[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/meretzky_chilled.jpg]]
Steven Eric Meretzky (born May 1, 1957) is a PC game designer, best known for the titles he wrote for Creator/{{Infocom}} and Creator/LegendEntertainment. He specializes in the InteractiveFiction and AdventureGame genres. A [[AccidentalPun legend]] in his field, he's a fixture at the annual Game Developer's Conference, and is one of the 25 'Gamer Gods' chosen by PC Gamer for the impact they had on the hobby. Meretzky's commercial stature has declined as market forces pushed adventure games into the margins, but he remains in the industry as an executive for Playdom, which develops [[CasualVideoGame games for social media such as Facebook]].

Meretzky's gift for prose and his [[DeadpanSnarker sly wit]] are his claims to fame, and feature heavily in almost all of his works. He intentionally courted political controversy with ''VideoGame/AMindForeverVoyaging'' to boost sales, but the plan didn't pay off. He then decided to [[SexSells use sexual content]] as a marketing hook instead, in ''VideoGame/LeatherGoddessesOfPhobos'' and VideoGame/TheSpellcastingSeries, to greater effect. This has given him something of a [[DirtyOldMan ribald reputation]], but his current output is entirely family-friendly.

He can be seen harrassing Music/MCFrontalot in [[NerdCore his video]] for "It Is Pitch Dark," as the song references many of Meretzky's games.

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Games designed by Meretzky:

For Creator/{{Infocom}}:

* VideoGame/{{Planetfall}}
* [[VideoGame/{{Enchanter}} Sorcerer]]
* VideoGame/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1984 (with Creator/DouglasAdams)
* VideoGame/AMindForeverVoyaging
* VideoGame/LeatherGoddessesOfPhobos
* [[VideoGame/{{Planetfall}} Stationfall]]
* VideoGame/ZorkZero

For Creator/LegendEntertainment:

* VideoGame/EricTheUnready
* VideoGame/TheSpellcastingSeries
** Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All The Girls
** Spellcasting 201: The Sorcerer's Appliance
** Spellcasting 301: Spring Break
* VideoGame/SuperheroLeagueOfHoboken

For Creator/BoffoGames, which he co-founded:
* VideoGame/TheSpaceBar
* HodjNPodj
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