Wizard of Wor
Wizard of Wor is a 1981 maze arcade game by Midway Manufacturing.
Quick Facts
| Title | Wizard of Wor |
| Year | 1981 |
| Manufacturer | Midway Manufacturing |
| Designer(s) | Tom McHugh, Dave Nutting |
| Genre | Maze |
| Hardware | Arcade platform with Z80 processor. Developer: Dave Nutting Associates. |
| Ports | 6 ports – Bally Astrocade, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, see Ports section |
History
Wizard of Wor debuted in 1981 as an innovative maze game published by Midway Manufacturing and developed by Dave Nutting Associates. Designed by Tom McHugh and Dave Nutting, the game earned recognition for its creative approach to multiplayer arcade gaming, letting two Worriors work together or against each other while radar and tunnel warps added strategic depth to the maze layouts. Midway moved quickly to bring the game home: an Internet Archive preservation copy of the original cabinet confirms Midway Mfg. Co. as publisher and Dave Nutting Associates, Inc. as developer, corroborating the arcade credits recorded independently of Wikipedia. Home conversions followed across 1982 and 1983, reaching the Bally Astrocade and Atari 2600 first, then the Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit line, and Commodore 64. The title received a further cultural boost when it appeared in the 1983 comedy film Joysticks. Its staying power was confirmed decades later when Midway packaged it into two anthology releases, Midway Arcade Treasures 2 in 2004 and Midway Arcade Origins in 2012. A historical curiosity surfaced around 2016-2017: a prototype build titled Invisible Monsters, bearing an earlier 1980 copyright notice, turned up among collectors, hinting at a longer development history than the 1981 arcade release date alone suggests.
Gameplay
Players control the Worrior character through enclosed, maze-like dungeon corridors viewed from directly overhead, shooting down progressively tougher monsters: the slow Burwors, the teleporting Garwors, and the invisible Thorwors, which can only be tracked using the cabinet’s radar display. Tunnel passages along the maze edges let a Worrior warp to the opposite side of the screen, doubling as both an escape route and an ambush point against pursuing creatures. Clearing a maze of monsters occasionally summons a bonus enemy—the fast-moving Worluk, and, if it escapes, the fearsome Wizard of Wor himself—both worth substantially higher point values than the regular monster waves. The defining feature is the two-player mode, playable cooperatively against the maze’s monsters or competitively against the other Worrior, since friendly fire is possible; that dual-mode structure is what set the 1981 cabinet apart from most single-player maze games of the era.
Cabinet & Hardware
Wizard of Wor ran on arcade hardware featuring a Z80 processor and was developed by Dave Nutting Associates. The arcade platform was designed to handle the real-time maze navigation and enemy AI necessary for the game’s cooperative multiplayer experience.
Ports & Re-releases
| Platform | Year |
| Bally Astrocade | 1982 |
| Atari 2600 | 1982 |
| Atari 5200 | 1983 |
| Atari 8-bit | 1983 |
| Commodore 64 | 1983 |
| Commodore Max | Unknown |
Wizard of Wor saw notable re-releases in the Midway Arcade Treasures 2 (2004) and Midway Arcade Origins (2012) compilations, introducing the game to new generations of players through modern platforms.
Where to Play Legally Today
- Midway Arcade Treasures 2 (multiple platforms)
- Midway Arcade Origins (multiple platforms)
- MAME emulation with legally-owned ROMs
Collector Value
Original Wizard of Wor arcade cabinets remain moderately collectible, with working units commanding respectable prices among enthusiasts. The home computer ports, particularly the Commodore 64 version, hold value for retrocomputing collectors, while the original arcade PCB appeals to serious arcade restoration hobbyists.
FAQs
Who made Wizard of Wor?
Wizard of Wor was developed by Dave Nutting Associates and published by Midway Manufacturing in 1981. Designers Tom McHugh and Dave Nutting created the game.
What year did Wizard of Wor come out?
Wizard of Wor was released in 1981.
Can you play Wizard of Wor today?
Yes, Wizard of Wor is available through Midway Arcade Treasures 2 (2004) and Midway Arcade Origins (2012), and can be emulated using MAME with legally-owned ROMs.
See also: the game’s Atari 2600 and Bally Astrocade console port pages, fellow Midway maze title Gorf, and the Maze games hub for more Golden Age maze-chase classics.
Sources
Facts on this page last verified 2026-07-15.