The Warlock’s Treasure was written and published by CRL Group PLC. CRL was founded by Clem Chambers who decided to set up a business after he failed to get into university. He started out renting computer equipment (hence their full name) and then went on to produce games. CRL was one of the few companies producing games as early as 1982 who continued to do so in the 90s. They released around 90 Spectrum games and dozens for the C64 and briefly supported the Amiga and ST. The Warlock’s Treasure was their first and only role-playing game that they produced. Many of their games are rather cerebral with many simulation and strategy games under their belt. Many of their adventure games are horror-based and include Dracula, Frankenstein, and Jack the Ripper.
This game is a reminder of the joy of discovery. I was not expecting much from this older ZX Spectrum game and I must say I was very pleasantly surprised. I ended up enjoying myself very much and I had never even heard of the game.
The plot is rather simple and we’ve been here before. Explore three floors of a castle (includes the cellar) and see if you can find the four clues needed to find the Warlock’s Treasure.
You begin the game on the first floor of the castle starting with 100 strength. If your strength reaches zero you perish. Your strength decreases with each random encounter within the castle. There are hidden pressure plates scattered about the caste that, if stepped on, sound an alarm that alerts the castle’s denizens and thus increase your chance of a random encounter. One of the objects that you can find in the castle is a charm that wards against monsters. If you find this it will greatly decrease the number of encounters for a while giving you more time to explore your surroundings.
You move about the map depicted above using the 5,6,7 and 8 keys on your keyboard. The rooms on each level have a door that may or may not be locked. If the door is locked you’ll need to explore the castle to find a key. There is more than one key because often the keys break or become stuck in the lock. The problem though is that you can only carry one key at a time. If find a key but leave it behind you’ll have to remember or make a notation concerning where the key is at in case you have to come back to it.
You can always check your status by hitting I for Information. In each and every square of the castle you’re exploring you’ll want to hit the letter L on your keyboard for Look. Pressing O on the keyboard will open doors, cabinets, pianos, and bookcases. You will not be able to look into a darkened cabinet or piano until you have found a lamp. The lamp is also necessary to explore the cellar which is dark. The lamp only works for a limited number of turns so when it runs out you’ll have to find another lamp.
Each time you move about you are given a description of what surrounds you and then it is up to you to decide what to do.
It is important that you search EVERYTHING. I found out later in the game that you could open a piano and peer inside so I had to traverse the castle again and open all of the pianos that I found. When you open a piano the game’s sound affects reward you with the opening keys to a Beethoven piece. I thought it highly entertaining.
You can also search the bookcases to find shares in R. Searle Chairs Inc. The number of shares that you find in each bookcase seem random and different with each new game. The goal is to collect as many of these shares as you can. There are many bookcases scattered throughout the castle.
The ultimate goal here is to search the house for four clues which help to lead you to the treasure. Each clue is actually a number between 1 and 9. Somewhere in the house there is a hidden safe with a four digit combination. The combination equals the numbers you discovered; in the order in which you found them.
I thought that once I had explored the castle, survived the encounters, and found the clues, the safe, that would be it – but there was one more surprise waiting for me:
What then ensues is you’re suddenly thrust into a game or puzzle where you have to deduce from nothing a four digit code. You get, I think, 8 guesses to get it right and much like today’s popular Wordle, it lets you know when you have a correct digit AND whether or not the digit is in the right place. I am not sure how I was able to do it; but I did.
I really liked this game. It was fun exploring the first and second floor of the house and you also discover a hidden cellar. It was suspenseful trying to keep your strength score from going to zero and I must say by the end of the game I was precariously close to disaster. You CAN find objects throughout the house that help to build your strength. Three that I found were a potion, an axe, and a sword. The sword provided the greatest boon to my strength. Combat is a hidden mechanic but the more foes that you vanquish the greater your experience or combat ability becomes. The game also has great replay value because with each new game items found within the house and where you find those items is randomized. No two games should play the same way twice.
Setting out to play all of these old games in the order in which they were produced is much like a treasure hunt. You’re not exactly sure what you’re going to encounter. Every once in a while you are surprised by something you’ve never heard of before and that was certainly the case here. I feel blessed that I have the time to dedicate to this pursuit.
Next up on the docket is Swords & Serpents.
Until next time…