Laf Pak

Last updated: January 23, 2026

Overview

Laf Pak is a compilation of four action games developed by Chuck Bueche and published by On-Line Systems for the Apple II in 1982¹². The collection bundles together four distinct arcade-style games—Creepy Corridors, Apple Zap, Space Race, and Mine Sweep—offering players a variety of gameplay experiences on a single disk³⁴. The package was designed to provide value-conscious gamers with multiple games at a budget-friendly price point, a common marketing strategy for early computer game publishers⁵.

The compilation represents an early work from Chuck Bueche, who would later become famous as “Chuckles” the court jester in the Ultima series and as a co-founder of Origin Systems⁶. Laf Pak was Bueche’s second published title, following his earlier release Brainteaser Boulevard!⁶ While the compilation was not a commercial success and relatively few copies were sold, it remains a notable entry in the early Sierra On-Line catalog and demonstrates the company’s efforts to publish diverse content during the formative years of the personal computer game industry⁶.

One of the standout features of Laf Pak is its technical achievement in audio: Creepy Corridors was allegedly the third Apple II game ever to include sampled speech, featuring a digitized dying scream provided by Bueche himself⁷. This early experimentation with voice synthesis showcased the innovative spirit that characterized On-Line Systems during this period.

Game Info

Developer: On-Line Systems¹ Designer: Chuck Bueche³ Publisher: On-Line Systems¹ Engine: Custom Apple II engine Platforms: Apple II, VIC-20⁷ Release Year: 1982¹ Series: None Protagonist: Varies by mini-game Sierra Lineage: Core Sierra

Story Summary

Laf Pak does not feature a continuous narrative, as it is a compilation of four standalone arcade-style action games³⁴. Each game within the collection has its own simple premise typical of early 1980s arcade games, focusing on gameplay mechanics rather than elaborate storytelling.

Creepy Corridors places the player in a maze-like environment where they must navigate through dangerous passages while avoiding monsters and other hazards⁷. The game’s atmosphere is enhanced by its notable sampled speech feature, which adds an auditory element to the player’s demise⁷.

Apple Zap offers another action-oriented experience, challenging players with fast-paced gameplay requiring quick reflexes³. Space Race delivers a competitive racing experience set in outer space, while Mine Sweep tasks players with navigating through hazardous terrain filled with explosive obstacles⁴⁸.

The simplicity of these games was characteristic of the era, when home computer games were often inspired by or directly cloning popular arcade titles. Each game could be enjoyed in short sessions, making the compilation ideal for casual play⁵.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Laf Pak supports multiple input methods, including keyboard controls and game paddles or joysticks⁵. The games within the compilation feature “recognizable keyboard controls,” meaning players familiar with other Apple II games of the era would find the control schemes intuitive⁵. Contemporary reviewers noted that while the games could be played with keyboard alone, investing in paddles or a joystick would enhance the experience⁵.

Structure and Progression

Each of the four games operates independently with its own scoring system and difficulty progression³:

• Creepy Corridors: Navigate maze corridors while avoiding spawning monsters, with increasing difficulty as more creatures appear⁷
• Apple Zap: Action game with escalating challenge levels
• Space Race: Competitive racing with progressively difficult courses
• Mine Sweep: Hazard avoidance with increasing mine density⁴

Puzzles and Mechanics

As an arcade action compilation, Laf Pak emphasizes reflexes and pattern recognition over traditional puzzle-solving³. Each game presents its own set of mechanics:

In Creepy Corridors, players must time their movements carefully to avoid monsters that spawn throughout the maze⁷. The game suffers from some speed handling issues during monster spawning that can affect gameplay⁷.

The games are designed for quick play sessions with high score competition, following the arcade game model that dominated the early 1980s gaming landscape⁹.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Laf Pak received generally positive reviews from contemporary gaming publications, with critics praising its value proposition while acknowledging the varying quality of the individual games.

