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| Role Playing Games (RPGs) |
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Rating:  Freeware [ Screenshot ]
If you enjoy Roguelike games, you'll want to try this one. (Its full name is "Ancient Domains of Mystery".) It features primitive ASCII graphics (like most Roguelikes) but it is very indepth, even more so than Nethack. The game takes place not only in dungeons, but on the overworld and in towns as well. It is constantly being updated, so you may want to visit the ADOM homepage to check for new versions.
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Amulets & Armor
United Software Artists,
1997 |
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Rating:  Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Amulets & Armor is an interesting first-person perspective RPG game that unfortunately never got much attention due to failed publishing and marketing efforts. The game attempts to combine the best elements of FPS games and RPGs, and to some degree it succeeds, having passable graphics and sounds, along with a variety of gameplay options and even multiplayer. However the game also has design problems and bugs, so it is at best a flawed unknown classic.
Rating:  Shareware [ Screenshot ]
I'm not particularly fond of this type of RPG, however, if you like the old-style 1st person hack'n'slash type, you might want to try this one. It has VGA graphics and SB sounds, but I didn't find it very enjoyable ... one part I found particularly annoying the game's lack of a map.
Rating:  Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Angband began as a variant of the Roguelike game Moria, and eventually became so modified and unique that it now stands alone (and has variants of its own like ZAngband). Like Rogue, Nethack, etc Angband features very indepth gameplay and randomly generated dungeons. The most current version includes tiled graphics by default, and you begin the game in a simple town. Note that this game has a huge learning curve and is only for hardcore RPG type players!
Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Aspetra is a console-style RPG in the veign of classic RPGs like Dragon Quest and the older Final Fantasy games. It clearly takes influence from those sort of games in terms of style and storytelling. The story involves wizards, political (village) intrigue, and other common fantasy game themes. Battles are turn-based and result from random encounters whenever you leave town. There are plenty of weapons, armor, and items to collect, as well as baddies to battle with. If you enjoy old-school console-style RPGs this one is a polished addition to the genre.
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Cavequest
Lightwave Consultants,
1985 |
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Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Cavequest is a basic RPG game that features an evolved character creation process. Considering that the game was created in 1985, it offers decent CGA graphics and a range of options for creating your character. As you walk around in the caves you will find treasures and kill monsters. It's fairly basic gameplay (ex, fighting monsters consists of very basic combat), but if you remember playing it in your younger days and/or enjoy classic RPGs you may be interested! (Note: Open the SCROLL.USE file in a text editor to read playing instructions.)
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Caverns of Zoarre
Thomas Hanlin III,
1984 |
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Rating:  Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Caverns of Zoarre could be called a graphical RPG, but just barely. The game, originally designed for the TRS-80, owes a lot of inspiration to one of the first graphical RPGS, Telengard. After creating a character you begin to explore the randomly-generated dungeon and encounter randomly-generated characters, most of which will kill you. An interesting example of a very early graphical PC RPG. (The game is free, although the title screen notes the author would send you printed instructions for the cost of $25!)
Rating:  Freeware [ Screenshot ]
DarkPhear is a console-style RPG with decent graphics and sound effects (especially considering it was programmed in QuickBasic!). The game begins with a simple quest on behalf of the king but the story continues to evolve as the game progresses. The style of the game is similar to the Phantasy Star series of games, and battles take place using a 1st person perspective, turn-based system. Overall a well made game but only one that fans of old-school console RPGs will appreciate.
Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Daymare 2 (apparently Daymare 1 was for the Atari ST computer) is a traditional first person RPG. Although it looks simplistic it does include some nice features, like an auto-generated map and mouse control. There's not much story (you are supposed to kill an evil wizard or something) but if you enjoy old-school RPG type games you'll probably find a lot to like here.
Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Making the famous DOOM 3D shooting game into a RogueLike, turn-based RPG game with text "graphics" sounds like the recipe for disaster. But this RPG based on the original DOOM games actually plays very well. While more simplistic than games like Nethack or ADOM, DOOMRL focuses more on combat (of course!) and weaponry, so it is faster paced than more traditional RogueLike games. Quite innovative and surprisingly good, a definite must-play for fans of the text-based RPG subgenre.
