A UK team is reviving the cult 80s ITV game show Knightmare as a free point-and-click adventure game, with original host Hugo Myatt set to reprise his role as dungeon master Treguard. The game is slated for release in 2027.
Knightmare, a fantasy game show that aired on ITV, remains a cult favourite and saw a one-off special in 2013. The new video game is not the first adaptation, as the show previously saw two home computer versions: an adventure game in 1987 and a role-playing dungeon crawler in 1991.
Premise and Gameplay
The new game takes the form of a classic point-and-click adventure, guiding a visibility-challenged adventurer wearing the Helmet of Justice. In the original show, a team of children worked together to complete quests and win prizes. One kid wore the Helmet of Justice, unable to see where they were going, and had to be directed by the others while walking through a fantasy environment created with chroma-key effects. Contestants fought monsters, solved puzzles, and made often random-seeming decisions.
Knightmare was famously very difficult, with only eight teams ever beating the game in the seven years it was on air. The video game appears less unforgiving, as an FAQ page explains that dying won't force a restart and there is no life meter to manage.
Voice Acting and Artwork
The announcement trailer boasts new hand-drawn artwork and animation, with the website stressing no AI was used, and promises full voice acting from the original Knightmare cast, including Hugo Myatt. This is not Myatt's first video game role; he has appeared in other fantasy games, including the original Fable and god game Black & White, both developed by Peter Molyneux's Lionhead Studios.
The game lacks an exact release date but will be completely free and available to download on PC. There will be no console version, as the FAQ explains this is a very small project without a significant budget. Consequently, the game will be quite short, taking one to two hours to beat, and will not see a physical release.
