Manic Miner

Manic Miner (2025) is an unofficial and expanded recreation of Matthew Smith’s iconic 1983 ZX Spectrum platformer. Developed by Langford Productions and released for free, it praised as one of the most faithful and enjoyable modern versions of the classic, allowing players to relive Miner Willy’s adventures in both familiar and entirely new ways.

This Windows remake preserves all 20 original caverns while adding 20 entirely new levels, which can optionally be mixed in a single playthrough. Multiple game modes are also available, including Normal, Subdued Lighting, Extra, and Random Mix, providing both nostalgic and fresh experiences. Here, players once again take control of titular character, who accidentally uncovers a long-forgotten underground civilization. To progress, Willy must collect all flashing keys in each cavern while avoiding threats such as poisonous pansies, spiders, slime, and maniacal mining robots.

The remake’s controls are responsive and faithful to the original, making it a true celebration of classic 8-bit platforming. It also has colorful pixel art, vibrant retro aesthetics, and carefully crafted sound effects, reminiscent of the original ZX Spectrum style. Elements inspired by sequels—either official and unofficial, other games and popular mods for the original platform—are also present, giving both long-time fans and new players a rich and varied experience.

You can download the game here!

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About the game

Here’s the story from the original cassette inlay:

Miner Willy, while prospecting down Surbiton way, stumbles upon an ancient, long forgotten mine-shaft. On further exploration, he finds evidence of a lost civilisation far superior to our own, which used automatons to dig deep into the Earth’s core to supply the essential raw materials for their advanced industry. After centuries of peace and prosperity, the civilisation was torn apart by war, and lapsed into a long dark age, abandoning their industry and machines. Nobody, however, thought to tell the mine robots to stop working, and through countless eons they had steadily accumulated a huge stockpile of valuable metals and minerals, and Miner Willy realises that he now has the opportunity to make his fortune by finding the underground store.

In order to move to the next chamber, you must collect all the flashing keys in the room while avoiding nasties like POISONOUS PANSIES and SPIDERS and SLIME and worst of all, MANIC MINING ROBOTS. When you have all the keys, you can enter the portal which will now be flashing. The game ends when you have been ‘got’ or fallen heavily three times.