Ever wonder what goes on in cemeteries after dark? Unless you're really superstitious or easily frightened, you can find out by playing Crypt of the Undead. In Crypt of the Undead, werewolves, vampires and other creatures of the night freely roam the grounds and you are the poor lost soul who must escape from the cemetery before dawn... or remain there forever.

As the game begins, it's dusk and you are standing in the middle of a cemetery. Locked gates and high walls cut off all means of escape. Your only hope of getting out is keys which are scattered around the grounds. These open the doors to such structures as the crematorium, mausoleum and private tombs where additional exit clues (and more ghouls) await.

Feel free to wander as you please, collecting treasures and food. Pay close attention to your route as you'll frequently find the need to retrace your steps as you roam through the night. The graphics, which scroll both vertically and horizontally, are wonderfully eerie as you stroll past rows of graves, buildings and a lake. You aren't safe though - the monsters are roaming too and they attack the unwary without warning.

Crypt of the Undead is a delightful diversion and, for the adventure minded, something of a relief from the space-blaster and maze-running games so popular of late. The graphics inside and outside the buildings are equally spectacular and the game itself shows lots of imagination and thought.

The major drawback is that the game is exactly the same each time it's played. The layout of the cemetery, the insides of buildings, the location of keys and secret clues are identical from session to session. The fun and challenge diminish in direct proportion to the number of times you play. It is probable that after winning three or four times, you'll have little interest in an early return visit. The first two times you find your way out are just great but then what? This is the type of game you should expect to trade with friends.


By the way, death needn't mark the end of the game. When a player is killed by a monster, the computer tells you to press the START button. But you can take another crack at the attacker if you hit OPTION instead. The coded clues in the buildings can be mysteries in themselves. Walk with caution, notice everything and, above all, think carefully.

There are ways to improve your chances of staying alive long enough to find your way out before the cock crows.

You can evade most attacking creatures by crossing a fence.