Death Test

About this expansion

Death Test is a 1978 fantasy programmed adventure for 1–5 players, with an approximately 30-minute play time. It was published as MicroQuest #1 in the Metagaming MicroQuests series for Melee and Wizard.

This is a straightforward slash-and-grab adventure with no plot and no objective beyond survival and treasure. Players must get out alive while carrying all the booty they can manage, making the experience a focused introduction to the game’s adventure format.

Death Test is intended as a good way to become accustomed to Melee and Wizard while developing characters’ statistics. Its direct structure makes it a basic entry point into the Metagaming MicroQuests series and a compact scenario for fantasy adventure play.

• Players: 1–5
• Playing time: About 30 minutes
• Release year: 1978
• Format: A programmed adventure for Melee and Wizard

The adventure also introduced the Thorsz, a feature that reappears in Orb Quest, MicroQuest #8. This connection gives Death Test a notable place within the broader MicroQuests series.

With its emphasis on getting in, taking treasure, and escaping alive, Death Test presents a concise fantasy challenge without requiring a plot-driven objective. Steve Jackson later reacquired the rights to The Fantasy Trip and announced a new version of Death Test, with further information associated with the Fantasy Trip Legacy Edition.