Crypts of Terror is a real-time adventure game. Its goal is to find the Magic Ring of Power in one of the treasure chests in the fifty crypts and return it to crypt one. If you do so, you will learn the secret keyword to the next level of difficulty.

The game is the typical slug-it-out-with-the-monsters game in which you need to find enough treasures and supplies in the various chests to remain alive and complete your quest. There is a monster in every room that must be killed with a sword or rifle (you need bullets, remember) before you can open a chest. Since you can only carry one item at a time, you must double back and exchange your sword for a key by passing over the item that you wish to carry. You must refrain from pressing the fire button when you want to drop objects. In this game, a map is displayed showing the contents and status of each room. It is available after you have opened a chest. Since plotting all of the items is rather slow, pressing the button is to be avoided.

Life points dwindle rapidly in any encounter with the monsters. Extra life points can be earned by finding food in the chests or by trading gold coins with the Tree of Life. You must balance fighting with finding enough treasure to sustain life. The game ends once you have lost all three of your men.

The game's concept is good but the game becomes rather tedious after extended play because it has no puzzle qualities. The graphics and speed are good, considering it is an adventure game written in BASIC.