The Legend of SwordQuest

4.7 (115)
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.

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

See All Season 1 (9)

TRAILER

Introducing: The Legend of SwordQuest

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

09/05/2024

•

2 min

4.7

out of 5

115 Ratings

Excellent podcast

Jan 2

TheDubstepDoge

Very interesting and well written
What an Awesome Story

Feb 18

Redwings51

Brings me back to my Atari playing days!
A Must Listen for Video Game Historians

11/02/2024

Metal_Ghost

Such a well researched and executed Podcast. Kudos to the entire team for this. I was honestly riveted. I never imagined there’d be enough here to carry 8 episodes, but with the research and very well done exposition, they really pulled it off.
🖤

10/28/2024

cancerkid92

I am hooked on this podcast! I never knew Atari and Sword Quest could take my life over like this 😂

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.

Channel

iHeartPodcasts
Creator

iHeartPodcasts
Episodes

11
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