Play Eliza Online

Eliza is an interactive fiction program released in 1988 for MS-DOS computers. It functions as a simulation in the meditative or zen genre, based on the original 1966 chatterbot concept by Dr. Joseph Weizenbaum of MIT. The program simulates a text-based conversation with a computer persona designed to mimic a Rogerian psychotherapist.

In the game, the player engages in a typed dialogue with the Eliza program. The player provides responses to open-ended questions posed by the computer, which then analyzes the input to generate follow-up prompts and reflections. The core gameplay involves this conversational exchange, where the program often rephrases the user's own statements as questions to encourage elaboration. The structure is open-ended, with no predefined win state or narrative path, focusing instead on the flow of dialogue and the user's own input shaping the discussion.

The program's design stimulated early discussions about artificial intelligence and natural language processing in computing. Its method of prompting users to expand on their own words could lead to lengthy, reflective conversations. The experience is built entirely around this text-based interface, which was influential in the development of later interactive fiction and adventure games that relied on parsing player input.