What platforms is Dark Castle on?

Dark Castle was released on Mac, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.

When did Dark Castle release?

Dark Castle was first released on December 31, 1986.

Dark Castle

Dec 31, 1986PlatformPuzzleAdventureMacSega Mega Drive/Genesis

Dark Castle — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Dark Castle on?: Dark Castle was released on Mac, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.
When did Dark Castle release?: Dark Castle was first released on December 31, 1986.

About Dark Castle

Dark Castle looms over the landscape like a plague. Its evil ruler, the Black Knight, must be defeated. And you're the only candidate to do it... First you'll have to make your way through chambers of nasty hazards. The castle guards are hunting you, plague-infested rats and bats attack, the Dragon breathes scorching fire, the Torturer wants to get you, and the Wizard may or may not aid you with a spell. Award-winning Dark Castle is a fast-paced action game with full digital sound, amazingly rich resolution and well-crafted animation. As the hero, you will bound throughout the castle, surmounting hair-raising obstacles, eluding death and -ultimately- becoming the victor!

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Developer: Silicon Beach Software
Publisher: Silicon Beach Software
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action, Fantasy

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

61/100

from 7 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Fake risk
Sega Genesis	1991	$17	$50	$275	2 reviews	Low

Also released on: Mac · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29

Loose

$17

Complete

$50

Sealed

$275

few sales

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
European (PAL) release	$22	$66	$113

How often it sells

Loose: about once a month
Complete: about 2 times a month
Sealed: about once a year

Prices marked “few sales” rest on about one recorded sale a year, so treat them as a rough guide: the next copy could sell well above or below. Expect to wait for one to come up.

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $2.49 in Jul 2008, $16.90 five years ago, and $16.88 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2009	$3.13	—
Jan 2010	$3.67	—
Jan 2011	$4.25	—
Jan 2012	$8.47	—
Jan 2013	$5.00	—
Jan 2014	$7.97	$10.99
Jan 2015	$5.50	$19.99
Jan 2016	$8.99	$14.99
Jan 2017	$10.43	$26
Jan 2018	$9.99	$19.99
Jan 2019	$13.22	$25
Jan 2020	$14.75	$26
Jan 2021	$10.00	$27
Jan 2022	$19.99	$35
Jan 2023	$18.37	$38
Jan 2024	$16.10	$42
Jan 2025	$19.28	$44
Jan 2026	$16.98	$46
Oct 2026	$16.88	$50

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date	Barcode
North America	1991	014633070347
Europe / PAL	16 October 1991	—

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Mega Drive software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published where both agree on the same cartridge dump, or from the libretro records alone where MAME lists no number for that dump. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1991
Authenticity: Low

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages, the Genesis Mini and Nintendo Switch Online, are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Sega Genesis prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A Genesis port of a Macintosh classic that Mean Machines savaged on release, and still a curiosity to own.

Dark Castle began as a 1986 Macintosh platform game. Electronic Arts released the Genesis version in 1991, in Europe on 16 October 1991, with Artech Studios as developer. You play a young hero reaching the evil Black Knight while dodging obstacles.

Mean Machines Sega was brutal, calling it the worst Mega Drive game it had yet seen, a laughably dire platformer whose only redeeming feature was its unintentionally funny sampled sound.

What the press said at the time

Mean Machines Sega Issue 3	December 1992	23%
Sega Pro Issue 43	April 1995	38%

“worst Megadrive game yet seen, Dark Castle is a laughably dire platform travesty whose only redeeming feature is its unintentionally hilarious sampled sound. Don't even think about buying this unless you're a demented baboon.”
— Mean Machines Sega, December 1992

“The soundtrack is the only saving grace of this tedious offering. … Jerky character animation and poor collision detection”
— Sega Pro, April 1995

Before you buy

Among US carts it sits above the median. The European cart usually costs more than the US one. It is a cheap-tier game with no per-game fake concerns, and the main risk is paying for novelty rather than for a good game. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.