Lost Dutchman Mine (computer game)

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Lost Dutchman Mine
Developer(s)	Magnetic Images
Publisher(s)	Magnetic Images
Platform(s)	Amiga Atari ST PC-DOS
Release date	1989
Genre(s)	Adventure
Mode(s)	Single player
Input methods	Mouse, Joystick

Lost Dutchman Mine is a non-linear adventure game which puts the player in the role of a gold miner, circa 1860. The game was a the biggest success for its publisher, Magnetic Images.

The player was free to roam around the desert and town at will constrained only by the need to make sure they had enough food to eat and a safe place to sleep. Earning money could be accomplished in a variety of ways including panning for gold in a river, mining for gold in a cave, or capturing a wanted bandit. Food could be purchased or caught from a river if the player had previously acquired fishing gear.

The game became well-known for its breezy, free-flowing nature. The game was also notable for not having a single environment for the player to operate in; the location of mines and rives, and the details of characters a player could meet were different each time the game was played.

There is also a team building exercise, The Search for The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine that was developed by Dr. Scott Simmerman and is sold to organizations worldwide. It is loosely based on the story of Jacob Waltz and sets up a 20-day expedition to "Mine as much gold as we can." A link is provided below for accessing information about the exercise.