Is Pitfall! on Steam?

No. Pitfall! 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.

When did Pitfall! release?

Pitfall! was first released on September 1, 1982.

Pitfall!

Sep 1, 1982PlatformAdventureColecoVision Atari 2600Atari 8-bitCommodore C64/128/MAXWindows Phone

Pitfall! — frequently asked questions

Is Pitfall! on Steam?: No. Pitfall! 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 Pitfall! on?: Pitfall! is available on ColecoVision, Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, Windows Phone, Intellivision, PC (Microsoft Windows), Atari 5200, Xbox 360, Legacy Mobile Device, MSX, Commodore 64.
When did Pitfall! release?: Pitfall! was first released on September 1, 1982.

About Pitfall!

Pitfall! is a video game designed by David Crane for the Atari 2600 and released by Activision in 1982. The player controls Pitfall Harry and is tasked with collecting all the treasures in a jungle within 20 minutes while avoiding obstacles and hazards.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: ColecoVision, Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, Windows Phone, Intellivision, PC (Microsoft Windows), Atari 5200, Xbox 360, Legacy Mobile Device, MSX, Commodore 64
Developer: Activision
Publisher: JAMDAT Mobile
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

72/100

from 102 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Built by
Atari 2600	1982	$15	$42	$420	5 reviews	Activision (designed by David Crane)

Also released on: ColecoVision · Atari 8-bit · Commodore C64/128/MAX · Windows Phone · Intellivision · PC (Microsoft Windows) · Atari 5200 · Xbox 360 · Legacy Mobile Device · MSX · Commodore 64. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

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

Loose

$15

Complete

$42

Sealed

$420

Label variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Blue Label	$15	$44	$67

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Activision	Standard	AX-018	Common+
North America Activision	Blue	AX-018	Scarce
North America Unknown	Taiwan Cooper	—	—
North America Unknown	Beagle Brothers	—	—
Australia HES	—	—	—

Also released in South America by CCE, Dynacom, Intellivision, Polygram, Tiger Vision, Polyvox.

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

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1982
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 1
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

David Crane's jungle run is a landmark of platform games, sold in huge numbers and cheap to own.

Pitfall! is a 1982 platform game by David Crane for Activision, made for the Atari 2600 first. Pitfall Harry has 20 minutes to find treasure in a jungle full of hazards. Crane began with a realistic walking animation for a person on the 2600 hardware and built the game around it.

It was praised on release for its gameplay and graphics, and is often listed among the greatest games of all time. It is one of the best-selling 2600 games and the best-selling 2600 game that is not an arcade port. Ports followed on the Intellivision, 5200, ColecoVision, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64 and MSX, and a sequel, Pitfall II: Lost Caverns, came in 1984.

How it was made

Designed by David Crane, who had made games for both Atari and Activision before starting Pitfall! in 1982. He started with the walking animation and built the jungle, the treasures and the hazards around it.

What the press said at the time

Arcade Express		8/10
Micro & Video		5/5
Video Games Player		A
JoyStik How to Win at Video Games		5/5
Electronic Fun with Computers & Games Vol. 1 No. 2	December 1982	4 joysticks

“And effects like the wild Tarzan yell when you swing your vine across the snapping crocodiles makes this the best game from Activision yet.”
— Electronic Fun with Computers & Games, December 1982

“Pitfall is one of the best "quest" games available for the Atari VCS system (others include Adventure and Riddle of the Sphinx). It combines skill, strategy, and timing into a game that is always fun — and often frustrating— to play.”
— JoyStik, December 1982

“There's a good bit of variety here, 255 jungle scenes in all, and I have few complaints. … But hey, those commercials aren't wrong. It is a good buy”
— Vidiot, February/March 1983

“A challenging, graphically entertaining game with wide age group appeal. A "must-have" cartridge for all VCS owners.”
— JoyStik, January 1983

Electronic Fun rated games out of four joysticks. JoyStik’s capsule ratings run from one star to five. Video Games Player graded games like a report card, A+ down to C-.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 4 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Also on other platforms

Intellivision · Atari 5200 · ColecoVision · Atari 8-bit · Commodore 64 · MSX

Atari 2600	Activision (designed by David Crane)
ColecoVision	Action Graphics

Intellivision. Reviewers in 1983 found the Intellivision version too close to the 2600 original and said it did not use the Intellivision's graphics enough.
ColecoVision. Brett Weiss rated the ColecoVision version, designed by Action Graphics, the best of the three console versions, with improved visuals over the 2600 game.
Atari 5200. Weiss criticized the 5200 version's poor controls.

How the other versions reviewed

Intellivision	Electronic Games	7/10
Intellivision	Micro & Video	4/5

These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.

Worth knowing

A period miscount. Electronic Fun's December 1982 review claimed "Pitfall! has 299 jungle scenes." The commonly cited count is 255.
Best seller of 1982. The Video Game Update's Awards of Excellence named Pitfall the "Number One Best Selling Videogame" of 1982.
1983 Arkie Award. Pitfall won Best Adventure Videogame in Electronic Games' 1983 Arkie Awards.

Before you buy

Low risk; it sold so widely that nobody fakes it. The standard cart and the later blue-label reissue cost about the same loose. Sealed copies of the original label cost far more than the blue label sealed, so on a sealed listing check which label is in the box. Since 2021 Atari has issued new 2600 cartridges, and its Atari x Activision line is due from November 2026. Make sure a listing is a vintage 1982 cart and not a modern reissue.