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Interactive Fiction Database
What it is
Interactive Fiction Database (IFDB) is a free community catalog that helps players find interactive fiction and decide what to play. Members can add game listings and edit existing entries. Search covers titles, authors, and descriptions, with filters for genre, language, authoring system, format, rating, and publication date. Recommendations are available through personalized tools, lists, polls, and reviews from trusted reviewers; the site also includes ratings, competitions, and member profiles. When a listing supports it, Play Online can open a game in a browser without an interpreter download. IFDB catalogs game metadata rather than hosting the games themselves. Developers can use HTTP APIs that return JSON for searches, listings, tags, and publishing iFiction XML. The APIs are intended for low-volume, user-driven applications, not frequent crawling or high-load mirroring. Full SQL exports that omit users’ personal information are available through the IF Archive and updated roughly quarterly. IFDB works on the web and provides an API, and is maintained by the Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation with supporter donations.
For and against
For
- Members can add and edit game listings.
- Search offers structured filters.
- Supported games can launch in a browser.
- JSON APIs support search and listing tasks.
- Full SQL exports omit personal information.
Against
- IFDB catalogs metadata rather than hosting games.
- Browser play is available only for supported listings.
- APIs are not intended for high-load crawling or mirroring.
The verdict
IFDB brings catalog editing, discovery tools, community recommendations, and developer APIs together in a free resource. Its browser-play option depends on a game's listing, and API use is intended to remain low-volume and user-driven.
Who it suits
IFDB suits interactive fiction players looking for catalog listings, recommendations, and supported browser-play options. Developers can use its APIs for low-volume, user-driven applications.
On the record
- API
- IFDB provides HTTP APIs returning JSON for software that accesses its data, including search and game lookup.ifdb.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- API limits
- The APIs are intended for low-volume, user-driven applications and are not designed for high-speed crawling or large automated batches.ifdb.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Catalog
- Members can add game listings and edit existing entries to keep the catalog current.ifdb.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Collaborative catalog
- Members can add and edit game listings, so updates and corrections do not have to wait for site administrators.ifdb.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Community features
- The site includes reviews, ratings, polls, lists, competitions, and member profiles.ifdb.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Community moderation
- The Code of Conduct prohibits harassment, spam, malware, misleading links, and bad-faith ratings, and says moderators may remove ratings or reviews judged not to be in good faith.ifdb.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Content licensing
- User-uploaded original material is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States, while cataloged games themselves are not hosted by IFDB.ifdb.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Cookies and logs
- IFDB uses cookies only at the user’s request to keep them logged in, and says its cookies contain no password or other personal information; it says it does not attempt to identify visitors from IP addresses.ifdb.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Data exports
- Full SQL database exports excluding users’ personal information are available through the IF Archive and are updated roughly quarterly.ifdb.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The putific API accepts iFiction XML so authoring software can offer a “Publish to IFDB” feature.ifdb.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Operator
- IFDB is maintained by the IFDB committee of the Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation and funded by supporters’ donations.ifdb.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Operator and funding
- The Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation maintains IFDB, which is funded by donations from interactive fiction supporters.ifdb.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Play in browser
- A game's “Play Online” button can launch it in a browser without requiring a download, when that option is available on its listing.ifdb.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Play online
- The Play Online button lets users start supported games in a web browser without downloading an interpreter.ifdb.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- Many features are accessible without personal information; IFDB says it does not sell or commercially exploit registration information.ifdb.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- IFDB is an interactive fiction game catalog and recommendation engine run as a wiki-style community project.ifdb.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Recommendations
- Members can create Recommended Lists and use personalized tools that help match games to individual tastes.ifdb.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Search
- Search supports title, author, and description matching, plus structured filters such as genre, language, authoring system, format, rating, and publication date.ifdb.org · read 4 Oct 2026
