Lode Runner is a seminal puzzle-platformer originally released in 1983. Playing as a runner navigating the labyrinthine platforms of the Bungeling Empire, your goal is to collect all the scattered gold in each level while outsmarting relentless guards. What makes the game distinct is its complete lack of a jump button; instead, you rely on movement and your blaster, which digs temporary holes in the brick floors to trap pursuing enemies.
How to play
Your objective is to collect every piece of gold on the screen, which reveals a ladder to the next level. You can run across platforms, climb ladders, and shimmy across bars. When guards approach, use your blaster to dig holes to trap them.
Use the arrow keys to run and climb. Press Z or X to dig holes in the floor to your immediate left or right. Press Enter to start.
Tips
- Trapped guards will drop any gold they were carrying, allowing you to retrieve it by walking over their heads.
- Dug holes fill back in automatically after a few seconds. If a guard is still trapped when a hole seals, they will be destroyed and respawn at the top of the level.
- You can fall from any height without taking damage, which is essential for quickly escaping guards or dropping down to lower platforms.
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