---
title: Moria also known as The mines of Moria
tags:
- medieval fantastic
- role playing game
- Tolkien
years:
- '1984'
params:
  image: /media/museum/software/oric_severn-software_moria_box_1_m.jpg
  specs:
  - label: year of release
    value: '1984'
  - label: companies
    value: Severn Software
  - label: type
    value: game
  - label: media
    value: tape
  - label: systems
    value: Oric compatible systems
  - label: number of players
    value: 1 player
  - label: staff
    value: Adrian Sheppard
  screenshots:
  - title: title screen
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss1.png
  - title: title screen
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss8.png
  - title: please wait while the ring is hidden
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss9.png
  - title: ''
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss10.png
  - title: you have met an orc
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss11.png
  - title: ''
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss13.png
  - title: you are warped to another level...
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss14.png
  - title: trade with the merchant
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss15.png
  - title: floor N°5
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss16.png
  - title: you have met a Balrog... RUUUNNNN!
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss17.png
  - title: you have found the entrance of the Moria...
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss19.png
  - title: '... but do you have the ring ?'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss18.png
  - title: game over
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_moria_ss12.png
  - title: tape
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_soft_moria_tape_1.jpg
  - title: box
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/oric_severn-software_moria_box_1.jpg
  machines:
  - /museum/oric-atmos
  company: /companies/oric
  oc_id: 713
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230607124513/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/software_detail.asp?id=713
    date: '2023-06-07'
---

RPG game inspired by Tolkien's books

Moria is a game inspired by Tolkien's book "The Lord of the Rings." This is probably its only quality ...

Welcome to the Mines of Moria. As you may recall from the book Lord of the Rings, the mines of Moria are the ancient home of Durin's folk: the dwarves. Long deserted, the mines contain old hoards of jewels and gold guarded by the ancient, evil terrors of the earlier ages. You will find yourself inside and your problem will be to get yourself out alive!

The only way out is to arrive at the exit (wherever that is) carrying Durin's ring - the last of the seven. You first have to find the ring.

The mines of Moria are represented by a grid of 36 cases (6 x 6) on several levels. You move with N, S, E and W keys. You will discover several objects randomly scattered around the mine (jewels, armor, weapons, potions, etc.) but also monsters (Trolls, Orcs, Warga and Balrog).

You can fight monsters or retreat, which is a better solution against a Balrog if you have not found any armour or weapon yet!

You will also meet traders from which you can buy strength and wound salves, and Wizard who will sell you spells (to open doors)

The graphics are really poor. The mine grid only use 1/4 of the screen, and that's it! Worse, the grid is erased each time there's text interaction with the player (fight, trader, wizard, etc.) and redrawn again from zero, preventing you from remembering what cases you already visited!!

The game really looks like it's been programmed in Basic (and it must have).

The only interesting feature is that the mines are different each time you start a game. Objects, monsters, traders, wizards, stairways, the exit and the ring are placed randomly for each game.