Labyrinth (1982)

Labyrinth
Title	Labyrinth
Release date(s)	1981
Original Platform(s)	Apple II
Original Publisher(s)	Broderbund Software
Developer(s)	Scott Schram
Category(s)	Entertainment, Arcade

Overview

Labyrinth was Scott Schram's next title published by Broderbund Software after Genetic Drift. Labyrinth originated as one of three prototypes Schram developed after Genetic Drift, envisioning a multi-sequence game. Broderbund advised focusing on the maze prototype— involving sliding walls, monsters to shoot or evade, and humans to rescue—to add depth and cohesion. Schram was proud of managing numerous on-screen objects with consistent timings, optimizing for the Apple II's capabilities. A memorable development anecdote involved a late-stage bug where a monster escaped the maze, overwrote memory off-screen, and crashed the game- an "out-of-bounds" error.

Releases and Platform Variations

Labyrinth was published in 1982 for the Apple II computer, followed shortly afterwards by a port programmed by Corey Kosak for the Atari 8-bit home computers.

Gameplay

The game's concept is a maze shooter set in the long-closed diamond mines of Prince Julian beneath the city of Euqubud on the Ippisissum River, guarded by terrifying creatures. Players rescue a lost person holding keys to global peace and prosperity, navigating randomly transforming walls that open and close paths. Gameplay requires freeing four men from boxes by entering each, then reaching an "X" in the opposite corner to advance. Guardians from the central box attack with touch or bubble projectiles, while players shoot through most walls (except box walls). Eight levels escalate in difficulty, blending strategy, quick reflexes, forward planning, and on-the-fly adaptation in a variable maze environment. Guardians employ confusion, guile, and physical threats, making each playthrough unique due to procedural elements.

Reception and Legacy

Contemporary reception was mixed but appreciative of its innovations. The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software 1984 rated its concept and graphics as "fair," describing it as a variant of eat-the-dots games with unique differences, making it a worthwhile library addition. On MobyGames, it holds an average player score of 3.5 out of 5 based on limited ratings, with one review calling it "one of the best think-on-your-feet action games of all time" for its brutal AI, time pressure, and blend of strategy and twitch gameplay— though criticizing the lack of disk-saved high scores and minor user interface issues.

Labyrinth's legacy lies in its pioneering variable maze design, considered a very early example of a fully random automated maze in 8-bit gaming.

Releases

Links