History Main / TempleOfDoom

** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' has a world centered on this, and features many samples of BambooTechnology that has to be interacted with in order to progress. Also, every world has a hidden temple that serves as a BonusLevelOfHell; beating each one unlocks another temple, [[spoiler:which is actually LevelAte aside from the immediate entrance]].

* The temple of the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Firebending Masters", with killer spikes, a secretly-cached MacGuffin, a room that fills full of killer glue, and a [[JustifiedTrope justification]] for the fact that everything's still working: [[spoiler:the ancient extinct civilization that built it is not actually extinct]]. How everyone missed this, who knows.

The Temple of Doom is almost always inhabited, often by the same {{Mooks}} and monsters found in the surrounding environment — oddly, they know how to avoid every single trap in the DeathCourse — but you can also expect things like ghosts, skeletons, living statues and other ancient guardians. And naturally, whatever treasure you go in there to find will be found in the very spot the GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere has decided to make its home.

** The various ancient Nord barrows in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' also qualify, being filled with booby traps and mummified tomb guardians.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': While conspicuously light on the booby-traps, there's the Tomb of Raithwall, complete with ThatOneBoss, a BonusBoss, and lots upon lots of undead things crawling around. Also the Stilshrine of Miriam. And Giruvegan. And the Pharos at Ridorana. And the Sochen Cave Palace. It makes you wonder why modern civilization bothered to build anything, since there's probably enough hidden temples and lost cities to house a nation.

** ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyTheDrownedCity'' has the fourth stratum, Abyssal Shrine. It's a dark, mysterious labyrinth that was originally part of the city of Armoroad, but has since been sunken in the ocean. As the player's characters venture through it, they'll find doors that will be open for access; but if they're crossed through in the direction they're facing, they will close and it won't be possible to turn back. The stratum is home of a sapient, yet hostile species known as the Deep Ones.

** ''The Drowned City'' has the fourth stratum, Abyssal Shrine. It's a dark, mysterious labyrinth that was originally part of the city of Armoroad, but has since been sunken in the ocean. As the player's characters venture through it, they'll find doors that will be open for access; but if they're crossed through in the direction they're facing, they will close and it won't be possible to turn back. The stratum is home of a sapient, yet hostile species known as the Deep Ones.
** In ''Nexus'', there are four Shrines built in the floating islands of Lemuria, surrounding this land's Yggdrasil. They were built to [[spoiler:keep the monster Jörmungandr sealed, as it would bring doomsday to the world if it were released]]. The Eastern Shrine merely introduces the temple archetype to the game, as it has only one floor and has no gimmicks or even F.O.E. on its own, serving as a NoobCave. But each subsequent Shrine, on top of having five floors, adds a new concept: climbable walls in the Southern Shrine, boulder-like F.O.E. that can be pushed (up to twice, as a third push would awaken the monster and chase the player's party) for puzzle solving in the Western Shrine, and floating rafts that can take explorers from one spot to the other in the Northern Shrine. They're also overrun by all sorts of F.O.E. and deadly enemies, becoming even more dangerous as a result. It is revealed by the game's BigBad, that [[spoiler:in their efforts to conquer these strata, the player's characters [[NiceJobBreakingItHero have contributed to the seal's weakening]]]]. Completing all four Shrines unlocks the final dungeon, the Yggdrasil Labyrinth itself; this dungeon features hovering rafts like those of Northern Shrine, but these drag two wagons attached to them and which make their management trickier (as they impede someone from backtracking directly to their previous spot); there are also pressure plates that raise or lower each time they're stepped on. Lastly, the Abyssal Shrine (not to be confused with the one from ''The Drowned City'') serves as the BonusDungeon, and not only brings back the boulder concept from Western Shrine (though with a stronger version of the F.O.E.) but is also there where the TrueFinalBoss awaits.

* ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryIII'' features such a temple as the base of the demons looking to do a divide and conquer on the different peoples of Tarna.

** The original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'' has a "Millstone Mayhem" stage as the last non-boss stage in Monkey Mines, as well as a "Temple Tempest" level near the end of Vine Valley. Said level served as inspiration for the Angry Aztec world in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64''.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': The ancient ruins JustForFun/DaringDo explores in "Read It and Weep" and "Daring Don't" are filled with gauntlets of deadly traps, and the former were apparently built on top of an active lava flow that can ''[[UpToEleven also]]'' be utilized as a trap. {{Justified|Trope}} since she's an {{expy}} of Indiana Jones.

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' has a Ruins level in the Subspace Emissary, featuring many enemies (including those part og the Subspace Army). In the Ruined Hall, one of the bosses (Galleom) is fought.

[[caption-width-right:261: Also called the main characters' special graveyard.[[note]]Clockwise from top-left: ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'', ''VideoGame/WarioLand4'', ''VideoGame/LaMulana'', ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror'', ''VideoGame/{{Spelunky}}''[[/note]]]]

* ''VideoGame/MOTHER3'' features the Chupichupyoi Temple; however it isn't a dungeon, but a key location, and it doesn't try to kill you at all.%%A straighter example is ''VideoGame/EarthBound'''s Scaraba Pyramid.

* The ruins of ''VideoGame/LaMulana'' are basically one giant Temple of Doom, with the various stages being different parts of it.

