The Gates of Dawn

The player controls a knight who must discover the mystery of the mind. To do this, four objects must be collected - iron, stone, fire, and ice - so that they can pass through the Gates of Dawn. These objects are scattered in the maze. The maze consists of 64 rooms, which are displayed in a 3D view with the walls bearing garnish patterns and colors, giving them a psychedelic look. The rooms are usually filled with monsters.

As the player navigates between rooms, a map in the top-right of the screen charts their progress. An arrow below it indicates the direction they are facing, and it is up to the player to keep an eye on this arrow later on in the game.

Players start the game with five lives, a strength of 10,000, and a sword. The player either loses strength or one of their lives when they touch certain monsters. The game ends if the player loses all their lives or strength.

The sword can be used to destroy monsters, as long as it is at the top of the inventory. The inventory can only hold up to five items, with the item being held at the top. Said object can be examined, dropped, or used. Pressing the relevant key will present the player with a list of available commands. "Examine" gives a small description of the object being held. "Drop" allows the player to drop the selected object, and "Use" allows them to perform an action with the currently held object by typing in an action they wish to perform. These commands must be selected within a short period of time.