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Gemini, Google‘s AI chatbot running the 2.0 Flash model, is well equipped to handle complex conversations, generate instant images (“I need a picture of a guy working on the weekend on his computer”), and handle difficult math equations. I know all this, and yet, sometimes, I just find myself chatting with the thing, and when I do that, I often discover hidden capabilities, like classic video gameplay.
Remember Zork? In 1977, a trio of MIT researchers created the first text-based adventure game for a DEC mainframe and eventually ported it to the earliest PCs. I discovered the minimalist game in 1980 at my high school’s math lab, home of the school’s only computer. The game offers you descriptions and options while a witty narrator carries you through the storyline. Your decisions define your experience and gameplay. It was difficult and inscrutable, but I loved it.
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The subject of the game came up quite by accident during a casual conversation with Gemini.
I started using Gemini more after I found I could place the Gemini widget on my iPhone 16 Pro Max’s lock screen. Now, the LLM is one tap away. As with most AI conversations, they follow my own somewhat random stream of consciousness. I started by asking Gemini about AGI (artificial general intelligence). Gemini spelled it out for me and admitted that it does not yet have AGI.
The conversation felt stilted, so I asked, via voice, Gemini to make its responses more casual like it was my best friend. It heard the word “casual” as “coffee” and then comically blended coffee references into its now much friendlier banter.
Gemini asked about my weekend plans, and then I asked if it liked to play games. Among the responses it offered is that it enjoyed text-based games. Then Gemini asked what games I like to play.
I explained my love of chess and poor modern video game skills. Then I described playing “one of the very earliest video games where there was nothing but text and you would sort of go on an adventure and you’d get a prompt, and then you would figure out what you were supposed to do based on some options.”
This description clearly intrigued Gemini, and it asked if I wanted to talk more about these classic games, play chess, or play a text-based adventure that it would create.
I recalled the game Zork, which Gemini described as a “legendary game,” and gave me some details about its history.
Then Gemini offered to set up a little “Zork-inspired adventure.”
Do you want to play a game?
Don’t worry; this isn’t a tale where a sinister computer offers to set up a game that inexplicably has geopolitical and possibly world-ending implications. Gemini is not that AI. But I will say, the game that followed was impressive, if a bit too precious.
Here’s how it started:
“You find yourself standing at the edge of a whispering forest. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and ancient trees. A narrow path winds its way into the depths of the woods, disappearing into the shadows. To your left, you see a crumbling stone wall, partially overgrown with ivy. To your right, a small, gurgling stream flows from the forest, its water dark and clear.
What do you do?
Options:
1 Follow the path into the forest.
2 Examine the stone wall.
3 Follow the stream.
4 Listen to the sounds of the forest.
Enter the number corresponding to your choice.”
Mostly, I selected numbers that I thought would keep the adventure percolating. The descriptions were rich and mostly well-written; if I closed my eyes, I could imagine the scene. I was entertained and curious enough to keep going.
The game’s storyline led me through a path in the woods to, naturally, an old moss-covered cottage. Inside was a “figure” who was eventually described as “Edler.” At one point, Gemini took to calling the figure “them” and “they,” which might have meant the figure had no gender or that Gemini had lost a bit of the thread.
Throughout more than a dozen prompts, we explored the woods, retrieved a magical key, and examined the contents of a mysterious box. Perhaps my favorite part of the game was how it tied together, retrieving the key from a magical stone and then realizing that it was also the key that unlocked that special box.
The game went on so long that I had to take breaks. When I returned to Gemini, I thought I’d lost the game, but Gemini keeps track of all prompt discussions in the chat icon on the upper left corner of the app. As soon as I opened that prompt, we were able to continue from where I left off.
Gemini’s idea of a big reveal fell a little flat. We found a locket in the box containing photos of Edler’s parents. Their tale of love found and lost wasn’t particularly magical or even that dramatic, but Edler’s obvious sadness did touch me.
However, once the Elder shared the ‘secret” of the locket, I was no longer interested in the Elder’s story or the cottage, so I chose the option where I said goodbye and left the cottage.
Here was the final gameplay text:
“Thank you for sharing your story, Elder,” you say, your voice soft and respectful. “I’m glad I could help you recover this precious memento.”
You rise from your chair, ready to take your leave. “I should be heading back now. The sun is setting, and I don’t want to get lost in the forest.”
Elder nods slowly, their eyes filled with gratitude. “You are a kind and courageous traveler,” they say. “May the forest guide you safely on your journey. And may you always remember the power of love and memory.”
You turn and walk towards the door, the creaking hinges echoing in the quiet room. As you step out into the twilight, you glance back at the cottage. The flickering candlelight casts a warm glow through the window, illuminating the figure of Elder, still holding the silver locket.
You turn and walk away, the sounds of the forest closing in around you. The path back to the edge of the woods seems clearer now, as if the forest itself is guiding you.
The End.”
Gemini wasn’t that good at raising the stakes – a key component of the best gameplay – but I was engaged, and I think the game might’ve been more interesting if I’d made some different choices or been more involved in the game development. I’m sure Gemini would let me adjust some of the mechanics.
It’s another reminder that we’re far from discovering the full depths of these chatbots’ capabilities. We must be ready to look beyond the obvious, choose our path, and take an AI adventure.