Uninvited (1986). Play online

Summary

I’m constantly surprised how the NES version of Uninvited still feels fresh, especially since it originally slipped onto Japanese shelves in 1989 and only reached North America in 1991. The game packs more than 50 horror‑themed rooms, each crammed with logical puzzles that make you drag‑and‑drop objects with the D‑pad just like the mouse‑driven MacVenture originals.

What really clicks for me is the freedom to move the UI around, resize the retro graphics to full screen, and save anywhere you like – you can create as many checkpoints as you need. Compared to the computer releases, the console swap removes the move‑limit; you only get a timer if you pick up the cursed ruby, which adds a neat optional tension.

The Nintendo port also got a soundtrack, the sister you’re rescuing became an older sister, and the dialogue was pared down for cartridge space. Icons like pentagrams turned into stars, and you choose spells from the inventory instead of typing magic words.

Beyond the spooky mansion, the NES version lets you explore the greenhouse, chapel, and observatory, and you’ll bump into apparitions, hellhounds and even a tiny demon that flutters around holding a key, keeping the adventure atmospheric without needing a detailed storyline.

Storyline

Uninvited drops you into a storm‑riddled night after a car crash. You and your sibling—an older sister in the NES version—wake beside a twisted tree, the vehicle ablaze, and a looming Gothic mansion in view. Drawn by curiosity, you enter the manor, only to discover a labyrinth haunted by the sorcerer’s former apprentices.

The mansion once belonged to a powerful sorcerer whose chief apprentice, Dracan, turned to dark magic and slaughtered the others, cursing the estate. As you explore, you battle undead dwellers and eventually find Dracan’s frozen corpse in an underground cavern. The sorcerer’s ghost urges you to hurl Dracan down a well, preventing his return.

At the mansion’s highest room you locate your sibling, now possessed by a malevolent spirit. After defeating the spirit, you reunite and escape the haunted house together.