Wizard of Wor (1980). Play online

Summary

Wizard of Wor drops you into cramped, flickering dungeons where you control a brightly coloured Worrior—yellow on the right, blue on the left if you’re playing two‑player. The core loop is simple: blast every monster—Burwors, Garwors, Thorwors—out of the maze while avoiding their lethal contact, then move on to a bigger, more open corridor.

If you’re paired up, you can either team up (corner yourself and fire together) or turn on each other for extra points, even stealing lives. After the initial wave a fleeting Worluk appears; smash it for a score multiplier, then the titular Wizard of Wor may pop up and stick around until he’s dead or your teammate is. Tunnels warp you across the screen, and a tiny radar at the bottom keeps you aware of lurking threats.

The game earned rave reviews for its unique co‑op/versus mix, snagging an Arkie award for Best Multi‑Player, and it even showed up in the 1983 cult classic Joysticks before landing on modern compilations like Midway Arcade Treasures 2.