🎮 Play Solomon no Kagi (Japan) Online (NES)

Solomon’s Key — released in Japan as Solomon no Kagi — is a 1986 puzzle-platformer developed and published by Tecmo. It began life in arcades before Tecmo brought it home to the Famicom/NES the same year. Playing as the wizard Dana, you work room by room through single-screen puzzle stages, conjuring and destroying magic blocks to reach a hidden key and the door it unlocks, all while avoiding the demons that patrol each screen.

How to Play

Every room hides a key and an exit door; grab the key and reach the door to clear the stage, ideally without letting a demon touch you first. Dana’s wand is the core mechanic: use it on empty space to create a block, or on an existing block to destroy it. Stack blocks to climb up to ledges and treasure, drop enemies into pits by pulling a block out from under them, or wall yourself off to buy time. Dana can also carry up to three fireballs on his scroll and launch them to clear a foe from a distance.

Default Controls (Browser):

• Arrow Keys: Move Dana / Jump
• X Key (A Button): Create or destroy a block with the wand
• Z Key (B Button): Launch a stored fireball
• Enter (Start): Start / Pause game

Tips & Strategy

• Build up, not just across: creating a block directly beneath Dana is often the fastest way to reach an item or ledge above you — you don’t need a run-up to climb.
• Use blocks against enemies, not just for platforming: destroying a block out from under a demon, or boxing one in with new blocks, can neutralize it without spending a fireball.
• Save fireballs for open ground: Dana can only hold three at a time, so pick up any power-ups you find and save your shots for enemies you can’t wall off or outrun.