Dungeons of Daggorath is controlled by typed commands in the original Tandy TRS-80 Color Computer release: enter a command, separate its words with spaces, and press Enter. Movement, turning, handling items, and using the objects in your hands are separate actions, so learning the command pattern matters as much as learning the words.
This guide follows Tandy’s 1983 Color Computer manual. A web version and a separately documented PC port also exist, but their menus or input details should not be assumed to match the original keyboard interface.
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First, identify which version you are playing
The instructions below are for Tandy’s TRS-80 Color Computer Program Pak release, whose 1983 manual describes a keyboard command interface. In that version, you type words rather than choosing actions from a modern button-driven control scheme. When a command is shown in capital letters here, it is a readable representation of the words to type.
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The key comparison between versions is the input method: the original manual teaches typed commands, while a port may add menus or other interactions. Save/load behavior is another point to verify separately. Do not treat a port’s menu key as an original-game command, or assume that a command in the CoCo manual maps to a port button. The instructions below deliberately keep those systems separate.
How to enter commands in the original game
- Type the command. Put a space between each word, including when you abbreviate. For example, the manual gives
A LforATTACK LEFTandP L SWforPULL LEFT SWORD. - Press Enter to execute it. The game performs the command after you submit it.
- Correct a typing mistake with G. The manual says G erases one character at a time; use it to remove the error and then enter the intended text.
You can abbreviate a command word only as far as it remains distinguishable from other command words. For instance, S is too short for SWORD because it could be confused with SHIELD. Keep spaces between abbreviated words so the game can distinguish the parts of the command. Abbreviation is not permission to remove the separators: P L SW is the manual’s example, not a single run-together string.
For a beginner, the safest routine is to type the full command first, with a space between each part, and press Enter. Once the command is familiar, use only an abbreviation that is still unambiguous. This makes it easier to see whether an error is a spelling problem, a missing space, or a requirement the action cannot meet.
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The game queues commands typed in succession and displays and performs them as rapidly as possible. This means it is possible to enter more than one command without waiting for each one to finish, but the game still processes them in sequence. If you are learning, entering one command and observing the result before typing the next is a useful way to distinguish what each action did. An invalid command—or one that cannot be carried out—produces ??? and does nothing. Treat that response as a prompt to check the spelling, abbreviation, target, and relevant hand or item condition.
Movement and turning are different commands
MOVE moves forward and MOVE BACK moves backward. The manual gives M and M B as common abbreviations. Sidestepping and turning are separate: MOVE LEFT or MOVE RIGHT moves sideways without changing which way you face, while TURN changes your facing in place.
| Action | Command | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Move forward | MOVE or M |
Moves ahead. |
| Move backward | MOVE BACK or M B |
Moves back. |
| Sidestep | MOVE LEFT / MOVE RIGHT |
Moves sideways without turning. |
| Turn in place | TURN LEFT / TURN RIGHT |
Changes facing to the left or right. |
| Turn around | TURN AROUND |
Turns to face the opposite direction. |
| Change level | CLIMB UP / CLIMB DOWN |
Uses a ladder or hole as appropriate. |
When a direction is wrong, decide whether you need to change position or orientation. Use MOVE LEFT or MOVE RIGHT to sidestep; use TURN LEFT or TURN RIGHT to face a different way. These are not interchangeable: a sidestep leaves your facing unchanged, while a turn changes it without moving you forward or sideways. To go between levels, use the appropriate climb command where a ladder or hole allows it.
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If you intended to face a new direction but used a movement command, the unchanged facing is not a failed turn; it is the expected result of a sidestep. Likewise, a turn is not a move. Check which of those two changes you actually want before submitting the command.
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Use EXAMINE to see items on the floor and objects in your backpack. When you want to return to the dungeon view after examining, enter LOOK. These commands have different jobs: examining provides the inventory information, while looking returns you to the dungeon view.
This distinction is useful before an item action. If you are unsure whether an object is already in your backpack or lies on the floor, EXAMINE tells you what items are in those places. Then choose the matching command: GET for an item on the floor in your current cell, or PULL for an item in the backpack. Use LOOK when you are ready to leave the examination display and return to the dungeon view.
