Play Druaga no Tou (Japan) Online

Druaga no Tou on the Game Boy came out in 1990 from Namco, a time when handheld RPGs were still finding their footing. It's a condensed take on the arcade original, built for short bursts of play, though it asks for plenty of patience.

You control Gilgamesh, moving screen by screen through the tower's maze-like floors. Your goal is to climb to the top, fighting monsters with your sword and gathering items like keys and a bow. Each floor is a self-contained puzzle; you search for the exit while avoiding traps and defeating enemies that respawn if you leave and return. The pace is deliberate, and the difficulty is steep, with progress often hinging on careful exploration and resource management. It feels like a tense, methodical crawl through a dangerous place.