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Dungeon
Erik Oredson,
1987 |
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Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Dungeon won't win any awards for the most original name, in fact it may be confused with several other games. (See below for Dungeon Crawl, a much more sophisticated Roguelike game.) But despite that, it does offer simplified Roguelike gameplay. Each level is randomly generated and includes treasure to collect and monsters to fight, along with the ASCII text-mode "graphics" popular in the Roguelike genre. One potential problem is that use of the numeric keypad is required, so it won't be easy to play this game on most laptops or other keyboards which lack a keypad. (Note: This game also includes its source code in what looks to be BASICA/GW-BASIC files.)
Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Dungeon Crawl is a Roguelike game in the spirit of Rogue, Nethack, ADOM and many others. The game is continually being refined and improved by "a small group of developers". I didn't play it long enough to really discern what differentiates it from other games like Nethack, so if you're a fan of this genre, you'll have to play it for yourself. If you don't know what a "Roguelike" is, you might want to try Rogue or Nethack first.
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Dungeons of Death
Alex Kapteyn Jr,
1994 |
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Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Dungeons of Death is a first-person perspective role playing game, similar to classics like Dungeon Hack or Eye of the Beholder. The game's graphics are not great, but the gameplay is simple and intuitive. There is no long story or complicated control scheme. Attacking monsters is done by timing presses of the Spacebar, which is a lot tougher than it sounds! Overall a quick and enjoyable game, with maps randomly generated each time you play!
Rating:  Full version [ Screenshot ]
This is not a demo! It's the full version of this classic RPG game! It has been released by its original authors, and this is great news for all computer RPG fans. Similar to the more modern version Morrowind, this game has obviously worse graphics but some say its gameplay is still superior. It has a very open-ended and non-linear feel so if you enjoy that type of game, please do check out Elder Scrolls: Arena!
Rating: Full version [ Screenshot ]
Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall is the second game in the Elder Scrolls series which later spawned the more recent Morrowind and Oblivion games. It's a first-person view 3D RPG that was once called "best CRPG of the year" and "a flawed masterpiece" by Computer Games Magazine (link). Daggerfall is an open-world game fan's dream as it allows you to roam freely and do what you want in it's huge world. The world is said to be 62,394 square miles in size. For comparison, that is approximately 4000 times as large as Oblivion's world! (See this map, with Daggerfall's size listed on the side.) It's quite amazing a world so large was packed into a file so relatively small (149 megs). The full version of this game was released for free by its owner.
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Hera: Sword of Rhin
Retsel Enterprises,
1995 |
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Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Hera is an old-school overhead RPG that is very similar to the original Ultima games. Using a simple system of keyboard commands you control your character, you are on some kind of quest ... probably involving the Sword of Rhin. The graphics are definitely old-school style, and there's no doubt that someone with a love for classic RPGs and a lot of patience may enjoy this game. (Hint: Press F1 during the game to bring up the help screen!)
Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Infernal Tome (episode 1, "Shardmoure Keep") is a classic-style 1st person RPG dungeon crawling game. Similar to classic computer RPGs like Dungeon Hack or Eye of the Beholder, the emphasis here is on finding your way out of the 3D-like mazes. Nice graphics and sound effects complement a well-done story introduction, making this game seem almost commercial-quality in its presentation. (HINT: Near the beginning of the game there is an object on the ground near the feet of one of the suits of armor that you have to pick up; it's grey and hard to see!)
Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Joyous Rebel is a nearly-overhead perspective RPG that borrows its look from Ultima VI: The False Prophet (among other games). It is of course more simple in scope than Ultima, and its unique control scheme (which uses only a few keyboard keys to control all possible game actions) reflects this. But it has decent graphics and once you get used to the controls the game is surprisingly deep and challenging.
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Kingdom of Syree
Everlasting Software,
1992 |
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Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
This is the sort of game that would only excite hardcore RPG gameplayers. It features poor graphics, no sound, little plot ... and lots of RPG exploring, killing, etc. Very much a stereotypical oldschool RPG.
