Play Castle of Deceit Online

Castle of Deceit came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990 from Bunch Games. It was one of those late NES releases that tried to squeeze a bit more out of the hardware, offering a larger, more interconnected world than many earlier platformers. You play as a lone knight tasked with retrieving a set of magical runes stolen by the warlord who has taken over the castle.

You control the knight through side scrolling rooms, using a short sword for combat and a shield to block projectiles. The main goal is to explore the castle's many branching paths, defeat the bosses guarding each rune, and ultimately confront the warlord. Key mechanics include finding colored keys to open corresponding doors and navigating environmental hazards like spike pits and moving platforms. The pacing is deliberate, with a high difficulty stemming from limited health and enemies that respawn when you leave a screen. It feels like a methodical test of patience and precision.