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Wizard of Id’s WizMath

Last updated: January 17, 2026

Overview

Wizard of Id’s WizMath is an educational mathematics game released in 1984 by Sierra On-Line, combining puzzle gameplay with characters from the beloved Wizard of Id comic strip created by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart.1 The game was developed by Sydney Development Corp. and designed by Jewell Couch, Rick Banks, and Steve Armstrong, with music composed by Paul Butler.23 This title represents one of Sierra’s ventures into the educational software market during the early 1980s, leveraging a popular licensed property to make mathematics learning more engaging for young players.45

The game was released simultaneously across multiple platforms including ColecoVision, Commodore 64, and Apple II, demonstrating Sierra’s commitment to reaching the widest possible audience during the home computer boom.267 Players control Spook, a character attempting to escape from the King of Id’s dungeons while being pursued by the jailer Turnkey.8 The gameplay blends Sokoban-style block-pushing mechanics with mathematical problem-solving, creating what one reviewer described as “educational math game meets sokoban puzzler.”9

As a licensed title, WizMath holds the distinction of being the second game to feature one of Creators Syndicate’s famous comics, bringing the medieval comedy world of the Wizard of Id to interactive entertainment.210 The game has become quite rare in the collector’s market, particularly for the ColecoVision version, with loose cartridges rated 8 out of 10 in rarity and complete-in-box copies rated 9 out of 10.811

Story Summary

The narrative of Wizard of Id’s WizMath is straightforward, befitting its educational purpose and the comic strip source material.8 The player takes on the role of Spook, a prisoner who has managed to slip out of the King of Id’s dungeons and is making a desperate bid for freedom.8 However, his escape has not gone unnoticed—Turnkey, the vigilant jailer, is in hot pursuit and determined to recapture the fleeing prisoner.8

To make his escape, Spook must navigate through multiple floors of the dungeon, each presenting increasingly difficult challenges.8 The dungeons are filled with mathematical puzzles that must be solved to open doors and clear pathways to freedom.8 The higher Spook climbs through the dungeon’s floors, the more complex the mathematical obstacles become, reflecting the game’s educational scaling system.8

The game features 14 floors in total, though the last two floors are reserved for editing purposes rather than standard gameplay.212 This structure creates a clear progression system where players advance through the dungeon’s levels while simultaneously advancing through more challenging mathematical content.23 The pursuit element adds urgency to the educational gameplay, as Spook must solve problems quickly before Turnkey catches up.8

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

WizMath employs a third-person perspective with keyboard-based controls for the home computer versions.24 Players guide Spook through the dungeon environments, pushing blocks around the playfield to solve mathematical equations.8 The control scheme allows players to hold a button to slide blocks continuously, which causes them to fly across the screen until they hit a wall or another block.8

The game supports between one and six players, allowing for classroom or family use where multiple children can take turns or compete to solve problems.2 This multiplayer support made it particularly suitable for educational settings where teachers could involve entire groups of students.2

Structure and Progression

WizMath features a unique adaptive difficulty system based on the player’s age.8 At the start of the game, players are asked to enter their age, and the game uses this information to recommend an appropriate starting floor.28 Older players begin on higher floors with more challenging mathematical content, while younger children start on lower floors with simpler problems.8

  • Lower Floors (1-4): Basic mathematical operations, single problem required to exit each room8
  • Middle Floors (5-8): Intermediate difficulty, multiple problems may be required8
  • Upper Floors (9-12): Advanced problems, multiple equations must be solved to progress8
  • Floors 13-14: Reserved for editing purposes2

The elevator system serves as the primary means of navigation between floors, with higher floors presenting more difficult math problems.8 Early levels require solving only one math problem to exit, but later levels demand that players solve two or more problems before the exit opens.8

Puzzles and Mechanics

The core gameplay loop involves pushing numbered blocks around each room to form correct mathematical equations.8 Players have a 60-second time limit to complete each puzzle, adding pressure and encouraging quick mental arithmetic.8 The block-pushing mechanics add a spatial reasoning element to the mathematical challenges, as players must consider not just the correct answer but also how to physically arrange the blocks.8

