Boulderdash

Boulder Dash (often written “Boulderdash”) - the 1984 classic for Commodore 64 from First Star Software.

Rockford - the little, blinking spelunker - digs through soft earth in
sprawling, scrolling caves, snatching diamonds while the clock ticks down.
Gravity is the real villain: loosen a gem and it will tumble like a boulder,
ready to crush you or roll off edges in sneaky ways.

Enemies patrol in predictable loops:
- fireflies
- butterflies

Knowing how they move is half the puzzle. Crush a butterfly and you are
showered with diamonds; mishandle a firefly and you get a cavern shaking
explosion.

Cave gadgets add depth:
- amoeba - oozes into empty space and can overrun a cave if unchecked
- magic wall - briefly converts falling rocks and gems

Each cave (A - P, with nasty intermissions sprinkled in) demands a set number
of diamonds before the exit opens, and every extra gem becomes bonus points.

Movement and feel:
- push boulders sideways when the space allows
- snap to grab a gem from the next tile without stepping under danger
- plan routes so falling debris clears paths instead of sealing your fate

It is equal parts planning and improvisation - study the cave, set off
controlled avalanches, then dash for the door before time bleeds out.

Why it is special on C64:
- buttery smooth scrolling
- chunky yet expressive sprites
- that satisfying rumble of falling rocks

Boulder Dash distilled arcade action and logic puzzling into something
endlessly replayable - and it still hooks today with the same one more cave
itch.

At a glance
Year - 1984
Design and programming - Peter Liepa - based on a concept by Chris Gray
Publisher - First Star Software
Genre - Action puzzle
Players - 1
Controls - Joystick in port 2