The Crypt

The Crypt is a video game in the adventure genre developed by Liberty Software and published by Automated Simulations, Inc. originally released in 1982. It is currently playable on Atari 8-bit.

Atari 8-bit gamers were bracing themselves for an experience like nothing before in 1982 when the release of The Crypt arrived on the scene. Players of the game found themselves immersed in a dark and spooky world of dungeons, crypts, dungeons and secret entrances with a few surprises like hidden treasure up their sleeves.

The Crypt, a game developed by Western Technologies and published by Synapse Software, had players playing from an overhead view as they explored the dungeons and rooms with the goal of collecting treasures while dodging bats, ghosts and other obstacles preventing them from completing their mission. The character they controlled was an orange-coloured avatar and their weapon of choice was a relatively puny blaster.

The game had a board-layout for the player to negotiate and their progress was tracked on the score tally that would appear on the side one of the screen. They needed to get down to the very bottom of the dungeon in order to get the treasured golden key. To find their way to the end they had to collect various items and solve puzzles while avoiding or eliminating baddies - such as bulky trolls - to get the golden key.

Another aspect of the game that contributed to its drama was a timer, constantly counting down from 60 seconds as the player makes their way through the dungeon, collecting treasures and avoiding blockers. The player had to either solve puzzles quickly or risk having their adventure truncated. The compulsion to move quickly kept the intensity high and provided an extra layer of challenge.

The Crypt offered a unique experience, one which pushed the Atari 8-bit hardware to its limits and proved a hit with gamers. It was still entertaining to many beyond it 1982 launch - making it a timeless classic in the eyes of Atari fans.

It is possible that we have multiple downloads available when different versions exist.