David H. Ahl of Creative Computing gave the compilation a favorable assessment, writing: “All in all, Laf Pak offers a lot of game playing value per dollar, and you are almost sure to find one or more of the games on this disk to your liking.”³

Softalk magazine praised the variety and accessibility of the collection: “Four different games, most with recognizable keyboard controls, and each with its own challenges. What to do with all the money you save? Invest in a set of paddles or a joystick if you don’t already have one.”⁵

Ferrell Wheeler, writing for Hardcore Computist, offered a concise but positive summary: “Laf Pak is a collection of four small but very enjoyable and playable games.”¹⁰

Modern Assessment

Modern retrospective coverage of Laf Pak has been limited, reflecting its status as a minor release in the early Sierra catalog. However, the game maintains a presence in retro gaming databases and preservation efforts.

Aggregate Scores:

• MobyGames: 3.3/5 (3 ratings)⁹
• GameFAQs: 2.5/5 (2 users)¹¹
• LaunchBox Games Database: 2.50/5⁸

Even Chuck Bueche himself acknowledged the compilation’s mixed quality, later admitting that “some of the games could have been better.”⁶

Development

Origins

Laf Pak emerged during the early boom of Apple II software development when On-Line Systems (later Sierra On-Line) was actively seeking content from independent programmers⁶. Chuck Bueche, a young programmer who had already published Brainteaser Boulevard!, developed the four games that would comprise the Laf Pak compilation⁶.

The compilation format was a common approach in the early personal computer era, allowing publishers to bundle multiple smaller games together to create a more attractive retail package³. This strategy helped justify the purchase price for consumers while giving developers like Bueche a way to get multiple creations to market simultaneously.

Production

Development of Laf Pak took place during 1981-1982, with Bueche coding all four games for the Apple II platform¹². The games were designed to take advantage of the Apple II’s graphics and sound capabilities, with Creepy Corridors notably pushing the boundaries of audio technology by incorporating sampled speech—allegedly only the third Apple II game to do so⁷.

Development Credits:⁹

• Designer/Programmer: Chuck Bueche
• Cover Artwork: Scott Ross

The compilation required 48K of RAM to run, which was a standard memory configuration for Apple II software of the period¹².

Technical Achievements

The most notable technical achievement in Laf Pak was the inclusion of sampled speech in Creepy Corridors⁷. At a time when most Apple II games were limited to simple beeps and tones, incorporating actual voice samples was a significant accomplishment that demonstrated Bueche’s technical prowess.

The dying scream heard when the player’s character perishes was provided by Bueche himself, adding a personal touch to the game’s atmosphere⁷. This early experimentation with digitized audio would become increasingly common in later years as hardware capabilities improved.

Technical Specifications

Apple II Version:¹²

• Memory Requirement: 48K RAM
• Media: 5.25” Floppy Disk
• File Size: 140 KiB (DSK format) / 229 KiB (WOZ format)¹²

File Verification Hashes (WOZ format):²

• CRC32: 7e5e2002
• MD5: ae84141ef514c6029df925097fbf86c9
• SHA1: 8fbd21ff8d8b7f6194c0bdfbfa074aa716435e77

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
Original	1982	Apple II	Initial release by On-Line Systems1
VIC-20 Port	1983	VIC-20	Creepy Corridors ported individually by Don McGlauflin7
SierraVision	1982-83	Apple II	Creepy Corridors released as standalone title6

Technical Issues

The VIC-20 port of Creepy Corridors, while not part of the original Laf Pak compilation, suffered from significant technical problems. The port by Don McGlauflin featured poor collision detection due to the character-based graphics system, with one reviewer noting: “It absolutely ruins what would have been a decent port when you can get killed by monsters that aren’t even in the same corridor.”⁷

The original Apple II version of Creepy Corridors also experienced some speed handling issues during monster spawning sequences, though these were less severe than the VIC-20 port’s problems⁷.

