Zuno is a text adventure for iPhone and iPad, inspired by classic parser games like Zork. A letter brings you to the abandoned Tideglass Observatory, where the caretaker left one final instruction: Return the light before the tide returns. Explore its rooms, gather curious objects, and solve the mechanisms that will restore its beacon.

No timer, no combat, no arbitrary death — and it plays completely offline.

Features

A World Built from Words

The story is the interface. Read each room, examine what catches your eye, and try things — the observatory responds with clear, often dryly funny consequences.

Twelve rooms, from the Observatory Gate down to the flooded cistern and up to the Beacon Crown
A chain of linked puzzles that build toward one ending
Atmospheric illustrations that set the mood — every essential clue is in the text
Optional discoveries for the curious

Type or Tap

Play the classic way, or don’t type at all.

Type commands like look, examine lantern, take gear, use gear on pump, or north
Or tap context actions, Go buttons for each exit, and Examine, Use, and Drop in your inventory
Short forms work too — x to examine, i for inventory, n, s, e, w, up, down
Failed or unrecognized commands never cost a turn

Help When You Want It

Progressive hints — three per puzzle, from a gentle nudge to the exact action, revealed only when you ask
Undo — step back through up to 50 actions; undone entries stay visible in the story
Journal — every clue you discover, grouped by location
Map — rooms appear as you explore them, with known exits and what’s blocking them

No Pressure

The tide is atmosphere, not a deadline. There’s no timer, no combat, and no way to die. Stop, read, and experiment as long as you like.

Saved Automatically

Progress saves after every command and whenever you leave the app
Continue journey picks up exactly where you left off
Export a save through the Files app and import it on another device

Built for iPhone and iPad

Portrait or landscape on every device, with Split View and Slide Over on iPad
A dark, lamplit look designed for reading
VoiceOver announcements for new responses, rotors for exits and actions, and a text list version of the map
Dynamic Type up to the largest accessibility sizes, plus Increase Contrast and Reduce Motion
In-app text size, high contrast, and reduced motion settings
Hardware keyboard shortcuts for save, undo, help, and hints

Private by Design

Zuno has no account, no server, and no network code. There is nothing for us to collect, because nothing is sent anywhere.

Fully offline — the whole adventure, its art, and its fonts are built in
No analytics, no crash reporting, no advertising, no third-party SDKs
No in-app purchases or subscriptions
Your progress and settings stay on your device

Requirements

iPhone or iPad running iOS or iPadOS 17 or later

Zuno