Pick up, equip, stow, and drop items
The hand named in an item command matters. The original manual says you begin with a pine torch and wooden sword in the backpack, while both hands are empty. To take an item from the floor, it must be in your current cell and the specified hand must be empty. To equip an item from the backpack, the item must be there and the selected hand must be empty.
| Task | Command pattern | Requirement or result |
|---|---|---|
| Take an item from the floor | GET LEFT <item> or GET RIGHT <item> |
The item must be on the floor in the current cell; the selected hand must be empty. |
| Take an item from the backpack | PULL LEFT <item> or PULL RIGHT <item> |
The item must be in the backpack; the selected hand must be empty. |
| Put a held item in the backpack | STOW LEFT or STOW RIGHT |
Returns the held object to the backpack. |
| Put a held item on the floor | DROP LEFT or DROP RIGHT |
Drops the held object. |
For example, PULL LEFT SWORD asks the game to take the sword from the backpack into your left hand. If you abbreviate it as in the manual’s example, type P L SW with spaces. If the command fails, check that the item is in the named location and that the selected hand is empty.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe verb tells you where the item should be before you act. GET is not the backpack command; it is for the floor in your current cell. PULL is not the floor command; it takes an item from the backpack. The side is a separate requirement: an item being available does not meet the command’s condition if the hand you named is occupied. The manual establishes those conditions but does not say that you can use a full hand by silently switching sides, so specify an empty hand in the command.
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When you are finished holding an object, choose between putting it away and leaving it on the floor. STOW LEFT or STOW RIGHT returns that hand’s object to the backpack; DROP LEFT or DROP RIGHT places the held object on the floor. They are different outcomes, so choose based on whether you mean to keep the object in the backpack or drop it where you are.
Attack, use, reveal, and incant
ATTACK, USE, and REVEAL name a hand: choose LEFT or RIGHT to specify which held object to act with. The manual identifies a torch, flask, and scroll as objects that can be used. REVEAL LEFT or REVEAL RIGHT attempts to identify the object held in that hand.
ATTACK LEFTorATTACK RIGHTuses the indicated hand for an attack.USE LEFTorUSE RIGHTuses the indicated held object.REVEAL LEFTorREVEAL RIGHTattempts to reveal the held object’s type.INCANT <word>enters the correct magical name. The manual specifies that the name followsINCANT; it does not mean selecting a hand.
Because the action commands specify a hand, make sure the intended object is actually held on that side. If you need a backpack item in a hand, first use PULL LEFT <item> or PULL RIGHT <item>, as appropriate. The command reference establishes the syntax but does not supply a universal magical word: INCANT requires the correct name for the situation.
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Save and load commands
The original manual’s save/load appendix gives ZSAVE <name> to save and ZLOAD <name> to load. The name is part of the command. The available instructions do not establish port-independent save behavior, so use the controls and save instructions for the version you are playing rather than assuming a web or PC port handles saves exactly like the original release.
In the original syntax, the placeholder <name> means that you supply a name as part of the command; it is not itself a word to type literally. Keep the save command separate from the load command: ZSAVE is the save form and ZLOAD is the load form. If you are using a later port, verify how it handles the name and save location in that version’s own instructions.
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A practical first sequence
The starting inventory makes it possible to practice the command structure before trying to pick up a floor object. Both hands begin empty; the torch and sword begin in the backpack. The sequence below is an illustration of how the original commands fit together, not a guarantee that every port uses identical input or save behavior.
- Enter
EXAMINEto inspect what is available, then enterLOOKto return to the dungeon view. - Enter
PULL LEFT TORCHto take the torch from the backpack into your left hand. The manual’s abbreviation rule permits shortening words only when they remain unambiguous. - Enter
USE LEFTto use the object in your left hand. - Enter
PULL RIGHT SWORDto take the sword into your right hand. - Use
MOVE,TURN LEFT, or another appropriate movement command as needed; remember that moving sideways does not turn you.
