Gauntlet's concept is deceptively simple: progress through 100 floors, killing enemies and grabbing treasures as you go.
The levels contain a variety of tiles and items:
Exits[edit]
These white squares usually read "EXIT". Sometimes the exits are hidden or require a key to access. Some exits are fake; nothing will happen if you step on them.
Walls[edit]
Some walls, such is crumbled wall sections, can be destroyed by shots. Some sturdy-looking walls can also be destroyed with one shot and may contain items or even enemies. Other walls can also disappear when you step on a flashing magic tile. Walls can be visible or invisible, especially in World 4.
Doors and Keys[edit]
Doors can be any shape and size, and any door tiles touching will all unlock at once with a single key. You can only carry a maximum of 10 keys throughout the course of the game.
Potions[edit]
Potions can be collected or shot. Shooting them is less effective as your character's skill bonus is not applied to their use. A white or pale-yellow potion functions as a bomb that can devastate all onscreen enemies, whereas a dark-colored potion is a dangerous poison. You can carry up to a maximum of 10 bomb potions throughout the course of the game.
Treasure[edit]
Treasure increases your score by one point.
Bags of Jewels[edit]
Bags of Jewels increase your score by five points. In two-player mode, a Bag of Jewels is left behind when one partner dies. Collect this bag in two-player mode to collect all of your partner's goods.
Food[edit]
Food always increases your health by 100 and can appear as either a jug or as a bowl of gruel. Take caution, as you can destroy jugs by inadvertently shooting at them. Gruel cannot be destroyed by regular shots.
Movable Walls[edit]
These walls can be pushed in any direction, including diagonally.
Stun Tiles[edit]
These tiles blend in with the surroundings, and when stepped on paralyze you for a few seconds. Enemies instinctively know where these are and won't walk over them, so it can be used as a shield. A trick to remove the stun is to pause the game and resume.
Magic Tiles[edit]
These pulse or flash, and when stepped on will open up some area of the level (often a place you can't see or haven't even reached yet). These are usually hidden under destructible blocks, so it's always good to destroy those to see if there are magic tiles underneath.
Locked Chests[edit]
A locked chest must be opened with a key. It may contain any kind of item or enemy, or merely hold nothing. You may not want to check what's inside in order to save your keys, unless you encounter the locked chests that contain flash panels, clues or exits, or when a locked chest blocks your way.
Clues[edit]
There are totally eight clues well hidden in eight clue rooms throughout the game. It's represented by a question mark tile. Each clue tells you a character in the password for entering the final stage 100, so clues are essential for your success. You must find the clue and escape from the clue room in a limited time.
Upgrade Items[edit]
Destructible wall blocks sometimes contain potions that boost your abilities. The icon on the bottle shows what it will upgrade. On some home ports these upgrades are visible on the pause screen. Unlike other powerups these are permanent.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Extra armor | Represented by a shield. Reduces the damage you take by 1/5. |
| Extra magic | Marked with a bottle. Increases damage your magic does by 1/5. |
| Extra shot power | Marked with a cannonball. Increases the damage your shots do by 1/5. |
| Extra speed | Marked with an arrow. Increases your speed by 1/5. |
| Extra fight power | Marked with a knife or sword. Increases melee damage by 1/5. |
Use-once items[edit]
Unlike the items above, these do not appear on the pause screen.
Limited Invisibility[edit]
Enemies cannot find you. This item is represented by a white box with three lines. They will all move in the same random direction for some time, then switch to a new one. While facing away from you, they do not attack.
Temporary Repulsiveness[edit]
Enemies run away from you. It is represented by a brown box with three lines. Enemies facing away from you that aren't ghosts do not attack you in melee, so you can fight them safely while the powerup lasts.
Reflective Shots[edit]
Your shots bounce off walls. If the shot does not hit anything it will disappear after a few bounces. Lasts for the duration of the level you are on.
Ten Super Shots[edit]
Your shots destroy everything, including doors. It is represented by a flashing box with an arrow.
Temporary invulnerability[edit]
You have perfect armor for awhile, but your HP goes down twice as fast. It is represented by a black box.