Single Player mode

Just as in the original Lode Runner, your goal in single player mode is to retrieve all of the gold in each level without getting caught by the bad guys. After you get all of the gold, you must escape to the top of the screen (usually on a ladder that appears once you recover all of the gold).

Lode Runner X's solo campaign consists of 5 primary worlds. Each world consists of 16 levels. As you advance through each world, you will find new challenges.

Forest World

In Forest World, you must simply run and gun. You will stick with your basic mining laser to dig holes in the ground and to mine for gold. Make sure to avoid the water, because our Lode Runner cannot survive in it; the enemies have added a combustible element to the water which causes anything that touches it to explode!

Underground World

Once you have rescued all of the gold from Forest World, you will need to proceed to the next enemy stronghold: Underground World. Unfortunately, your mining laser alone can not get you through this world. You will need to work with explosives that you will find in the underground. These bombs are powerful enough to destroy even the strongest of surfaces; this will allow you to reach even the most distant gold, and you might even eliminate a handful of bad guys with the explosives. Finding gas cans will make your bombs even stronger. Cool!

Snow/Ice World

Emerging on the other side of the underground, you will find that you have driven the enemy back to a cold land called Ice World. In addition to your mining laser and bombs, you will have to begin manipulating ice blocks to advance through this world. You will push these ice blocks to create new paths to previously unreachable locations; this world will provide you with the trickiest puzzles yet.

You will also gain access to rope tools in this level. Use ropes to quickly scale to great heights and reach hard-to-reach areas.

Fire World

After traversing Ice World, you will find yourself in a much warmer location. In Fire World, you will say goodbye to ice blocks and say hello to explosive carts. These carts works similarly to ice blocks, but instead of resting up against a wall, they explode into the wall and destroy it! You will need to use these explosive carts to open new paths in many levels; hopefully, you can catch some unsuspecting enemies in each cart's path along the way!

Spooky World

Spooky World represents the last world that you will visit. It also represents the last stand for the enemy; unfortunately, this means that a vast army of enemies will await you in Spooky World. You will say goodbye to thought-provoking puzzles, but you won't have time to say hello to the increased numbers of enemies because you'll be frantically trying to evade their advances.

Classic World?

Classic World does not appear in the single player game, but many levels use the 'classic' Lode Runner look: a plain black background with red brick tiles. You'll have the chance to revisit some classic Lode Runner levels just as they were years ago.