What is PARANOID about?

PARANOID is a dark suburban mystery text adventure set in one house over one night. You play as Michael, a man who wakes to find the ordinary rooms around him are no longer behaving the way a home should. The story is authored, has a fixed cast and a definite ending, and is driven by the things you choose to examine.

How do you play PARANOID?

You type short commands into the parser. Common verbs are LOOK, EXAMINE, TAKE, OPEN, CLOSE, USE, TALK TO and compass directions such as NORTH, SOUTH, EAST and WEST. The game teaches the vocabulary in the first few rooms, and the general rule is to use the exact noun the game printed.

How long does PARANOID take?

Between 30 and 120 minutes, depending on how thoroughly you explore. Most players finish in a single evening.

How much does PARANOID cost?

PARANOID costs $5.99 as a one-time purchase, tax included. Payment is handled by Stripe, and browser access opens immediately after checkout.

Can you play PARANOID on a phone?

Yes. PARANOID runs in any modern browser on Mac, PC, iOS and Android. You can start on one device and continue on another.

Is PARANOID good for beginners?

Yes. The parser is forgiving, the commands are short, and the early rooms teach the vocabulary before the story becomes tense. No previous text-adventure experience is required.

Is PARANOID replayable?

Yes. The story has two possible endings depending on the choices you make near the end of the game, so it is worth playing at least twice to see both outcomes.

Game guide · August 2026

PARANOID Game Guide: Synopsis, How to Play & FAQ

Everything you need to know before starting PARANOID: a short synopsis of the story, how the parser works, how long it takes, what it costs and the answers to the most common questions.

What is PARANOID?

PARANOID is a dark suburban mystery played as a text adventure. You are Michael, and the game takes place in a single house across one night. The premise is deliberately ordinary: the hallway, the kitchen clock, the bedroom you fell asleep in. The unease comes from the fact that the details are almost right, and it is that "almost" the story is built around.

There is no monster waiting in the corridor and no inventory of weapons. There is a home, a night, and a growing suspicion that the objects around you have been arranged rather than lived with. The story is fully authored, with a fixed cast and a definite ending, which means every detail you notice early is there deliberately and pays off later.

For a broader look at the genre, see what text-based adventure games are, or read the spoiler-free PARANOID review.

How to play

PARANOID runs in the browser using the Quest Interactive Fiction engine. You progress by typing short commands into a parser. The vocabulary is small and the game introduces it in the first few rooms, so you can learn as you play.

Common PARANOID commands
Command	What it does
LOOK	Re-read the current room description.
EXAMINE [object]	Look closely at something mentioned by the game.
TAKE [object]	Pick up an item and add it to your inventory.
OPEN / CLOSE [object]	Interact with doors, drawers, containers and similar.
USE [object]	Try the obvious interaction the item suggests.
N / S / E / W	Move north, south, east or west to the next room.
INVENTORY	List what you are carrying.
WAIT / RESTART	Pass time or restart the story from the beginning.

The rule that solves most stuck moments is to use the exact noun the game printed. If the room mentions a "bedside drawer", typing EXAMINE BEDSIDE DRAWER will work better than a synonym. For a fuller command reference, see the full list of text adventure verbs.

Key facts at a glance

PARANOID quick facts
Genre	Text adventure · mystery · psychological horror
Platform	Web browser — Mac, PC, iOS, Android (no download)
Length	30–120 minutes, single sitting
Price	$5.99 one-time, tax included, card payment via Stripe
Engine	Quest, played in-browser through WasmPlayer
Audience	Adults; unsettling themes, no explicit gore

Frequently asked questions

What is PARANOID about?: One night, one suburban house, one man trying to understand why his home no longer behaves like a home. The story is authored and has a fixed ending.
How do you play?: Type short commands such as LOOK, EXAMINE BED, OPEN DRAWER, TAKE NOTE and compass directions. The parser is forgiving and the first rooms teach the vocabulary.
How long does it take?: 30 to 120 minutes, depending on how much you examine. Most players finish in one evening.
What does it cost?: $5.99 one-time, tax included, paid by card through Stripe. No subscription, no account and no download.
Does it work on phones?: Yes — any modern browser on Mac, PC, iOS or Android.
Is it suitable for beginners?: Yes. The commands are short, the parser is forgiving and the early rooms teach you how to interact before anything is at stake.
Is it replayable?: Yes. The story has two possible endings depending on the choices you make near the end, so it is worth playing at least twice to see both outcomes.

Start playing PARANOID

One payment, instant browser access, one evening in the house. Read the full synopsis and enter the house, or compare PARANOID to AI Dungeon and the Zork classics.

About the author

Pixel-art portrait of Patrik Airosto-Gelin, author of PARANOID

Patrik Airosto-Gelin is a Swedish writer and the author of PARANOID, a dark suburban mystery that began as a 2013 film-script idea, became a radio drama, and was finally released as browser-based interactive fiction under Tikkala Productions. He wrote, coded and tested every room of it in the Quest engine, and the game is catalogued in the Interactive Fiction Database.

Everything on this blog is written first-hand from building and playing these games — parser handling, pacing, puzzle fairness — not from summarising other lists. Read the origin story of PARANOID for the full background.

Corrections and questions: hej@tikkala.se · IFDB listing · itch.io