Lode Runner

Lode Runner is a classic NES action-puzzle game designed by Douglas E. Smith and published by Hudson. Players guide a miner through more than 50 levels, digging holes to trap pursuing guards while collecting every gold brick on the stage to advance. There are no direct attacks — the only tool is digging holes to create traps, demanding careful strategy and precise timing. Enemies follow predictable patterns that players must anticipate and exploit. Brilliantly crafted stages with steadily escalating difficulty make Lode Runner an early landmark of the action-puzzle genre.