CRL Group plc was a British video game development and publishing company. Originally CRL stood for "Computer Rentals Limited". It was based in King's Yard, London and run by Clem Chambers.

They released a number of notable adventure games based on horror stories. Dracula and Frankenstein were rated 15 certificate by the British Board of Film Censors for their graphics depicting bloody scenes; Dracula was the first game to be rated by the BBFC. Jack the Ripper was the first game to receive an 18 certificate, Wolfman also gained an 18 certificate.

CRL-published games that achieved critical success include Tau Ceti and Academy.

The 1984 game of the series Terrahawks was one of the first video games based on a TV show.

Games

1982

  • Rescue

1983

  • 3D Desert Patrol
  • Alien Maze
  • Bomber
  • Caveman
  • Crawler
  • Derby Day
  • Draughts
  • Escape from Manhattan
  • Galactic Patrol
  • Grand National
  • Jackpot
  • Lunar Rescue
  • One Day Cricket
  • Pandemonia
  • Test Match
  • The Omega Run
  • The Orb
  • Space Mission
  • Zaraks

1984

  • £.s.d.
  • Ahhh!!
  • Cricket 64
  • Glug Glug
  • Handicap Golf
  • Handy Andy
  • Incredible Adventure
  • Olympics
  • Orpheus in the Underworld
  • Show Jumping
  • Terrahawks
  • The Great Detective
  • The Magic Roundabout
  • Tritz
  • Whirlybird
  • The War of the Worlds
  • The Warlock's Treasure
  • The Woods of Winter

1985

  • Blade Runner
  • Bored of the Rings
  • Endurance
  • Formula One
  • Juggernaut
  • Space Doubt
  • Tau Ceti
  • The Causes of Chaos
  • The Rocky Horror Show

1986

  • Academy
  • Bugsy
  • Doctor What!
  • Dracula
  • Hercules
  • Pilgrim
  • Robin of Sherlock
  • Room Ten
  • Samurai
  • The Boggit
  • The Very Big Cave Adventure

1987

  • Ball Breaker
  • Book of the Dead
  • Cyborg
  • Death or Glory
  • Federation
  • Frankenstein
  • From Darkness into Light
  • I-Alien
  • IQ
  • Jack the Ripper
  • Jet-Boys
  • Last Mohican
  • Lifeforce
  • Loads of Midnight
  • Mandroid
  • Murder off Miami
  • Ninja Hamster
  • Oink!
  • Outcast
  • Plasmatron
  • Sun Star
  • They Call Me Trooper
  • Traxxion
  • Vengeance

1988

  • Ball Breaker II
  • CounterForce
  • Cyberknights
  • Discovery
  • International Soccer
  • Kellogg's Tour 1988
  • NATO Assault Course
  • Purple Heart
  • Road Warrior
  • Sophistry
  • Thundercross
  • Time Fighter
  • To Hell and Back
  • Trigger Happy
  • Wolfman

1989

  • Inner Space
  • Lancaster
  • Professional Soccer
  • Search for the Titanic

1990

  • Hellhole

Unreleased

  • Enchantress
  • Spearhead
  • The Blues Brothers
  • The Malinsay Massacre

Software

  • Fifth (1983)
  • Stargazer Secrets (1983)
  • Highway Code (1984)
  • 3D Game Maker (1987)
  • 2D Game Maker (1988)
  • Hi-Rise Scaffold Construction Set (Unreleased)

Platforms

  • Acorn Electron
  • Amiga
  • Amstrad CPC
  • Amstrad PCW
  • Atari ST
  • BBC Micro
  • Commodore 64
  • Commodore Plus/4
  • MS-DOS
  • Oric-1/Atmos
  • ZX Spectrum
  • ZX81

Notes

Hercules was originally released in 1984 by Interdisc<br />

Bored of the Rings and Robin of Sherlock were originally released in 1985 by Delta 4<br />

Federation was originally released as Quann Tulla in 1985 by 8th Day Software<br />

International Soccer was originally only released on cartridge in 1983 by Commodore International

References

Further reading

  • Retro Gamer Magazine, issue 97, Graeme Mason
  • The story behind the worst game ever made