What has kept you interested in games for as long as you have been? Have you
ever considered writing a novel or writing for other non-interactive media?
I have often considered writing a novel or screenplay, particularly at the most discour-
aging moments in my game writing career: canceled projects, a company going under, a
game selling very poorly. But game writing has always paid the bills, so other writing
projects would have to be a moonlighting thing, and with parenting and other outside
interests there just isn’t a lot of free time for non-paying writing. But any frustrations
and unhappiness with making games has been completely on the business side; I’ve
never found the creative process of making games to be anything less than a blast. It’s
still a growing/developing medium, so it’s pretty exciting to be helping to invent a new
“art form.” Because the pay in the industry is relatively low, everyone you work with
tends to be really motivated and love what they’re doing, and it’s just a pretty cool way
to earn a living. For example, how many dads can give their kids T-shirts for a canceled
WarCraftadventure game?
Steve Meretzky Gameography
Planetfall, 1983
Sorcerer, 1984
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 1984
A Mind Forever Voyaging, 1985
Leather Goddesses of Phobos, 1986
Stationfall, 1987
Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz, 1988
Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All the Girls, 1990
Spellcasting 201: The Sorcerer’s Appliance, 1991
Spellcasting 301: Spring Break, 1992
Leather Goddesses of Phobos II: Gas Pump Girls Meet
the Pulsating Inconvenience from Planet X, 1992
Superhero League of Hoboken, 1994
Hodj ’n’ Podj, 1995
The Space Bar, 1997
Tile City, 2000
Word Cubes, 2001
Hangmania, 2002
Catch-21, 2002
SwapIt!, 2003
Blockwerx, 2004
Triv!, 2004Chapter 10: Interview: Steve Meretzky 201