Gorbo the Orc: Crown Quest

Mission briefing

Gorbo the Orc is a bold, funny platform adventure. The Minotaur Warlord stole the golden crown of the Tusk Clan, and Gorbo is going to get it back, one monster at a time. New to platformers? The first levels teach you to run, jump, swing your cleaver, chain a 3-hit combo and throw your axe, one step at a time. Then the Whispering Forest gives way to the Crystal Mines, the Dark Castle, the Frozen Peaks, the Haunted Swamp and the Volcano Fortress. 48 levels across 6 worlds, 6 boss fights and 144 hidden gems. Every world brings new monsters and new tricks: archers and wizards that shoot at you, shield bearers, charging bears and boars, ghosts that fly through walls, storm clouds, falling icicles, fire jets, swinging blades, slippery ice, bounce mushrooms, and locked gates to open with a key. Fight your way. Swing a cleaver combo that also knocks arrows and spells out of the air, stomp monsters, and throw your axe, which flies back to you like a boomerang. Drink a potion when your hearts run low, and spend your coins at the merchant on potions and extra hearts. Your progress, gems and coins are saved, so you can come back and finish the quest anytime.

Field manual

Reach the door at the end of each level. The last level of each world is a boss: beat it to open the door. Find the 3 hidden gems in every level, collect coins and spend them at the merchant. Lose all your hearts and you get back up at the last banner. Keyboard: arrows or A D to run, Space, W or up to jump (hold to jump higher), X or J to swing the cleaver (tap fast for a 3-hit combo), C or L to throw the axe, E to drink a potion, Esc or P to pause. Touch: arrow buttons to run, the jump, sword and axe buttons on the right, tap the potion to drink.

Launch orders: press Launch mission above and the game loads on this page itself — nothing downloads and no form stands between you and the first move. It is designed for a landscape (wide) screen and takes its orders from mouse, keyboard or touch, depending on the mission. It is built wide, for a landscape screen — rotate a phone sideways, or give it a tablet or monitor to stretch out on. If it offers a fullscreen control, use it — a fight this size deserves the whole screen.

Field notes for action operations

First run is reconnaissance. Spend it learning where the danger actually spawns from instead of chasing a score — most action games announce their patterns honestly in the opening minute, then repeat them with worse manners.
Movement is a defensive stat. A moving target at half health outlives a stationary one at full health in nearly every game on this board, so keep relocating between shots, strikes and reloads.
Learn the exit before the entrance closes. In arena and chase games alike, the players who survive longest are the ones who noticed the second doorway while everyone else was watching the first.

Gorbo the Orc: Crown Quest — questions from the ranks

What does it cost to play Gorbo the Orc: Crown Quest?

Nothing at all. The mission is free from the first order to the last — no sign-up, no download, no paid tier guarding the good levels. The advertising around this page is what keeps the board free.

What sort of mission is Gorbo the Orc: Crown Quest?

Gorbo the Orc: Crown Quest is filed in our Action theatre. Like every operation on this board, it is a browser game — read the briefing above for the publisher's own account of what you are deploying into.

Can I run Gorbo the Orc: Crown Quest on a phone or tablet?

Yes. It plays in the browser on phones and tablets exactly as it does on a computer. It is built wide, for a landscape screen — rotate a phone sideways, or give it a tablet or monitor to stretch out on.

Do I have to install anything before playing?

No installation of any kind. Gorbo the Orc: Crown Quest is an HTML5 game: press the launch button and it loads on this page, and closing the tab leaves nothing behind.

After-action

Mission complete, or still pinned down? The full Action theatre is one click away — The main hall of the board: 469 operations where something is always moving, exploding, escaping or being chased. If a game has a pulse and a problem, it is probably filed here.