One reviewer noted that the game is “more useful to develop multi-tasking skills than for learning math actually,” highlighting the dual cognitive demands of solving equations while managing block positions and evading Turnkey.9 This combination of mathematical problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and time pressure created a more engaging experience than simple drill-and-practice educational software.9

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

WizMath received modest attention upon its release as one of many educational titles flooding the market during the early 1980s home computer boom.25 The game was positioned as a way to make mathematics practice more entertaining for children by incorporating familiar comic strip characters and arcade-style gameplay elements.813

Modern Assessment

Modern assessments of WizMath have been mixed, reflecting both nostalgia from those who played it as children and critical evaluation of its gameplay mechanics.29 On MobyGames, user Katakis | カタキス described the game as “simple, but not very clever,” while also noting that “WizMath is not a bad educational game, mixing mathematics with one of the famous comic strips.”2

On Lemon64, reviewer Frightmare gave the Commodore 64 version a score of 5 out of 10, characterizing it as an “educational math game meets sokoban puzzler” that is “more useful to develop multi-tasking skills than for learning math actually.”9 This assessment suggests the game succeeded more as a puzzle game than as a pure educational tool.9

User comments on My Abandonware paint a more nostalgic picture, with user Olddantrucker recalling: “I played this at age 5 when Dad got our Commodore 64. One of my favorite education games.”4 This same user reflected on the broader software landscape of the era: “Back then software actually was software with a full variety now it’s just hack n slash or for businesses only.”4

Aggregate Scores:

  • MobyGames: 3.8 out of 523
  • Lemon64: 5 out of 10 (user review)9
  • My Abandonware: 5 out of 5 (based on 2 votes)4
  • PriceCharting: Rarity 8/10 (loose), 9/10 (CIB)11

Development

Origins

Wizard of Id’s WizMath emerged during a period when Sierra On-Line was actively expanding beyond its adventure game roots into the educational software market.1 The decision to license the Wizard of Id comic strip, created by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart, gave the project instant name recognition and a built-in cast of characters to populate the game world.4 This was the second game to feature one of Creators Syndicate’s famous comics, indicating Sierra’s interest in leveraging established intellectual properties for educational titles.2

The game was developed by Sydney Development Corp. (also referred to in some sources as Sigma Development Group for the Commodore 64 version), an external development studio contracted by Sierra.29 This outsourcing arrangement was common during this period as publishers sought to rapidly expand their software libraries across multiple platforms.2

Production

The development team consisted of designers Jewell Couch, Rick Banks, and Steve Armstrong, who crafted the block-pushing puzzle mechanics and the mathematical progression system.2 Paul Butler composed the game’s music, contributing to the overall presentation across all platforms.2

The design philosophy centered on adaptive difficulty, with the age-based starting floor system ensuring that the game would be appropriately challenging for players of different skill levels.8 The team implemented a 14-floor structure, though the last two floors were reserved for editing purposes, suggesting the game may have included level editing capabilities or that these floors were development tools that remained in the final release.2

Development Credits:2

  • Designers: Jewell Couch, Rick Banks, Steve Armstrong
  • Composer: Paul Butler

Technical Specifications

The game was released in multiple formats to accommodate the diverse home computer market of 1984.2

ColecoVision Version:8

  • ROM Size: 16 KB
  • Media: Cartridge11
  • MD5 Hash: 3b22824d1910226582a5d8dddc0b2feb8

Commodore 64 Version:9

  • Media: Disk/Tape9
  • File Size: Approximately 20 KB4
  • Perspective: 3rd-Person4

Apple II Version:2

  • Media: Floppy Disk2
  • Input: Keyboard2
  • Players: 1-62

Technical Issues

The MobyGames review notes a significant design flaw: “Game doesn’t let you advance a floor automatically after solving equations” and players “must restart game to get to elevator again.”2 This issue disrupted the flow of gameplay and could frustrate players who successfully completed a floor’s challenges.2

Version History

VersionDatePlatformNotes
1.01983/1984ColecoVisionInitial cartridge release11
1.01984Commodore 64Disk/Tape version9
1.01984Apple IIFloppy disk version2

