''Dungeon Campaign'' is a

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

written by Robert Clardy and released in 1978, later published commercially by Clardy's company

Synergistic Software Synergistic Software was a video game developer based in Seattle. Founded in 1978, the company published some of the earliest available games and applications for the Apple II family of computers. They continued developing games for various platf ...

in 1979. It was created for the

Apple II Apple II ("apple Roman numerals, two", stylized as Apple ][) is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The Apple II (original), original Apple II model, which gave the series its name, was designed ...

platform and is derived from Gary J. Shannon's ''Dragon Maze''. ''Dungeon Campaign'' is considered one of the first microcomputer-based adventure video games. Clardy incorporated themes from ''Dungeons & Dragons'' into the game, which later was included as a side quest within ''Odyssey: The Compleat Apventure'', a multi-part adventure /

role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...

also written by Clardy and released in 1980.

Game overview

In the game, the player uses the keyboard to navigate a party of thirteen adventurers, including one elf and one dwarf, through the dreaded Totmacher Castle dungeon consisting of four randomly generated maze levels, which are connected by pits and stairways. The player collects treasures as they progress through the dungeon and may encounter traps and other menaces, including monsters and sorcerers. The sole exit is on the lowest level. The elf and dwarf are included to warn the player of nearby traps and to map the dungeon as it is explored, respectively; the other anonymous adventurers provide a

hit point Health is a video game or tabletop game quality that determines the maximum amount of damage or fatigue something takes before leaving the main game. In role-playing games, this typically takes the form of hit points (HP), a numerical attribute ...

system to keep track of damage incurred from the various traps and other hostile characters. Although reaching the exit is relatively easy, the game uses the treasures collected during the adventure to provide a final score.

Development and release

Shortly after purchasing his first computer, Robert Clardy began modifying the code for ''Dungeon Maze'', an

Integer BASIC Integer BASIC is a BASIC interpreter written by Steve Wozniak for the Apple I and Apple II computers. Originally available on Cassette tape, cassette for the Apple I in 1976, then included in Read-only memory, ROM on the Apple II from its release ...

program published in the ''Apple II Reference Manual'' (1978) which included a routine to randomly generate a maze. Clardy added multiple levels and a party system. Initially, Clardy gave away copies of the game to members of his local user group, the Apple Puget Sound Program Library Exchange; their enthusiastic reception encouraged him to add more features and, after completing a follow-up game using the Apple II's high-resolution mode, ''Wilderness Campaign'', in December 1978, packaged both games together for a commercial release under Synergistic Software, the company he founded with his wife, Ann Dickens Clardy.

Reception

Gregg Williams reviewed ''Dungeon Campaign'' in 1980 for ''Byte'', calling it one of his favorite games for Apple II.

References

External links

* ame manual * layable emulation{{cite web , url=https://archive.org/details/a2_Dungeon_Campaign_Wilderness_Campaign_1980_Synergistic_Software , title=Dungeon Campaign & Wilderness Campaign , date=1980 , publisher=Synergistic Software , via=Internet Archive 1978 video games Apple II games Adventure games BASIC software Maze games Synergistic Software games Video games developed in the United States Video games set in castles