Play Wizard of Wor Online

Summary

Wizard of Wor drops you into a series of cramped, maze‑like dungeons where you control a little square called a Worrior. In a solo run you’re the lone yellow figure on the right side of the screen, but a second player can join as a blue Worrior on the left, and the two can even fire at each other for extra points or team up back‑to‑back in a corner to mop up the oncoming monsters.

The mazes are populated by three color‑coded foes – blue Burwors, yellow Garwors and red Thorwors – that must be eliminated before you can move on. After the first level a fleeting Worluk appears; destroying it doubles the points you’ll earn in the next round, and if you’re quick enough the titular Wizard of Wor will materialize and linger until he’s slain or you’re taken out. Tunnels let both players and monsters zip to the opposite side, but they shut down briefly after use, and a tiny radar at the bottom of the screen constantly tracks enemy positions.

Audio adds a quirky charm: each maze opens with the five‑note Dragnet theme, but the final note drops out if the Worluk survives, and the Wizard’s synthetic voice taunts you throughout the action.

Before its arcade debut the game was known as Invisible Monsters, a prototype dated 1980 that resurfaced on Craigslist in 2016‑17. That early version lacked the speech synthesis that later defined the final release.

Critics praised the title for its cooperative twist, earning it Best Multi‑Player Video Game at the 4th Arkie Awards and a Certificate of Merit the following year. It even popped up in the 1983 movie Joysticks and has been re‑released in several Midway compilations and the 2021 Arcade1Up Midway Legacy cabinet, keeping the retro maze‑shooting fun alive for new generations.

Storyline

Wizard of Wor is an arcade maze shooter where the player‑controlled characters, known as Worriors, must eliminate every monster by shooting them. In a single‑player session the lone Worrior roams the corridors, but the game truly shines in two‑player mode. Player 1 controls a yellow Worrior positioned on the right side of the screen, while Player 2 pilots a blue Worrior on the left. When both are playing they can even fire at each other, which awards bonus points and can strip the opponent of a life. Skilled duos often adopt a back‑to‑back strategy—tucking into a corner and covering each other’s blind spots—to survive the onslaught and clear the maze together.