Note: PriceCharting lists an initial release date of January 1, 1983 for the ColecoVision version, though most sources cite 1984.111

Easter Eggs and Trivia

  • Age-Based Difficulty: The game asks the player’s age at startup and automatically recommends a starting floor based on the response, with older players beginning on higher, more difficult floors.82
  • Second Licensed Comic Game: WizMath holds the distinction of being the second game to feature one of Creators Syndicate’s famous comic strips.2
  • Block Physics: Blocks pushed by the player will fly continuously until they hit a wall or another block, requiring careful planning.8
  • Escalating Complexity: Early levels require solving only one equation to exit, while later levels require two or more complete solutions.8

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Sales data for WizMath is limited, though the game’s current rarity in the collector’s market provides some insight into its original distribution.11 According to PriceCharting, the ColecoVision version sees approximately 2 sales per year for loose cartridges and only 1 sale per year for complete-in-box copies, with new sealed copies being extremely rare.11

The game’s collector rarity is rated 8 out of 10 for loose cartridges and 9 out of 10 for complete-in-box copies on the ColecoVision Addict database, indicating that WizMath was likely produced in limited quantities or simply did not sell well enough to have many copies survive to the present day.8714

Genre Classification

WizMath occupies an interesting position in gaming history as an early example of “edutainment”—software designed to make learning entertaining.4 The game’s themes are classified as Arcade, Licensed Title, and Math/Logic, reflecting its hybrid nature.4 Its genres are listed as Educational and Puzzle, highlighting the dual purpose of the software.4

Critical Perspective

Wizard of Id’s WizMath represents an important moment in Sierra On-Line’s history as the company explored markets beyond adventure gaming.15 While Sierra would become legendary for titles like King’s Quest and Space Quest, the company also invested in educational software during the early-to-mid 1980s, recognizing the potential of home computers as learning tools.110

The game’s combination of licensed characters, puzzle mechanics, and educational content anticipated later developments in edutainment software.413 However, its relatively simple design and the noted flaw of not automatically advancing floors suggest that educational game design was still in its infancy.23 The block-pushing mechanics would later be refined and popularized in games like Sokoban (1982) and its countless successors.9

Modern players may find WizMath most interesting as a historical curiosity—a snapshot of early attempts to make educational software engaging through the incorporation of arcade-style elements and popular licensed characters.415 Its multi-player support for up to six players also makes it noteworthy as an early example of software designed for classroom or family group use.212

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

  • Not currently available on modern digital storefronts

Download / Preservation

Manuals & Extras

References

Footnotes

  1. Internet Archive – Wizard of Id’s WizMath Manual – publication metadata, release date, publisher information ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  2. MobyGames – Wizard of Id’s WizMath – credits, platforms, user reviews, technical specifications, trivia about floors and comic strip licensing ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35 ↩36 ↩37 ↩38

  3. MobyGames – Wizard of Id’s WizMath Credits – ColecoVision version development credits ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  4. My Abandonware – Wizard of Id’s WizMath – user comments, genre classification, themes, file size ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14

  5. SierraVault Game List – comprehensive Sierra games catalog ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  6. Retrolorean – Wizard of Id’s WizMath – game database entry ↩

  7. GameFAQs – Wizard of Id’s WizMath – ColecoVision game database ↩ ↩2

  8. ColecoVision Addict – Wizard of Id’s WizMath – gameplay mechanics, rarity ratings, ROM specifications, story description, adaptive difficulty system ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32

  9. Lemon64 – Wizard of Id’s WizMath – Commodore 64 information, user review by Frightmare, developer credit for Sigma Development Group ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12

  10. Apple II Bits – Wizard of Id – context on Wizard of Id Sierra games ↩ ↩2

  11. PriceCharting – Wizard of Id’s Wiz Math – sales data, pricing history, early release date information, collector market data ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  12. Internet Archive – Full Manual Text – complete manual transcription ↩ ↩2

  13. Sierra Gamers – Wizard of Id WizMath – Sierra fan community entry ↩ ↩2

  14. AtariAge – ColecoVision Games – ColecoVision software catalog ↩

  15. Wikidata – Wizard of Id’s WizMath – structured data, identifiers ↩

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