Now that I started looking for it, I think it was Repton because I remember buildings.

I think the crack protection was pretty clever - it let you play a couple seconds of the game to get a taste of it. If I had the means I would have bought it, but I was a poor 14 year old

https://www.gamesdatabase.org/game/apple-ii/repton

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repton_(1983_video_game)

I'd never heard of Gorgon but had to've run across Nasir's name at least once during my gaming years... and wow, what a pedigree.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasir_Gebelli

Had 3-D World Runner for the OG NES, played it again a few weeks ago doing some handheld emu hacking and couldn't put it down.