you score easily.

24. [Copyright 1983]
Like most fromitz boards, it is a twisted maze of silicon circuits. It is square, approximately seventeen centimeters on each side. This one looks as though it's been dropped.

25. [Copyright 1983]
CAPTAIN, I SENSE KLINGONS TO THE EAST.  TOO MANY FOR JUST HAND PHASERS.

26. [Copyright 1995]
"Some combinations are said to generate other combinations according to certain rules. When you enter a combination, the chest either beeps, or displays the generated combination on the screen. If a combination generates itself, then the chest opens."

27. [Copyright 1992]
A race of people called the KETTELIANS had a civilization which thrived on the sale and worship of tea-bags, or as they called them, THE GREAT WET-ONES-THAT-TASTE-GOOD. Their tea-bags were sold all over the galaxies and in fact right across the universe, I say they WERE sold because according to the Kettelian way of life and their religion one day the end of their world would come, this was called THE-DAY-THE-FLAVOUR-RAN-OUT.

28. [Copyright 1983]
Since Virginia died, I've lost too much sleep because of you and your harrassments.

29. [Copyright 1985-1987]
Recent advances in phased-neutrino sheilding have led to the design of small ships which can pass through the force field.  Your tiny lander was a prototype.  However, it appears that the effect isn't perfect since all of the electrical systems went haywire shortly before you crashed.  (The lander was programmed to set down outside the largest city.)

30. [Copyright 2000]
There's nothing like flying all the way from New Jersey to work up an appetite.

31. [Copyright 1982]
This east/west hallway is distinguished by a framed print of Morolian shepherds.

32. [Copyright 1993]
Men vad ska små hober i Mordor att göra, det undrar vi, ja min Sskatt, det undrar vi, muttrar Gollum, medan han halvkrypande prövar markens bärkraft i olika riktningar. Efter flera timmar, medan de fasansfulla bergen i sydöst kommit allt närmare, träffar de på en väg som följt bergen från norra sidan.

33. [Copyright 1986]
Are you sure you're mentally and otherwise prepared to meet up with an egress?