What is "cryptozookeeper"

Cryptozookeeper is an award winning interactive fiction game written and self-published by Robb Sherwin in 2011. Cryptozookeeper was written in the cross-platform language Hugo and runs on Windows, Macintosh OS-X, and Linux computers. Cryptozookeeper was released under a Creative Commons license and contains more than 12 hours of game play.

Cryptozookeeper combines both traditional elements of story-based Interactive Fiction while adding in fighting elements. In the game, players assume the character of William Ezekiel Vest and must splice together DNA samples to form a stable of fighting cryptids, all while solving puzzles in the off-kilter town of Christmas City. In an interview with BlueRenga, Sherwin described the game as "a game that lets the player assemble various DNA snippets that they pulled out in a Zork-style treasure hunt, into the various monsters of legend and cryptozoology. At the same time, I am hoping to have character interaction in the game that makes it familiar to people that have played some of my other wares."