The Crack of Doom is the last game in Melbourne House's series of adventure games based on Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

The gameplay combines a text-based adventure with illustrations from the main character's perspective. Players interact with the game using text-based descriptions and a parser system to execute actions.

The game follows the character Sam Gamgee as he embarks on a mission to save his master, Frodo, and destroy the Ring of Power in Mount Doom. Set in the fantasy realm of Middle Earth, players navigate through various iconic locations such as Gorgoroth, Cirith Ungol, and Mount Doom.