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Swordquest is a video game series developed and published by Atari. The series consists of four games in total: Earthworld, Fireworld, Waterworld and Airworld. These four games are an adventure in the virtual world in addition to being a treasure hunting adventure in reality. To win the corresponding prize for each game, players had to mail in the right clues obtained by playing the game and reading the graphic novel.
The winners of the offline contest would be rewarded a luxurious prize that is made with real gold and precious gemstones. (The Quest for the Real-Life Treasures of Atari's Swordquest, Atlas Obscura(https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-quest-for-the-reallife-treasures-of-ataris-swordquest)) The treasure of Earthworld is "a spectacular 18 karat solid gold Talisman, studded with twelve diamonds and twelve other precious stones." Fireworld winner gets "a Chalice, a gorgeous goblet of platinum and gold, glistening with rubies, sapphires, diamonds and pearls." Although the "Crown of Life" and the "Philosopher's Stone" did not make it to the real world, their designs were extremely extravagant. The champion of Waterworld would receive a "golden Crown, encrusted with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, green tourmalines, and aquamarines." Furthermore, the "Philosopher's Stone" being the prize for the Airworld winner, it was "encased in an 18 karat gold box stubbed with emeralds, rubies, diamonds, and citrines." Each treasure was valued at 25000 US dollars at the time. In addition, among the champions of the four games, whoever won the "fifth and final challenge of Swordquest" could wield "an incredible jewel-crusted Sword, with 18kt gold handle and gleaming silver blade, blazing with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires." This ultimate treasure was valued at 50000 US dollars. (You Can Win Fabulous Prizes by Solving the Mysteries of Four New Cartridges, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/atariage-1-3/page/n9/mode/2up))
Like the video games of that era, if the gamers played Swordquest without the manual, it would be extremely confusing. The overall experience was very unusual, the sound effects could be uncomfortable for contemporary video game players. Throughout the series, players would play as Tarra, who is just an illustration of a pixelated man. Although the game uses pixel art, the designers have brought some animations in the game to life. For instance, one of the common scenes was the character travelling between rooms, the game switched from an omniscient perspective to a first-person perspective. A rectangle would be displayed in the center of the screen, and then slowly zoomed in to simulate the sense of sight when you walk from one room to another.
In Earthworld, the players are supposed to collect items hidden in 12 similar rooms. These rooms represent the 12 zodiac signs. Sometimes, Tarra would be challenged by different kinds of traps, but if the players managed to obtain all the secret items and place them in the right order, they would immediately receive their first clue to the treasure hunt. The hint would guide players to the comic book. For example, the clue in Earthworld was 16-4, which implies one of the correct answers is hidden in the fourth box on page 16. There were a total of 10 words players had to find, but only 5 of them were correct. As a result, players needed to read and understand the plot of the story to filter out the wrong answers. (Atari 2600 Manual: SwordQuest - Earthworld, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/SwordQuest_Earthworld_1982_Atari/page/n3/mode/2up))
Fireworld, the second game of the series, is very similar to Earthworld. The appearance of rooms did not change much, but the maze was designed "based on the Tree of Life that came from the Kabbalah." (The Quest for the Real-Life Treasures of Atari's Swordquest, Atlas Obscura (https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-quest-for-the-reallife-treasures-of-ataris-swordquest)) In contrast to the Earthworld, only a few people made it to the offline contest, to be precise, 73 players were able to find the correct answers by cracking the game.
Waterworld is the rarest Swordquest game because it was released in the year of the Video Game Crash. In order to reduce costs, the game was only open to purchase for people who were members of Atari Club. The structure of the maze ”was based on the seven spiritual chakras popular in New Age beliefs, making for a smaller map than ever before." (The Quest for the Real-Life Treasures of Atari's Swordquest, Atlas Obscura (https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-quest-for-the-reallife-treasures-of-ataris-swordquest)) Although funds were insufficient, WaterWorld has the best picture and sound quality among the other chapters. The hints and clues were still included in the game and comic book this time, but both the treasure hunt and treasure were cancelled due to insufficient funds.
Last but not least, Airworld had the most complex maze design compared to the other games in the series. According to Tod Frye, the game designer of Airworld, the game was “patterned after the I Ching." Yet, the game was never close to finishing. Hence, the project was eventually cancelled; only a few pieces of information were released during the interview with Frye. (The Quest for the Real-Life Treasures of Atari's Swordquest, Atlas Obscura (https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-quest-for-the-reallife-treasures-of-ataris-swordquest))