Q*bert is a 1982 action-puzzle arcade game released by Gottlieb.
Quick Facts
| Title | Q*bert |
| Year | 1982 |
| Manufacturer | Gottlieb |
| Designer(s) | Warren Davis, Jeff Lee |
| Genre | Action-Puzzle |
| Hardware | Arcade cabinet |
| Ports | 9 ports, including Atari 2600, ColecoVision, and Intellivision — see Ports section |
History
Q*bert was designed by Warren Davis and Jeff Lee for Gottlieb, released to arcades in 1982. The pyramid-hopping concept combined a simple hazard-avoidance loop with an unusually expressive lead character, whose signature garbled curse became one of the era’s most recognized arcade sound effects. Gottlieb backed the release with a wide licensing push, and the game reached nearly a dozen home systems within a few years of its arcade debut.
Commercially, Q*bert became Gottlieb’s best-selling arcade title, moving roughly 25,000 cabinets and placing among the thirteen highest-grossing arcade games of 1983. Its popularity fed a merchandising boom that eventually covered more than 125 licensed products, from toys to a Saturday-morning cartoon tie-in. The character endured well past the coin-op era: competitive play persisted for decades, and Guinness World Records recognizes a 2013 marathon and high-score run by New Jersey player George Leutz, who reached 37,163,080 points in a single session. Q*bert has since resurfaced in mainstream film, appearing in Wreck-It Ralph and Pixels.
Gameplay
Players guide Q*bert as he hops diagonally from cube to cube across a pyramid, changing each cube to a designated target color to clear the level. The isometric graphics render the pyramid at an angle so that diagonal hops read as up-and-down or left-and-right motion, giving the flat 2D screen a pseudo-3D feel that was unusual for its time. A single joystick is the only control, moving Q*bert diagonally between cubes. Threats close in from multiple sides: Coily the snake chases Q*bert down the pyramid, while colored bouncing balls and other enemies move along their own patterns, forcing the player to plan routes and dodge collisions. Losing all lives to a fall or an enemy ends the game, and changing every cube on the pyramid to the target color before running out of lives clears the level.
- Diagonal-hop movement across an isometric pyramid of cubes
- Cube-color-changing objective that must be completed to clear a level
- Enemy patterns built around Coily the snake and colored bouncing balls
- Isometric graphics creating a pseudo-3D effect on a 2D plane
Cabinet & Hardware
Q*bert shipped as a standard upright arcade cabinet, the only hardware configuration in which the game was released.
Ports & Re-releases
| Platform | Year |
|---|---|
| Atari 2600 | — |
| ColecoVision | — |
| Intellivision | — |
| Atari 5200 | — |
| Commodore 64 | — |
| NES | — |
| Game Boy | — |
| Game Boy Color | — |
| PlayStation 3 | — |
Q*bert’s most recent listed port, PlayStation 3, extended the game’s reach onto a PlayStation storefront release, keeping it accessible well beyond its original run of early-1980s home conversions. Check the Atari 2600, ColecoVision, and Intellivision platform pages for details on those specific ports.
Where to Play Legally Today
- Official digital re-releases such as the PlayStation 3 version, where still available through PlayStation’s storefront
- MAME, run only with legally owned ROM dumps from a cabinet or licensed source you own
- Arcade museums and retro arcade venues that keep a working Q*bert cabinet on their floor
Collector Value
Original Q*bert cabinets are reasonably plentiful on the secondary market given the roughly 25,000 units Gottlieb produced, though condition varies widely and cabinets with intact control panels and unfaded side art draw stronger prices. Standalone PCBs circulate for collectors who already own a compatible cabinet shell and want to swap boards rather than buy a complete machine. The extensive early-1980s home conversions on systems like the Atari 2600, ColecoVision, and Intellivision are common and inexpensive, making cartridge collecting an accessible entry point compared to acquiring a full-size cabinet.
FAQs
Who made Q*bert?
Q*bert was designed by Warren Davis and Jeff Lee and manufactured for arcades by Gottlieb.
What year did Q*bert come out?
Q*bert came out in 1982 as an arcade cabinet from Gottlieb.
What genre is Q*bert?
Q*bert is an action-puzzle arcade game, in which the player hops across a pyramid of cubes to change their color while avoiding enemies.
How many arcade cabinets of Q*bert were sold?
Gottlieb sold approximately 25,000 Q*bert cabinets, making it the company’s most successful arcade release and one of the thirteen highest-grossing arcade games of 1983.
Has Q*bert been ported to home consoles?
Yes, Q*bert has been ported to at least nine platforms, including the Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Intellivision, Atari 5200, Commodore 64, NES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and PlayStation 3.
See also the related Ms. Pac-Man arcade page, and browse the Golden Age of Arcade Games hub for more classic puzzle titles.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q*bert
- https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/110087-highest-score-on-arcade-qbert
Facts on this page last verified 2026-07-15.