The Code Works

Aliens!

Commodore PET - Released - 1980

Aliens! is a simple shooter in the vein of Space Invaders. Aliens will spawn infinitely at the top of the screen and move down in straight line. The player must move his tank left and right to line up his shots. When the player dies he gets to see how many aliens he killed and how much shots he fired.

Ambush!

Commodore PET - Released

Ambush! is a two player turn-based strategy game. It has very simple rules. Both players move about on the same grid, each turn a player may first move to an adjacent tile (including diagonal tiles) and after that bomb a tile. A bombed tile becomes inaccessible. The first player who is completely surrounded by bombed tiles loses.

Atom Box

Commodore 64 - Released - 1983

A simple brain\logic game by Dave Lengel and published in 1983 by The Code Works.

Bat!

Commodore PET - Released - October 1, 1979

In Bat! the player takes control of an radio controlled electronic bat. The objective is to stay alive by consuming calories in the form of bugs present on the screen. Different bugs give different amounts of calories and some are even harmful to the bat. The final score is the time spent in play. Calories are slowly used up so that new ones have to be found constantly. To control the bat the player must apply force in one of four directions. Gravity will continuously pull the bat downwards. Released as part of Cursor #14

Brick

Commodore PET - Released - July 5, 1978

Brick is a one-button game in which the player must prevent a brick from breaking a window. The brick is thrown at the window with a variable speed. Halfway its flight the brick will turn invisible. The player can stop the brick in mid-air and any given time by pressing the Y button. The closer the brick is to the window (without breaking it) the more points the player scores. Breaking the window costs the player many points. The average of all throws counts. Published in Cursor Magazine issue #1.
Drag

Drag

Commodore 64 - Released - 1980

Drag is a 1-4 player drag race themed Educational math game that focuses on integers. Whoever crosses the finishing line first is the winner. This was developed by Earl Furman and published in CURSOR #21 (1980/06-07). Originally released for the PET, but converted to the C64 a couyple of years later.

Dungeon

Commodore PET - Released - December 1, 1979

Dungeon is a Roguelike game. Like other games in this genre the player explores a dungeon in a top-down view and must collect loot and kill enemies to progress. Each dungeon is generated randomly and only becomes visible during exploration. The player can only see one tile far. When encountering a monster the game automatically determines whether the player wins the fight or not, and (if the player survives) how much hitpoints he or she loses. Published in Cursor Magazine #15.

Everest

Commodore PET - Released - December 1, 1979

Everest is a mountain climbing game in which the player must try to climb Mount Everest. The mountain is shown from the side and filled with numbers. Each number corresponds with the amount of strength it costs to climb to that spot. The player can move in eight directions with the numeric pad. Judging from the numbers the player must find the less intensive route to the top. Additional dangers include blizzards that roam the mountainsides and avalanches. The player can also fall a certain distance from time to time. Getting caught in a blizzard, like moving itself costs energy. When all energy is depleted the game is over. The player is rated by how far he or she climbed. The game keeps an average rating of all previous attempts. Published in Cursor Magazine #15.

Everest (Cursor Magazine)

Commodore 64 - Released - 1979

Everest is a mountain climbing game in which the player must try to climb Mount Everest. The mountain is shown from the side and filled with numbers. Each number corresponds with the amount of strength it costs to climb to that spot. The player can move in eight directions with the numeric pad. Judging from the numbers the player must find the less intensive route to the top. Additional dangers include blizzards that roam the mountainsides and avalanches. The player can also fall a certain distance from time to time. Getting caught in a blizzard, like moving itself costs energy. When all energy is depleted the game is over. The player is rated by how far he or she climbed. The game keeps an average rating of all previous attempts. Released in Cursor #15 (1979/11-12) / PET Emulator.
Ferry

Ferry

Commodore 64 - Released - 1983

Ferry is a timing game where the player must navigate a remote-controlled supply ferry through an asteroid field. The entire screen is comprised of one big scrolling asteroid field. The player must navigate a number of ferries across the screen. There are only two buttons, one for moving forward and one for moving back. The player gains a score based on the time it took to move all ferries across (and how many actually made it all the way). Published in the book "Commodore 64 - Fun and Games Vol. 2"

Fifteen (Code Works)

Commodore 64 - Released - 1983

In this game from Glen Fisher and Paul Barnett, published in 1983 in multiple releases, including Cursor/64 #1, Cursor/64 #2, and also in Scandinavien PD #04, you must arrange the 15 pieces in numerical order using as few moves as possible. F and S swaps fast and slow speeds, Q to quit if you've had enough. Like golf, lowest score wins!

