Personally I really enjoy the syntax of Inform 7, but tastes vary and I certainly understand not liking it.

TADS 3 is another option if you prefer a more object-oriented, ALGOL-ish syntax with equivalent power.

The IFComp has run for decades now. If you are interested in good adventures, running through the highly-rated games from over the years is a good idea.

The IFComp website is at https://ifcomp.org/