How to play Dark Chambers online
- Move: arrow keys
- Shoot: Space bar (you stand still while firing)
- Set off a bomb right away: press Space twice quickly
- Choose the skill level: F11 (the console’s Select switch)
- Start a new game: F12 (the console’s Reset switch)
- Second player: T/F/G/H to move, A to shoot
- Save and load your progress: Ctrl + 0–9 saves to a slot, Alt + 0–9 loads it
The skill level is shown by a bear’s face: a smiling bear means low, a straight-faced bear medium, and a bear with uneven eyes high.
Gameplay
The levels are named A to Z. On each one you have to find the hidden gate that takes you down to the next level. The chambers are guarded by five kinds of monsters, from weakest to strongest: zombies, wraiths, skeletons, wizards and grim reapers. Spawners keep producing new ones and often guard the treasure, so it pays to destroy them. You can also find keys for locked doors to secret rooms, and weapons that improve your shooting: guns make you fire faster, daggers make your shots stronger and shields reduce damage.
A strength bar shows your energy, up to 31 units. Touching monsters drains it, from one unit for a wraith to five for a grim reaper, and traps and poison take even more. Potions give back some strength, and bombs wipe out all nearby monsters. You can carry up to 15 keys and 15 bombs.
| Target or item | Points |
|---|---|
| Wraith | 20 |
| Skeleton | 30 |
| Wizard | 50 |
| Grim reaper | 100 |
| Spawner | 100 |
| Strongbox | 100 |
| Silver chalice | 500 |
| Amulet | 1,000 |
| Gold chalice | 3,000 |
With two players, the heroes share the dungeon. If one collapses, the keys pass to the survivor, and if the survivor reaches the next level the fallen hero comes back to life there.
Tips
- Shoot the spawners first. Killing monsters one by one is endless while a spawner keeps making more.
- Fire from a safe spot. You cannot move while shooting, so find a corridor where monsters can only come from one side.
- Keep a bomb for emergencies. When you are surrounded, a double tap on fire clears the area.
- Pick up weapons early. A gun or dagger makes the later, crowded levels much easier.
The story behind Dark Chambers
Palevich created Dandy in 1982 as his undergraduate thesis, with help on level design from fellow MIT student Joel Gluck. It was published by the Atari Program Exchange in 1983 and allowed up to four players at once. Atari’s 1985 arcade game Gauntlet drew directly on its design, which led to a lawsuit that was settled. Dark Chambers, released by Atari Corporation in 1988, is a simplified version for one or two players, with far fewer monsters on screen than Dandy or Gauntlet. Palevich later released the Dandy source code as open source.
Similar games to play next
- Gauntlet – another 2600 dungeon crawl with monsters and treasure
- Venture – explore rooms full of monsters and grab the treasure
- Crypts of Chaos – a maze adventure through underground crypts
- Haunted House – Atari’s spooky exploration game
- Secret Quest – another late Atari action adventure