Atari’s financial problems force the company to issue an ultimatum to SwordQuest players—one that may involve a top-secret gaming tournament closed to the public.

Atari’s financial problems force the company to issue an ultimatum to SwordQuest players—one that may involve a top-secret gaming tournament closed to the public.

What started as a promotion for a new Atari game would become one of the most controversial moments in ‘80s pop culture, with a central mystery that’s consumed fans for decades: what happened to the missing SwordQuest prizes?

To unlock the biggest mystery in video game history, host Jamie Loftus is going on a treasure hunt 40 years in the making.

What started as a promotion for a new Atari game would become one of the most controversial moments in ‘80s pop culture, with a central mystery that’s consumed fans for decades: what happened to the missing SwordQuest prizes?
To unlock the biggest mystery in video game history, host Jamie Loftus is going on a treasure hunt 40 years in the making.

The Legend of SwordQuest

It was the most unlikely art heist of all time. Join some improbable detectives and one determined comic book dealer as they investigate the mysterious theft of the most important comic in the world ... a comic stolen from Nicolas Cage.

It was the most unlikely art heist of all time. Join some improbable detectives and one determined comic book dealer as they investigate the mysterious theft of the most important comic in the world ... a comic stolen from Nicolas Cage.

Stealing Superman

Onscreen, Bruce Willis dodged bullets and explosions in Die Hard and countless action films, making him the biggest movie star of the ‘90s. Offscreen, he dodged the tabloid press and became so determined to live a private life he moved to one of the smallest towns in Idaho. But he didn’t just want to live in Hailey — he wanted to transform it. Soon, this sleepy old mining town was home to a culture clash between Hollywood spectacle and small-town values, with real-life secret rooms, car chases, and betrayal worthy of a Willis thriller. Welcome to Haileywood. Host Dana Schwartz will be your guide.

Haileywood

George White ran the CIA brothel. He watched from a hidden room while men were dosed with LSD — and he convinced himself the fate of the nation depended on it.

Operation Midnight Climax

4: Descent Into Darkness

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/bc358952-ae63-429e-8a0d-b1fd002a46a0/transcript

SwordQuest players discover that being video game rock stars comes at a price. Meanwhile, delays in the contest raise suspicions among contestants that Atari may not intend to see it through to the end—and that the prizes may not even exist at all.

SwordQuest players discover that being video game rock stars comes at a price. Meanwhile, delays in the contest raise suspicions among contestants that Atari may not intend to see it through to the end—and that the prizes may not even exist at all.

3: The Chalice

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/1f121be8-89a0-4466-bae1-b1f7001f777b/transcript

Expert gamers are invited to an all-expenses paid trip to California for the first round of Atari’s SwordQuest contest and a chance at the first treasure: a $25,000 medallion. The problem? Solving the game’s central puzzle will prove nearly impossible.  

Expert gamers are invited to an all-expenses paid trip to California for the first round of Atari’s SwordQuest contest and a chance at the first treasure: a $25,000 medallion. The problem? Solving the game’s central puzzle will prove nearly impossible.

2: Gentlemen, Start Your Joysticks

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/25546c88-1e33-44d0-882e-b1f000356b79/transcript

In the early 1980s, Atari is one of the biggest entertainment brands in the world and seeks to promote the biggest video game contest to date, promising $150,000 in prizes. But what starts out as a promising adventure quickly devolves into chaos.

In the early 1980s, Atari is one of the biggest entertainment brands in the world and seeks to promote the biggest video game contest to date, promising $150,000 in prizes. But what starts out as a promising adventure quickly devolves into chaos.

1: The Sword and the Stoned

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/76772b19-0711-45cc-b71d-b1e80140e68f/transcript

4: Descent Into Darkness

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The Legend of SwordQuest

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