** The Desert Temple is a pyramid in desert regions with a hidden basement containing treasure chests. The treasure room is hidden under a [[NoticeThis conspicuously colored block]] positioned directly over the [[SchmuckBait trigger for a TNT trap]].
** The Jungle Temple contains treasures hidden behind a puzzle system. There are no TNT traps; instead the hallways have tripwires connected to arrow dispensers, which will shoot anyone who doesn't disarm them first.
** The Ocean Temple is a massive complex only found in deep ocean regions. Its treasure room contains several blocks of gold and there are no traps. Instead the danger comes from [[SeaMonster the Guardians]] and drowning in the completely flooded building.

* You'd think that an Owl Temple would be nice to an ''VideoGame/{{Owlboy}}''? Nope.

** There's also the Mirage Tower, the Sky Pillar, and the hidden chambers which house [[{{Golem}} Regirock, Regice, and Registeel]] in ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire''.

* Levels 10-13 of ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia2: The Shadow and the Flame'' are set in a temple, which actually contains most of the {{Mooks}} in the game. Levels 6-9 are in a the ruins of a palace, now inhabited by snakes and [[GoddamnedBats flying heads]].

* Chapter 4 of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' mostly takes place in a Temple of Doom. It uses an ancient African ruined city as a setting. It has a few traps, some more ridiculous than others.
* The Temple Stage in the Famicom/NES version of ''Salamander/Life Force'' and the UsefulNotes/PCEngine version of ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}} II''.
* ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndThePiratesCurse': The Lost Catacombs, an ancient ruin found under the deserts of Tan Line Island. Shantae will need to contend with the ScorpionPeople and [[BigCreepyCrawlies giant mantises]] currently inhabiting it, as well as various spike and descending ceiling traps.

* TempleOfDoom: The Lost Catacombs, an ancient ruin found under the deserts of Tan Line Island. Shantae will need to contend with the ScorpionPeople and [[BigCreepyCrawlies giant mantises]] currently inhabiting it, as well as various spike and descending ceiling traps.

* ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndThePiratesCurse'' has the Lost Catacombs, an ancient ruin found under the deserts of Tan Line Island. Shantae will need to contend with the scorpion folk and giant mantises currently inhabiting it, as well as various spike and descending ceiling traps.

* ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}} and the Pirate's Curse'' has the Lost Catacombs, an ancient ruin found under the deserts of Tan Line Island. Shantae will need to contend with the scorpion folk and giant mantises currently inhabiting it, as well as various spike and descending ceiling traps.

** In ''Nexus'', there are four Shrines built in the floating islands of Lemuria, surrounding this land's Yggdrasil. They were built to [[spoiler:keep the monster Jörmungandr sealed, as it would bring doomsday to the world if it were released]]. The Eastern Shrine merely introduces the temple archetype to the game, as it has only one floor and has no gimmicks or even F.O.E. on its own, serving as a NoobCave. But each subsequent Shrine, on top of having five floors, adds a new concept: climbable walls in the Southern Shrine, boulder-like F.O.E. that can be pushed (up to twice, as a third push would awaken the monster and chase the player's party) for puzzle solving in the Western Shrine, and floating rafts that can take explorers from one spot to the other in the Northern Shrine. They're also overrun by all sorts of F.O.E. and deadly enemies, becoming even more dangerous as a result. It is revealed by the game's BigBad, that [[spoiler:in their efforts to conquer these strata, the player's characters [[NiceJobBreakingItHero have contributed to the seal's weakening]]]]. Completing all four Shrines unlocks the final dungeon, the Yggdrasil Labyrinth itself; this dungeon features hovering rafts like those of Northern Shrine, but also drag two wagons that make their management trickier; there are also pressure plates that raise or lower each time they're stepped on. Lastly, the Abyssal Shrine (not to be confused with the one from ''The Drowned City'') serves as the BonusDungeon, and not only brings back the boulder concept from Western Shrine (though with a stronger version of the F.O.E.) but is also there where the TrueFinalBoss awaits.

** The original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'' has a "Millstone Mayhem" stage as the last non-boss stage in Monkey Mines, as well as a "Temple Tempest" level near the end of Vine Valley. Said level served as inspiration for "Angry Aztecs" world in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64''.

** In ''Nexus'', there are four Shrines built in the floating islands of Lemuria, surrounding this land's Yggdrasil. They were built to [[spoiler:keep the monster Jörmungandr sealed, as it would bring doomsday to the world if it were released]]. The Eastern Shrine merely introduces the temple archetype to the game, as it has only one floor and has no gimmicks on its own, serving as a NoobCave. But each subsequent Shrine, on top of having five floors, adds a new concept: climbable walls in the Southern Shrine, boulder-like F.O.E. that can be pushed for puzzle solving in the Western Shrine, and floating rafts that can take explorers from one spot to the other in the Northern Shrine. They're also overrun by all sorts of F.O.E. and deadly enemies, becoming even more dangerous as a result. It is revealed by the game's BigBad, that [[spoiler:in their efforts to conquer these strata, the player's characters [[NiceJobBreakingItHero have contributed to the seal's weakening]]]]. Completing all four Shrines unlocks the final dungeon, the Yggdrasil Labyrinth itself. Lastly, the Abyssal Shrine (not to be confused with the one from ''The Drowned City'') serves as the BonusDungeon, and it's there where the TrueFinalBoss awaits.

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' has a [[ScrappyLevel classically annoying Ruins level]] in the Subspace Emissary.