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• Sampled Speech Pioneer: Creepy Corridors was allegedly the third Apple II game ever to include sampled speech, a remarkable technical achievement for 1982⁷
• Bueche’s Voice: The dying scream in Creepy Corridors was provided by Chuck Bueche himself⁷
• Origin Connection: Chuck Bueche would later become known as “Chuckles” the court jester, appearing as a character in Richard Garriott’s Ultima series⁶
• Co-Founder Legacy: Bueche went on to co-found Origin Systems, one of the most influential game development studios of the 1980s and 1990s⁶
• Homemade Compilations: The game later appeared in user-created compilations, including one paired with BC’s Quest for Tires, modified by a hacker known as “Mr. Clean”¹²

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Laf Pak was not a commercial success, with Chuck Bueche himself acknowledging that “not many copies were sold.”⁶ The compilation’s modest performance did not significantly impact Bueche’s career, as he continued developing games and eventually became a key figure in the founding of Origin Systems⁶.

Despite its limited commercial impact, Laf Pak represents an important artifact from the early days of On-Line Systems/Sierra On-Line, demonstrating the company’s willingness to publish diverse content from independent developers during the formative years of the personal computer game industry⁹.

Collections

Laf Pak has been preserved in various retro gaming archives and ROM collections:

• TOSEC (The Old School Emulation Center): Cataloged in both DSK and WOZ formats under “Apple II - Compilations - Games”¹²
• User-Created Compilations: The game appears in homemade compilations paired with other Sierra titles like BC’s Quest for Tires¹²

Standalone Releases

Creepy Corridors, the most notable game from the compilation, later received its own standalone release through SierraVision, Sierra’s arcade-focused label⁶⁷. The game was also ported to the VIC-20 in 1983, though this version suffered from technical problems⁷.

Critical Perspective

Laf Pak occupies a minor but notable position in the history of Sierra On-Line and the broader personal computer game industry. While not a landmark title, it represents the type of content that helped establish the early software market—budget-conscious compilations that gave consumers multiple games for a single purchase price⁵.

The compilation is perhaps most significant as an early work from Chuck Bueche, who would go on to co-found Origin Systems and become a beloved figure in gaming history as “Chuckles” the court jester⁶. In this context, Laf Pak serves as a fascinating glimpse into the formative years of a developer who would help shape the RPG genre through his work on the Ultima series.

The technical innovation of sampled speech in Creepy Corridors, while largely forgotten today, represented a genuine achievement in 1982 and demonstrated the experimental spirit that characterized the early home computer game industry⁷. This willingness to push hardware boundaries would become a hallmark of the developers who emerged from this era.

Downloads

Download / Preservation

• TOSEC Archive - DSK Format - Preserved disk image
• TOSEC Archive - WOZ Format - High-fidelity preservation format

Information Resources

• MobyGames - Database entry
• GameFAQs - Game information and statistics
• Wikipedia - Encyclopedia entry

References

Footnotes

1. TOSEC Archive – Laf Pak DSK – release year, publisher, technical specifications, file size ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

2. TOSEC Archive – Laf Pak WOZ – memory requirements, file hashes, preservation format details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

3. Wikipedia – Laf Pak – developer credit, included games, genre, contemporary review quotes from Creative Computing ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

4. LaunchBox Games Database – Laf Pak – mini-game descriptions, community rating ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

5. Wikipedia – Laf Pak (Softalk review) – Softalk magazine review quote, control options, value proposition ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

6. Retro365 – Bits from My Personal Collection: Laf Pak – Chuck Bueche career history, commercial performance, developer quote, Ultima connection ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

7. Pix’s Origin Adventures – Creepy Corridors – sampled speech information, VIC-20 port details, technical issues, platform history ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸

8. LaunchBox Games Database – community rating, game description ↩ ↩²

9. MobyGames – Laf Pak – release date, credits, user ratings, genre classification, media format ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

10. Wikipedia – Laf Pak (Hardcore Computist review) – Ferrell Wheeler review quote ↩

11. GameFAQs – Laf Pak Statistics – user ratings, platform information ↩

12. TOSEC Archive – Homemade Compilations – user-modified versions, “Mr. Clean” hack notation ↩ ↩²