Extract text from Z-machine story files (Z5)
To convert Z5 Story files to another format, you need Frotz or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Interactive Fiction Story File" file type, you need software like Frotz or a similar tool.
A .Z5 file is a compiled interactive fiction (text adventure) game utilizing version 5 of the Z-machine architecture. Originally created by Infocom in the 1980s for classic games like Zork, this format is now primarily generated by the Inform 6 compiler for modern community-driven text adventures. To actually play the game contained within the file, you must use a Z-machine interpreter program such as Frotz or Gargoyle.
The main disadvantage of the .Z5 format is its rigid dependency on specialized emulators. Modern operating systems and web browsers cannot run Z-code natively. Additionally, because .Z5 is a compiled binary format, it acts as a "black box." You cannot simply open it in a word processor to read the story text or modify the game logic, as the human-readable source code is permanently stripped out during compilation.
When dealing with compatibility hurdles, format conversion or data extraction is required. Just drag and drop your file here to analyze and convert it - free, online, and without installing software. If your goal is to extract the game's vocabulary and dialogue, converting (decompiling) to TXT is the best approach, though formatting will be lost. To package the game for modern distribution alongside cover art and metadata, wrap the file into a BLORB archive.
Convert.Guru analyzes your Z5 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted ZLORB, Z#, PACKAGE and Z4 files.
If you want to convert Z5 file to EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4, BSP, MAP, SAV or DAT, you can use Frotz or similar software from the "Interactive Fiction Game Data" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MOD, BIN, CFG, SCX, DAT, MPQ, LOG, CUE, INI, EXE, SCM or ISO files to Z5, try Frotz or another comparable tool in the "Interactive Fiction Game Data" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our Z5 converter.