Druaga no Tou (World) (Namcot Collection, Namco Museum Archives Vol 1)

In The Tower of Druaga, players assume the role of the knight Gilgamesh, whose quest is to ascend the 60-floor Tower of Druaga to rescue Princess Ki from the demon Druaga. The game features a top-down action-adventure style of gameplay, with each floor acting as a maze-like stage. Gilgamesh can move in four cardinal directions and use his sword to attack monsters. However, his sword is only effective when Gilgamesh is facing the enemy directly.

The primary objective on each floor is to find a key and unlock a door to proceed to the next level. Keys and doors are often strategically placed, requiring players to think and plan. A unique aspect of The Tower of Druaga is its hidden item system. To acquire crucial items like armor, shields, or support spells, players must perform specific actions on the map, sometimes involving defeating a certain number of monsters, moving to a specific location, or even following a complex path.

These items are pivotal for overcoming the increasingly difficult challenges of the tower. Without the appropriate items, progression becomes extremely difficult or impossible. The game features various types of monsters with distinct movement patterns and attack styles, requiring players to understand their behaviors to effectively avoid or defeat them.

The hidden item system is the heart of the puzzle-solving gameplay in The Tower of Druaga, transforming it from a mere action game into a grand puzzle that demands patience, experimentation, and sometimes memorization of "formulas" to unlock items. Finding all the necessary items is crucial for confronting Druaga on the final floor. The game is renowned for its high difficulty and demands meticulous movement from the player.