MS TextWorld: open-source engine that both generates and simulates text games

  • They won a text adventure AI competition as well [1][2] and is now running their own with $2000 reward at stake [3]. Getting an agent to solve unseen RPG games like zork or modern games like Zelda and Witcher would be awesome and seriously impressive, but I don't think anybody is even close to that right now.

    [1] https://arxiv.org/abs/1902.04259

    [2] https://github.com/Microsoft/nail_agent

    [3] http://aka.ms/textworld-challenge

  • > TextWorld requires Python 3 and only supports Linux and macOS systems at the moment.

    Truly, this is a new Microsoft.

  • What is the difference between TextWorld and a design system for interactive fiction games like Inform [1]?

    It seems to be that the former has natural language processing/semantics integrated, while the latter relies on a rather old school approach to text-based games. Or am I mistaken?

    [1] http://inform7.com/

  • There are interesting parallels between problem solving textworld agents and smart hypermedia client agents.

  • Why not show a simple map of the room you're in, at least? It's a fairly simple change, but would make the orientation in space and remembering of location and few previous locations much more intuitive.

  • Amazing! Yesterday while taking a walk I thought exactly about that ! A text based game and a text game engine.

  • Is this Microsoft's response to Google's Stadia?