Command Checklist

This page contains IF commands for various contexts, intended as a checklist for game authors. Note that not every command is appropriate for every game; the fact that something is implemented can actually function as a red herring if it is not relevant to the rest of the game.

Some other types of command not listed on this page to be aware of are:

Noun specific commands, such as "vacuum floor" if the game contains a vacuum cleaner. If there is a common use for an object, there is often a specialised verb for that action.
Commands suggested by the text. If the game says "Oh no! You had better erase this record" the the player might reasonably type "erase record".
References to unnamed objects. "You feel something crawling across your hand" might provoke a command like "x it/thing/something/crawling".

Animals

pat/pet/scratch animal
play with animal, tickle animal, hug animal
feed animal, give/show food to animal
hit/kick animal
catch/capture/chase animal
throw ball/stick [for animal]
pick up animal
throw animal at/over/onto something, throw animal direction
get on/off animal, ride/mount animal, dismount [from] animal
talk to animal, calm animal
animal, stay/heel/fetch
animal, stop/woah; animal, go / giddy up

Related objects: body parts (ears, mane, tail, paws ...), leash/chain/collar, saddle/blanket, horse shoes.

Attachment

tie/attach/connect something to something
untie/detach/disconnect something [from something]
glue/stick/fix/affix something to something [with glue]
press something on/against something (if one of the objects has glue on it or is sticky)
pin/staple/clip something to something
pull/tear/rip out/off something [from/out of something], remove something [from something]

Bathrooms

TO DO ... plenty of suggestions in this thread.

Body Actions

Body Parts

Specific body parts rarely need to be referred to in IF, but "hand[s]" is sometimes a reasonable answer to a disambiguation question (eg. "What do you want to hit him with?").

Possible adjectives are "my" and "<person>'s", or less commonly "left" or "right". It is usually possible to tell from the context whether the player is referring to someone else's body parts or his own (so disambiguation questions about whose body part it is should not normally be required).

Most body parts can be singular or plural.

hand, fist, finger, fingernail, thumb, pinkie, forefinger
arm, wrist, elbow, shoulder
leg, foot, heel, ankle, shin, knee, thigh, toe, big/little toe, toenail
head, forehead, chin, cheek, face, hair, beard, moustache, scalp
eye, eyebrow, eyelid, eyelash
ear
mouth, [upper/lower] lip, tongue, teeth
nose, nostril
neck, throat
chest, torso, stomach, belly, hip
bottom, bum, rear, behind
groin etc.
back
body, skin
bones, skull, spine, ribs, rib cage

Digging

All of the following can include a digging instrument as well: "with shovel/hands".

It is easiest to disallow more than one hole in the same location.

Doors

A door might be lockable/unlockable without a key, or only from one side.

Electronics

push/press button
swipe card [through slot], put card in/into slot
put/hold card near sensor, hold up card
open/unlock door with card
type/enter password/"text"
touch pad, put hand/thumb on pad
put something in front of/over camera, block camera [with something]
select/choose something
flip switch
switch/turn something on/off
activate/deactivate something
attach/connect something to something
plug in something
put/plug/insert something in/into socket
detach/disconnect/unplug something [from socket]
pull something from | out of/from socket

Related objects: (components, eg. screen (readable), keyboard, controls, plug, cords, wiring).

Recording and Playback

play tape, press/push play/record/pause/rewind/fast forward [button]
rewind/fast forward tape
put/insert tape in/into player, take/remove tape from/out of player
take photo of something
point camera at something

Fire

Players might use the name of the burning object or just the word "fire", eg. "put out curtain"; "put out fire".

Food, Drink and Liquids

Players might refer to a container or its contents, eg. "pour bucket" or "pour water".

Some substances such as sand behave like liquids.

Indoors and Outdoors

In some systems, "<direction> wall" objects automatically exist in every location, which causes problems outdoors (and has a side effect of all indoor rooms being octagonal -- there is a "northwest wall", etc.). There is a similar issue with the roof/ceiling.

Some locations (such as outer space) may not require a floor/ground, either.

Related objects: sky, sun/moon, clouds, sunset, walls (as a collective object).

Meta Commands

Some games treat "look", "examine" and/or "inventory" as free commands (ie. taking no game time to perform).

See the Meta-command IFWiki page for a list of standard meta commands.

about, info, credits
help, hint[s]
exits
what/who/where is ...
map
verbs/commands
winnable (check if the game is currently finishable)
review ("free look" for something already examined)
note[s] (in-game notepad)
record/replay (traditionally debug only commands, but may be useful for players as well)

Miscellaneous

(Commands in this section will probably be reorganised later).

dress/undress, get dressed/undressed
wear/don/put on something
remove/doff/take off something

Movement

If a "go to" command is introduced, it could either teleport the PC directly to the destination, or move one step towards the destination each turn (requiring another command like "continue" or another "go to" to move one step closer). PC knowledge (of the geography) and locked doors (which were not locked when the PC last passed through them) can make "go to" commands more complicated.

[go/walk/run/head] direction (eight compass directions + in/out/up/down)
exit/leave [location], go in/into/out of location, go/walk/run away [from something]
enter [location] (name of an adjacent room)
go [back] to location, [go] back (to previous location)
continue (if "go to" moves one step at a time towards the destination)
follow/chase/catch/capture someone, go/run after someone, go with someone
approach something, go/head/move toward[s]/near [to] something, go/move near [to] something
go/head/move/back away [from something]
cross [over] something
climb/scale [up/down] something, climb over something (eg. a wall)
climb [up/down/over] to something (eg. a ledge)
climb on/onto something

Non Verbal Communication

cry/weep/wail/bawl/sob, shed tear
laugh/giggle/snigger/snicker/cackle [at something]
nod [head], shake head
smile/grin/grimace/frown [at someone]
wink [at someone], blink
raise eyebrow[s]
bow/curtsy [to someone]
salute [someone]
beckon/summon someone, call to someone, call someone over, get someone's attention
wave at/to someone
wave something [around / in the air]
point at/to/toward[s] something
point something at/toward[s] something, point at something with something
point [something] direction

Rope

Rope is a potentially tricky object to implement; for example, different sections could be in different rooms. See this thread for some other issues in implementing a rope.

Rope-like objects include string, chains and vines.

Water

swim in/across/under/around something, swim direction, swim to/toward[s]/away from something
swim up/down something (eg. river)
swim underwater, swim/dive to bottom, hold breath
dive in/into something
splash [someone]
bathe [in something], wash [something] [in/with something]
surf on/with something