Gammon

Commodore PET - Released - 1979

Gammon allows the player to play the classic board game Backgammon against the Commodore PET computer. All basic rules apply in this strategic game where players have to try to move their pieces off the board and prevent the opponent from doing so. The game uses a text parsing system to determine moves the player wants to make.
Godzilla

Godzilla

Commodore 64 - Released - 1983

Godzilla threatens Japan and it’s up to the player to use the combined force of Japan’s army, navy, air force, and nuclear arsenal to defeat him. Godzilla is a turn-based game played out over Japan and its surrounding waters which are mapped out on a grid. Godzilla starts randomly on the map and moves erratically from tile to tile. On the player’s turn, the player can attack Godzilla with available units in the same sector as Godzilla, move units to an adjacent sector, launch a missile at Godzilla or authorize an atomic strike. At the end of each turn, the game tallies the damage done to Godzilla and the corresponding loss to Japanese forces and the civilian population. The game ends either with Godzilla’s death or with Godzilla victorious over a devastated Japan. Published in the book "Commodore 64 - Fun and Games" / Digital Marketing PD #103

Gomoku

Commodore PET - Released - December 1, 1979

In this adaptation of the traditional board game Gomoku, the player can play against the AI. Normal rules apply. Each turn players place their pieces on the 14x14 board in an attempt to reach five in a row. Rows may be attained horizontally, vertically and diagonally. There are three different AIs to play against a cautious, aggressive and balanced version. The player may also choose to go first or not and which color to play.

Hanoi

Commodore PET - Released - November 1, 1978

Hanoi allows the player to play the classic Towers of Hanoi puzzle on the computer. The player is tasked with moving a tower from one place to another. The tower is made of a number of rings (players can choose three up to seven rings) with different sizes. Rings can never be placed on top of smaller rings and only one ring can be moved at a time. There are three slots where rings can be placed, the original location, the desired new location and an additional slot to aid the player. Developed by Glen Fisher and released as a type-in game in the November, 1978 issue of Cursor Magazine. A color version was ported to the Commodore 64 in 1983.

Hawaii!

Commodore PET - Released - December 1, 1979

From CURSOR Magazine, issue #15 (November/December, 1979): Visit this island paradise, an early visual story/novel.

Joust

Commodore PET - Released - March 1, 1980

Joust is a jousting game for two players only, in which the two players must joust it out on horses. Players can control the location of both their lance and their shield. They must try to block the other player's lance with their shield by placing it high, middle or low and in addition try to hit the other player with their lance by placing it in one of those same locations. A player cannot place his lance and shield in the same location. In the game, the horses move towards each other automatically. The players can move their equipment at any time, making last second adjustments.

Miner!

Commodore PET - Released - 1980

MINER! In this game you are a gold miner, facing the normal hazards of a deep mine: there are cave-ins, (which sometimes cause you to lose all your gold!), as well as underground springs that will flood your carefully dug tunnels. You move by using the numeric pad is down, is left, right, is up and means "stop". Naturally, the first thing to do is get in the elevator and move down. When you get to the level where you want to work, press and start digging with your pick. Gold (or hazards, such as springs or hard rock) will occur at the dots. When you find gold, get in the elevator and deposit it in the bank! You have a drill [D], explosives [E], and a pump [P] at your disposal. However, using these tools costs money! You'll win the game when you amass $10,000. Miner! was published in Cursor Magazine #19 in April, 1980.

Shark

Commodore PET - Released - July 5, 1978

In Shark the player takes on the role of a killer shark at a public swimming beach. The goal is to kill as many swimmers before they escape to the beach or divers catch the shark. The player must also look out for traps. At the start of the game the player can decide how many swimmers, traps and divers will be present. Published in Cursor Magazine #1

Space

Commodore PET - Released - March 1, 1979

Space! is an arcade first person shooter. The player sits inside a spacecraft and can rotate the view in any direction. The aim is to shoot as many enemy spacecraft as possible. Each shot costs energy. When the energy level gets to low the game ends. In addition to firing the laser, the ship also drains energy automatically, creating a time limit within which the player can operate. Enemies don't fire back.

Thunt!

Commodore PET - Released - September 1, 1980

Thunt! is a maze game in which the player is tasked with finding treasure in a randomly generated maze. Enemies also roam the maze and will kill you when they come in contact. They do not know where the player is unless they have line of sight. The player is given the general coordinate of the treasure, but must still look around in that vicinity. When the player finds the treasure more points can be scored by solving an anagram puzzle. Finally the player must find the exit, which is again at a random location of which only a general coordinate is known. When the player escapes the game is over and his or her score is shown.

Titrator

Commodore PET - Released - May 1, 1979

Titrator is a simulation game in which you perform titration. The object is to find out how strong the given caustic solution is. This is done by titrating with HCl. When the solution gets a neutral acidity the indicator will change color. The player can add HCl in a continuous flow or drop by drop. The game automatically does the math. You can fail by adding too much HCl.

Wander

Commodore PET - Released - July 5, 1978

Wander is an interactive toy that lets the player play with a wandering worm on the screen. The player can make the worm pause and continue, determine its size and the character used to define the body. There are no specified goals. Published in Cursor Magazine #1.
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