Beast (video game)
1980s video game
Beast is a text-based action game developed for MS-DOS by Dan Baker, Alan Brown, Mark Hamilton, and Derrick Shadel. It was distributed as shareware in 1984.
Gameplay
The object is to survive through a number of levels while crushing "beasts" (represented by the character ├┤) with movable blocks. The H's are attracted to the player's position, represented by a "diamond-like" character ◄►, every move. The player can control the diamond-shaped character by using the arrow keys or the numeric keypad to move around and/or push blocks. While the normal green block is movable, the yellow static block cannot be pushed or pulled. In the advanced levels, static blocks also become "explosive", which means that the player will lose a life by moving into one. The beginning levels have only common beasts ("├┤"), but more challenging "super-beasts", represented by "╟╢", appear as the player advances through levels. "Super-beasts" are harder to kill as they must be crushed against a static block. At even more advanced levels eggs appear that eventually hatch into "hatched beasts" (╬╬) with the ability to move blocks to crush the player.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Beast (video game)” as 1980s video game. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as 1980s video game. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4876846. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1984.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Beast (video game)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Beast (video game) primary sources, Beast (video game) archive and Beast research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Beast (video game)”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Beast (video game)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.