The video game The Black Cauldron was designed by Al Lowe of Sierra On-Line and released in 1986. It was made shortly after the first King's Quest game, so it resembles that adventure in many ways. Along with The Dark Crystal it remains one of only a few adventure games by Sierra to be based on films. Aug 22, 2014 Introduction and gameplay for The Black Cauldron, Dos PC game produced by Sierra On-Line in 1986 - http://www.squakenet.com/download/the-black-cauldron/4374/. In 1986, Sierra On-Line, Inc. Publishes The Black Cauldron on DOS. Also published on Amiga, Atari ST, Apple II and Apple IIgs, this adventure game is abandonware and is set in a fantasy, licensed title, graphic adventure, puzzle elements and walt disney.
The Black Cauldron
DOS - 1986
Also available on: Amiga - Atari ST - Apple II - Apple IIgs
Description of The Black Cauldron
The Black Cauldron is a fun adventure for kids based on a quite obscure Disney's movie of the same name, which was in turn based on the popular 'Chronicles of Prydain' series of children's books by Lloyd Alexander.
As in the movie, you are Taran, assistant Pig keeper, making your meager living in the fantasy land of Prydain. Your troubles begin when your pig HenWen, which has magical powers, was kidnapped by the Evil Horned King. The King wants to use HenWen's magical powers to locate the powerful black cauldron and rule the world. Naturally, your job is to rescue HenWen and save the world from evil.
The feature that sets The Black Cauldron apart from other Sierra adventure games at the time is the lack of parser. Instead of typing commands a la Police Quest, King's Quest etc., the entire game is played only by pressing a few function keys which represent 'USE [INVENTORY] OBJECT,' 'DO,' and 'USE' commands. This fulfills the game's goal of being a 'kid's game,' since it allows preschoolers to enjoy the game without worrying about grammar. The only problem with this approach is that if you are near several Do-able objects, the game just arbitrarily picks one. Not a big deal, though.
The game overall is well-designed, with appropriate pacing and logical puzzles that won't frustrate kids. Although there is a maze and a few action sequences, they are easy to pass. Unlike most early Sierra games, there are many endings in The Black Cauldron. Some follow the storyline, others are just there for fun, making the game quite replayable.
With colorful characters, accessible interface for kids, and the usual charm of early EGA Sierra games, The Black Cauldron is a great adventure that kids of all ages will enjoy. Thumbs up!
Review By HOTUD
Captures and Snapshots
Screenshots from MobyGames.com
Screenshots from MobyGames.com
Screenshots from MobyGames.com
Screenshots from MobyGames.com
Comments and reviews
Sara2018-02-100 point
I can't get the game to load at all. It says 'Illegal Command'. I haven't played this game since I was a kid and was really looking forward to it. :(
legust2015-12-250 point
Very funny game. has a good Story and system
fdisk2015-11-100 point
manual:amiga & hint book:
EDIT: THX fdisk!
A Wise Old Man2013-02-210 point DOS version
The Mouse House actually made more money off this game than they did the movie, which was a major flop in the theaters. A lot of K-6 schools bought copies to help kids get a start on the basics of just using a computer - booting up, using a floppy drive, accessing files, loading programs, etc, etc.
guest2012-10-030 point DOS version
Review of the Black Cauldron for DOS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOTcU7Al7CU
Pollito2012-08-281 point DOS version
If anyone is having trouble running this under DOSBox, they might want to try ScummVM. It's great at interpreting most Sierra and SCUMM adventure games on many different platforms.
Anne2012-08-180 point DOS version
It's been years since I played this game, but I believe you actually need to type words to interact with things.
Eric2009-10-180 point DOS version
Press Esc to bring up the command buttons. This game uses the F keys for everything. IJKM or arrows to move around.
Justyn2009-10-030 point DOS version
I was hoping I could make this game play. But I could not get the emulation speed to work correctly in DOSBox. Also no key I pressed seemed to work as the interact button. I wasn't able to enter doors, interact with any items or places. Maybe just incompatible with DOSBox or Perhaps I was doing something wrong.
It looks like a fun game, let me know if anyone knows how to make it work right.
Write a comment
Share your gamer memories, help others to run the game or comment anything you'd like. If you have trouble to run The Black Cauldron, read the abandonware guide first!
Download The Black Cauldron
We may have multiple downloads for few games when different versions are available. Also, we try to upload manuals and extra documentations when possible. If the manual is missing and you own the original manual, please contact us!
Just one click to download at full speed!
DOS Version
Amiga ROM
- Year:1987
- Publisher:Sierra On-Line, Inc.
- Developer:Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Game Extras
Various files to help you run The Black Cauldron, apply patchs, fixes, maps or miscellaneous utilities.
Atari ST ROM
Cauldron Video Game Company
- Year:1986
- Publisher:Sierra On-Line, Inc.
- Developer:Sierra On-Line, Inc.
The Black Cauldron Game Free
Apple II Version
- Year:1986
- Publisher:Sierra On-Line, Inc.
- Developer:Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Apple IIgs Version
- Year:1987
- Publisher:Sierra On-Line, Inc.
- Developer:Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Similar games
Fellow retro gamers also downloaded these games: