Catacombs of Chaos was a turn-based game where each player controls a party of characters exploring the catacombs formerly used by a wizard who has died.[1] It was a dungeon-exploration game with a ratings system for players.[2] The Catacombs held the treasure horde of Clanthor the Magnificent.[3] Players advance though various actions including acquiring treasure.[3] Players could choose from seven "quests": Cleric, Consumers,
Hunters, Plunderers, Seekers, Terrors, and Undead, each with different character classes available.[3] John C. Muir described those categories generally as "Magicians, Fighters, and Thieves".[3] Parties could comprise up to ten customizable characters, using 100 points to allocate per party.[3] Dungeons ranged from 160 to 600 rooms per game.[4] Players had 19 actions available per turn, including: "Room Search, Rest, Take Item, Move, Defend, and Melee".[4]
Players input orders on punch cards for scanning by the publisher.[3]
Reception
W. G. Armintrout reviewed Catacombs of Chaos in The Space Gamer No. 57.[1] Armintrout commented that "Catacombs of Chaos is an ill-explained and confusing game. The worst problem lies with the lack of information given to the players about such basics as character design, magic, and combat."[1]
In the April 1983 edition of Dragon (Issue 72), Michael Gray found the game to be very similar to Heroic Fantasy by Flying Buffalo.[5] A reviewer in a 1983 issue of PBM Universal stated that, other than no available special actions, "the game is fine".[2]
John C. Muir reviewed the game in a 1983 issue of Nuts & Bolts of PBM. He characterized gameplay as "dull" due to the slow pace.[4] He recommended playing only after a game revision.[4]
Armintrout, W. G. (November 1982). "The Great Buffalo Hunt: Heroic Fantasy vs. Catacombs of Chaos Featured Review". The Space Gamer. No. 57. Steve Jackson Games. pp. 2–5.
Editors (November–December 1983). "Gamealog: Catacombs of Chaos". PBM Universal. No. 1. p. 28.
Gray, Michael (April 1983). "The PBM scene: Facts You Can Use When YOU Choose What Game to Play". Dragon. No. 72. TSR, Inc. p. 31.
Muir, John C. (1983). "Catacombs of Chaos". Nuts & Bolts of Gaming. Vol. 3, no. 14. pp. 20–21.
