The Legend of SwordQuest

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  • 4.7 (154)
  • DOCUMENTARY
  • WEEKLY SERIES

What started as a promotion for a new Atari game would become one of the most controversial moments in ‘80s pop culture, with a central mystery that’s consumed fans for decades: what happened to the missing SwordQuest prizes? To unlock the biggest mystery in video game history, host Jamie Loftus is going on a treasure hunt 40 years in the making.

  1. 1: The Sword and the Stoned

    EPISODE 1

    1: The Sword and the Stoned

    In the early 1980s, Atari is one of the biggest entertainment brands in the world and seeks to promote the biggest video game contest to date, promising $150,000 in prizes. But what starts out as a promising adventure quickly devolves into chaos. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min
  2. 2: Gentlemen, Start Your Joysticks

    EPISODE 2

    2: Gentlemen, Start Your Joysticks

    Expert gamers are invited to an all-expenses paid trip to California for the first round of Atari’s SwordQuest contest and a chance at the first treasure: a $25,000 medallion. The problem? Solving the game’s central puzzle will prove nearly impossible.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    37 min
  3. 3: The Chalice

    EPISODE 3

    3: The Chalice

    SwordQuest players discover that being video game rock stars comes at a price. Meanwhile, delays in the contest raise suspicions among contestants that Atari may not intend to see it through to the end—and that the prizes may not even exist at all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    36 min
  4. 4: Descent Into Darkness

    EPISODE 4

    4: Descent Into Darkness

    Atari’s financial problems force the company to issue an ultimatum to SwordQuest players—one that may involve a top-secret gaming tournament closed to the public. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    40 min
  5. 5: Stay Gold

    EPISODE 5

    5: Stay Gold

    Years after SwordQuest came to an abrupt and disappointing end, a gamer makes a surprising discovery in a Brooklyn thrift shop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    41 min
  6. 6: Plunder

    EPISODE 6

    6: Plunder

    An unreleased SwordQuest game suddenly surfaces online; the fate of the missing prizes undergoes fresh scrutiny by gaming historians. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    37 min
  7. 7: The Swordsman

    EPISODE 7

    7: The Swordsman

    The trail to find the missing SwordQuest treasures leads back to one of the most controversial figures in Atari history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    36 min

  8. EPISODE 8

    8: Endgame

    After decades of speculation, a mysterious source emerges that may solve the mystery of the missing SwordQuest treasures once and for all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min

  9. BONUS

    Bonus Episode: The Landfill

    A waste management specialist unearths thousands of Atari games buried in a New Mexico landfill. As gaming historians rejoice, he plots to turn Atari’s unwanted trash into cash. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    26 min
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About

What started as a promotion for a new Atari game would become one of the most controversial moments in ‘80s pop culture, with a central mystery that’s consumed fans for decades: what happened to the missing SwordQuest prizes? To unlock the biggest mystery in video game history, host Jamie Loftus is going on a treasure hunt 40 years in the making.

Information

  • Channel
    iHeartPodcasts
  • Creator
    iHeartPodcasts
  • Episodes
    14
  • Seasons
    1
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    2025 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    The Legend of SwordQuest
  • Provider
    iHeartMedia + Entertainment, Inc

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