Shadowgate on the NES is one of those games that makes you feel like you're actually trapped in a creepy castle, trying not to die in increasingly ridiculous ways. You poke around dusty rooms, light torches (or forget to and immediately regret it), and solve puzzles that range from "oh, that makes sense" to "wait, how was I supposed to figure that out?"

The atmosphere is thick—dimly lit halls, eerie music, and death lurking behind every wrong move. One minute you're deciphering a riddle on a wall, the next you're getting eaten by a monster because you opened the wrong door. Save states are your friend here.

It’s old-school adventure gaming at its most unforgiving, but there’s something weirdly satisfying about finally cracking a puzzle after staring at it for way too long. Just don’t be surprised if you end up consulting a walkthrough at least once.