156: Maziacs

Number 156
Maziacs
YS Top 100: 99

A randomised maze exploring game where you fight monsters and discover treasure? Why not?

You start the game at the entrance to a maze, wielding a sword. Your task is to find a bag of gold and return with it to the entrance, but there are monsters - called Maziacs - which will impede your progress. You can fight them with your sword, but in doing so you will lose the sword and need to pick up a replacement. You can fight with your bare hands, but it will take precious energy which you must refill with food you find around you. There are prisoners you can rescue that can tell you the path to the gold, and you can zoom out the playfield to get a better look at the maze ahead.

This is a classic of good game design. It's simple to pick up but delivers fast action, and the constant balance between swords, food, prisoners, Maziacs and the gold keeps you on your toes. It's seriously worth trying today, and the fact that you get a new random maze every time gives it endless replay value. This would've been a cracking game in 1983, but I'm certainly enjoying it today.

16K - No
48K - Yes
128K - 48K BASIC only