Game #127: Dungeon! Computer Adventure Game (1982)

Dungeon! is the second CRPG from TSR that was released in 1982. The first was our recently reviewed dungeon crawler; Theseus and the Minotaur. I used to own this board game in my youth and I was surprised to discover that TSR made a computer game of the property. Having had the experience of playing the actual board game; I was excited to check this offering out.

I played Dungeon! on an Apple II emulator and I had no technical issues getting it to run. The game does it’s best to mimic play of the actual board game which was released by TSR in 1975. You can choose one player mode or play with up to four friends. The goal is to be the first person to collect a specific amount of treasure and then return to the starting spot on the board.

The amount of treasure that you need to accumulate is based on the class that you choose to play. Elves and heroes only need to collect 10,000 gold pieces to win. Superheroes have beefed up statistics and better rolls so they need to collect 20,000 gold pieces to win. Wizards get to hurl Lightning Bolts and Fireballs at their opponents so they need to collect 40,000 gold pieces to win. Wizards also have a Teleport spell at their disposal. While Wizards have the greatest arsenal at their disposal their resources are limited and they begin the game with only 12 spells.

Elves and heroes are best suited for the 1st and 2nd dungeon levels and can venture into the third level on occasion without too much mishap. Superheroes are best suited for the fourth and fifth levels while a Wizard is going to want to go to the sixth level because of the limited number of spells in his or her arsenal.

The above screenshot depicts the first level of the dungeon map. Each player rolls a die and then gets to move a specific number of spaces. The green squares represent rooms in which there is usually an encounter. If you can defeat your opponent then you are awarded the gold pieces that it was guarding.

The map consists of six different levels. Greater treasures and tougher monsters are located in the deeper levels of the dungeon. In addition to the previously mentioned gold pieces; you might also find a magical sword, a crystal ball which allows you to see the creature and treasure inside of each room, maps that show secret doors of different levels, and ESP medallions that let you see what creature is in the room next to you.

The graphics in the game are actually pretty good. When you encounter a creature the game jumps to a combat screen. You press a key to attack and then the computer rolls the dice for you. If you miss, the creature then gets the opportunity to rip your face off. If you’re hit with a critical blow it causes you to drop half of the treasure that you are carrying and you are unceremoniously “pushed” out of the room. You CAN go back in and try again and if you win you can recover not only the treasure the creature was guarding but you can retrieve the treasure that you dropped. If you are defeated by the creature you drop half of your treasure and find yourself back in the starting area of the board.

I played Dungeon! as a solo adventurer and I chose the class Elf. It was relatively easy to keep playing until I collected 10,000 gold pieces after which I made my way back to the starting spot on the board for the win.

I think the game was well done and it does a good job simulating the actual board game experience. If you have someone to play against or even better a group of four to compete against each other I think the game would be fun and challenging.

If you were a TSR fan boy and like to wax nostalgic about your early Dungeons & Dragons days then I urge you to take Dungeon! for a spin. Or perhaps you once owned the game in your youth and remember it fondly; in which case I again recommend you playing the computer version as it does a great job of simulating the board game.

The Apple II version of Dungeon! was well received, gaining a Certificate of Merit in the category of “1984 Best Multi-Player Video Game/Computer Game” at the 5th annual Arkie Awards.

Fred Hemmings reviewed Dungeon! for White Dwarf #4, giving it an overall rating of 8 out of 10, and stated that “Even if you play D&D it is still worth having a game or two of Dungeon. You may argue that Green Slime is not as deadly as it is portrayed but a little thing like that shouldn’t spoil your fun. If on the other hand D&D is not your cup of tea (or coffee), don’t let the connections put you off, this is a game in its own right and a good one.”