It is loosely based on the adventure gamebook[broken anchor] of the same name (the first in the Fighting Fantasy series) written by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, and published by Puffin Books in 1982.

The game was sold both as a regular cassette-only release and as a "software pack" edition that included a copy of the original Fighting Fantasy title at a higher price point.

The treasure is stored in a chest with fifteen locks, with the keys guarded by various monsters (e.g. orcs, slime moulds and spiders) in the dungeons of Firetop Mountain.

The adventurer (equipped with a bow and a sword) must attempt to retrieve the keys, with an added feature (over the game's predecessor, Halls of the Things) being the ability to open and close doors to block the path of pursuing monsters.

[6][7] According to game designer Simon Brattel, they ended up doing it by accident: they met Steve Jackson, one of the authors of the book, and after their discussion, he became supportive of the project.