Gargoyles, mutants and whip-cracking henchmen await in Return to Dark Castle – and all you’ve got is a pocketful of rocks! As the brave but bumbling hero Bryant, you’ll venture deep into the lair of the Black Knight in this charming throwback to one of the Mac’s most beloved game franchises.

To discover the fate of your uncle Duncan (hero of the ’80s classics Dark Castle and Beyond Dark Castle), you’ll leap over deadly pits, fling projectiles at pesky bats and try not to knock yourself senseless by accidentally running into walls. Across 80 levels of merciless puzzle-platforming action, there’s a seemingly endless number of things trying to kill you. Your quest has begun!

What we love: All the hilarious ways to fail. True to its roots, Return to Dark Castle can be exquisitely challenging, but dying is often more funny than frustrating. You might get bowled over by a rolling log, zapped by an electrical beam or crushed under a cartoonish 16-tonne weight. Or maybe you’ll trip and fall flat on your face, then get nibbled to death by a humble rat. You can’t fault Bryant’s spirit, but he’s not the luckiest adventurer around!

Quick tip: In the Forest Guard Tower level, activate the hidden switch on the left side of the rocky outcropping to lower a rope. Climb down and you’ll find a high window in the North Tower, where a teleportation potion is yours for the taking.

Meet the creator: California’s Ludit Games is headed by Mark Stephen Pierce, co-creator of the original Dark Castle games. Developed in conjunction with Z Sculpt Entertainment, the remastered Return to Dark Castle is the definitive edition of the 2008 sequel, updated for modern hardware.

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