No. Gopher is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

What platforms is Gopher on?

Gopher is available on Atari 2600.

When did Gopher release?

Gopher was first released on December 31, 1982.

Gopher

Dec 31, 1982ArcadeAtari 2600

Gopher — frequently asked questions

Is Gopher on Steam?: No. Gopher is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Gopher on?: Gopher is available on Atari 2600.
When did Gopher release?: Gopher was first released on December 31, 1982.

About Gopher

The gopher tunnels left and right and up to the surface. When he makes a hole to the surface he will attempt to steal a carrot. The farmer must hit the gopher to send him back underground or fill in the holes to prevent him from reaching the surface. If gopher has taken any of the three carrots, a pelican will occasionally fly overhead and drop a seed which, if the farmer catches it, he can plant it in the place of the missing carrot. The longer the game, the faster the gopher gets. The game ends when the gopher successfully removes all three carrots. There are two skill levels and is for one or two players, giving a total of four game variations.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Developer: James Wickstead Design Associates
Publisher: Carrere Video
Game modes: Single player, Multiplayer
Themes: Action

Details via IGDB.

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

$12

Complete

$38

Sealed

—

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America U.S. Games	Beveled Case	VC2001	Scarce+
North America U.S. Games	Standard Case	VC2001	Scarce+
Europe Carrere Video	—	—	—

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1983
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 1 - 2
Authenticity: Low

Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and plug-and-plays are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A charming carrot-defense game with storybook presentation, from a Quaker Oats-funded publisher.

Gopher is a 1983 farming action game published by U.S. Games, a publisher funded by Quaker Oats, and developed by James Wickstead Design Associates. You play a shovel-wielding farmer protecting three carrots from a gopher, in play somewhat like Whac-A-Mole. Sylvia Day programmed it, Robin McDaniel Ballweg did the graphics and Todd Marshell wrote the music.

Some critics loved it: Electronic Games called it 'just about perfect'. Others found it repetitive, too hard for the young children it was aimed at, and 'somewhat morbid'. The cute graphics, music and sound are the part reviewers most often single out.

How it was made

Programmed by Sylvia Day at James Wickstead Design Associates, with graphics by Robin McDaniel Ballweg and music by Todd Marshell. Released in January 1983 in North America.

What the press said at the time

Computer Entertainer Vol. 1 No. 11	February 1983	Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★★★
Electronic Fun with Computers & Games Vol. 1 No. 6	April 1983	2½ joysticks

“This game is just about perfect”
— Electronic Games, February 1983

“is a family-oriented game of genuine charm, and it is so humorous that it's likely to earn a chuckle from even the most confirmed hater of video games.”
— Computer Entertainer, February 1983

“Exciting as this game may sound, Gopher becomes quickly dull and unchallenging, although the music is charming and the sound effects quite realistic.”
— Electronic Fun with Computers & Games, April 1983

“The graphics are mediocre — the farmer looks good, but the gophers look more like fish than rodents. We rec- ommend that you "Gopher" another game.”
— JoyStik, July 1983

Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — stars in most years, diamonds in 1986–87 — comparing each game only with other games for the same system. Electronic Fun rated games out of four joysticks.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 4 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Worth knowing

A Fisher-Price connection. Electronic Games reported in February 1983: "With Gopher, U.S. Games introduces its new line of "family"-oriented videogames being produced in cooperation with Fisher-Price."

Before you buy

Low risk; no reproductions are documented and loose copies are inexpensive. The PAL release came from Carrere rather than U.S. Games, so check the publisher on the label if you care which version you get.