This is a practice sequence, not a required order for every game situation. It demonstrates the command dependencies: inspect with EXAMINE before relying on what is in the backpack; use LOOK to return to the dungeon view; pull an item into an empty hand before asking the game to use it; and name the hand in the use command. If you want to reproduce the manual’s abbreviation example, P L SW is the shortened form of PULL LEFT SWORD. You can also type the full words while learning.
When a command does nothing
- The screen shows
???: The command may be invalid or impossible. Check spelling, spacing, and whether each abbreviated word is long enough to distinguish it. - A pickup or pull fails:
GETrequires the item on the floor in the current cell;PULLrequires it in the backpack. Both require the selected hand to be empty. - You moved but are facing the same way: That is expected after
MOVE LEFTorMOVE RIGHT. Use aTURNcommand to change facing. - An action affects the wrong object or cannot be performed: Check which hand holds the intended item.
ATTACK,USE, andREVEALspecify left or right. - The command behaves differently in a browser or PC version: Verify that port’s own input and save instructions. The original manual describes the Color Computer release, not every later implementation.
For a quick diagnosis, separate command-entry problems from action requirements. If the typed words are not recognized, inspect the spelling, spaces, abbreviation length, and Enter submission. If the command is recognized but impossible, check the location of the item, whether the selected hand is empty, whether you named the correct side, or—when climbing—whether the appropriate ladder or hole is available. If you are using a port, first confirm that you are following that version’s input instructions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Quick command reference
| Purpose | Original command |
|---|---|
| Move forward or backward | MOVE / MOVE BACK |
| Sidestep | MOVE LEFT / MOVE RIGHT |
| Turn or turn around | TURN LEFT / TURN RIGHT / TURN AROUND |
| Change level | CLIMB UP / CLIMB DOWN |
| Inspect items and return | EXAMINE, then LOOK |
| Pick up from floor | GET LEFT <item> / GET RIGHT <item> |
| Equip from backpack | PULL LEFT <item> / PULL RIGHT <item> |
| Put away or drop | STOW LEFT / STOW RIGHT; DROP LEFT / DROP RIGHT |
| Act with a held object | ATTACK LEFT/RIGHT; USE LEFT/RIGHT; REVEAL LEFT/RIGHT |
| Enter a magical name | INCANT <word> |
| Save or load | ZSAVE <name> / ZLOAD <name> |
Original hardware and playing a port
The original product was a Dungeons of Daggorath Program Pak for the TRS-80 Color Computer. The TRS-80 Color Computer Archive lists Tandy’s manual, which is useful for confirming the original platform and command system. That archival listing does not establish current cartridge availability, condition, compatibility of a particular listing, or seller reliability.
You do not need to buy original hardware simply to learn the command pattern. If you are considering a cartridge, verify that the specific machine and cartridge are compatible, inspect the cartridge’s condition, and check the seller’s information before purchasing. Those are purchase checks rather than controls instructions; no particular current listing or price is established here. If you play a web or PC version instead, use that version’s own controls and save instructions rather than buying hardware on the assumption that it is required to understand typed commands.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enter commands in the original Dungeons of Daggorath?
Type the command with spaces between its words and press Enter. The 1983 Tandy manual says G erases one character at a time if you mistype. Abbreviations are allowed only when they are long enough to distinguish the command word.
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What is the difference between MOVE LEFT and TURN LEFT?
MOVE LEFT sidesteps without changing your facing. TURN LEFT changes your facing in place. Use a MOVE command to change position sideways and a TURN command to change orientation.
How do I pick up an item?
Use GET LEFT
How do I put an item away or drop it?
Use STOW LEFT or STOW RIGHT to return the held object to the backpack. Use DROP LEFT or DROP RIGHT to put the held object on the floor.
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What do I do if I see ????
The command was invalid or could not be carried out. Check its spelling, spaces, and abbreviation length, then check the action’s requirements—for example, whether an item is in the right place and whether the named hand is empty.
How do I save a game?
The original manual’s appendix gives ZSAVE
The Bottom Line
For the original Color Computer release, remember the basic pattern: type a spaced command and press Enter; use MOVE for position and TURN for facing; use GET for a floor item and PULL for a backpack item; and name the hand for item actions. If you are playing a web or PC port, confirm its controls and save behavior separately.
Quick Recap
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