Gaming computer in ambient light. Photo by bantersnaps on Unsplash.

The Jackal's Knightmare Game

By Alan Boyd

Carl Thompson (aka The Jackal) has created a Knightmare game using the Games Factory game creation engine.


In this game, you control the dungeoneer through three levels of the dungeon, avoiding monsters, answering riddles and solving puzzles. The game is free to download and play.

DownloadGame installer (243.17MB)

A brief history

Being a massive fan of Knightmare, I have always been disappointed that no-one has ever stepped up and adapted the show to a proper computer game. There are a few bits and pieces out there, but nothing that really stands out.

Knightmare has all of the ingredients for a really exciting, challenging game that people can get into.

This is why I sat down and planned my own version of Knightmare as a computer game, based on Series 2 which in my mind was fantastic for that time, and remains a set of brilliant and exciting episodes.

At this stage, I had no idea of the actual work involved. Initially I thought I could grab a few rooms and "glue" them together. However, it soon started to dawn on me and it took over six months of solid work to compile all of the graphics and sounds required for each of the rooms.

Screenshot from The Jackal's Knightmare game

Once that was complete, I needed a plan: a quest to follow, and a map of the dungeon which players would follow. It needed to be exciting - not just rooms to wonder through, but challenges to take and dangers to avoid. That in itself is a challenge - plotting how your actions in one room affect your outcome in another - sometimes far in advance.

However, you are limited to the various twists and turns you can take. I had to keep the storyline in line with those already played out on television so that all of the sounds, graphics and objects could be used. If you stray too far away from that, you end up without the key resources required, and the end product suffers.

Eventually I expanded and based the game on the first 3 series of Knightmare rather than just the second as originally planned, as it gave me more (and better) materials for the whole game. Anyone who has watched these series recently will have an advantage as the riddles, traps, and spells are derived from these series.

I have tried to create as exciting an atmosphere as possible. As you progress further into the dungeon you are hounded more and more by Mogdred who was such a brilliant character in Knightmare. I decided that he would be the one to really put the pressure on the dungeoneer through the later stages of the game! His laugh alone is very menacing and can set you immediately into panic mode!

Game instructions

Once downloaded and installed on your PC, the game comes with a full set of instructions.

Much like in the series, you guide the dungeoneer through the various rooms in each of the levels using the arrow keys. Along the way it is essential to keep an eye out for food in order to maintain your life force which is constantly being drained slowly.

Don't hang about anywhere for too long as you might not have sufficient time to reach the next food item.

TIP: If you encounter food but still have reserves of life force, complete any tasks in that room first before taking the food. This might give you vital seconds later somewhere.

On your journey you will encounter characters from the TV show. Some help, some hinder, some require riddles answering correctly for essential information or spells which will help you through the quest.

The deeper into the levels you travel, the more difficult it becomes. However, stay true to your quest and on the right path, and remember, the only way is onward - there is no turning back!

Enjoy the game and good luck!

DownloadGet the game (243.17MB)

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