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Legend of Saladir
Erno Tuomainen,
1999 |
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Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Legend of Saladir is an interesting Roguelike game, and superficially seems very much the same as Rogue, Nethack and other similar games in the genre (ASCII graphics, random dungeons, fantasy theme, etc). However it does include some subtleties that set it apart from these other games. The first time I played I came across some of the monsters in the game fighting each other. The narration in the game also appears above par. However, probably only fans of the Roguelike subgenre will appreaciate this game, others should probably try Rogue or Nethack first.
Rating: Full version! [ Screenshot ]
Legend of the Silver Talisman is a Gauntlet-esque action game with some RPG elements. One of its big features is two-player simultaneous gameplay. Each player controls their own character, sharing the same keyboard. Two separate windows divide the screen in half, so players can work together to kill monsters and collect treasure. Its graphic style seems inspired by the Ultima series' isometric perspective fantasy graphics. Basically, if you enjoy Gauntlet, you will probably enjoy this game. (Note: The full version of this game has been released by its authors.)
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Leygref's Castle
Frank Dutton,
1986 |
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Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Leygref's Castle is apparently a remake of an old BASIC game called Wizard's Castle. It features randomized dungeons like a Roguelike game but its gameplay is greatly simplified. You move around on floors comprised of 8x8 "rooms", each potentially containing an item or a monster, which you fight with simple Attack/Run prompts. A decent but simple game with basic text-mode graphics.
Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Dr. Dungeon seems to have been (or still is?) a prolific creator of classic-style RPG games. In his own words, his games are intended to "retain the classic flavor of games like Ultima 7, Fallout and Baldur’s Gate." So if you like those games, you may like this. Madman is an isometric perspective RPG with decidedly retro graphics and PC beeper sound effects. If you yearn for the days of yore (PC RPG days of yore that is) then you may want to play this. (As per the directions on the official website, press & during the game and type "MACH" to register it.)
Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
This Roguelike clone was the first Roguelike game I ever played! And man did I ever play it, for hours! I never got really far into the game (I sure died a lot) but it sure was fun ... imagine my excitement when I recently found it again (probably 10 years later) on the web! Compared to more recent games like Nethack and ADOM, MAG is lacking a lot of depth. However for someone new to the Roguelike genre of ASCII graphics and randomly generated dungeons, MAG could serve as a superb introduction.
Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Magus is a roleplaying game created by Ronny Wester, better known for his Cyberdogs and C-Dogs action games. This, however, is a somewhat small-scale and comical turn-based RPG. You begin by creating your party, which includes the usual character types (such as barbarian and wizard) and not-so common types (duck and duck wizard). Then you proceed to move each member of your party in turn around the map, collecting treasure and fighting enemies. It can be somewhat tedious to move each character, and there's really no plot. However, the graphics have an endearing quality to them, and there is some random humor in the game that helps keep things interesting.
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Moraff's Dungeons of the Unforgiven
Moraffware,
1993 |
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Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
If you're looking for a classic dungeon-crawl game along the lines of all of the old SSI RPG games (Eye of the Beholder, Dark Sun, AD&D, etc.) then you may enjoy this game. It has average graphics, and not a lot of story. But there is lots of classic hack'n'slash action here for computer RPG purists. (Note: The graphics looked a little weird on my screen no matter which option I picked at the beginning. Probably a problem with my video card. Try different options if the game doesn't look quite right for you.)
Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Moraff's World is one of several first-person RPG dungeon crawling games released by Moraffware in the early 90's. There really is no story to consider, so the entirety of the game is exploring various dungeon and dungeon-like areas to kill monsters (over 40 different kinds) and collect items. Like other Moraff games you're presented with a plethora of different graphical options upon running the game but which one you select won't have much impact on the game itself. I found it somewhat disorienting having the four different views, but I suppose it helps to be able to see your surroundings. If you're a fan of first-person dungeon crawlers check it out, otherwise, there's not much here for you ...
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Mysterious Song
DarkDread,
2000 |
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Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Mysterious Song borrows its style heavily from early console RPG games made by Square and Enix. (If you've played any of the Final Fantasy Super NES games, you'll be at home here.) The story and gameplay are basically standard fare, but if you enjoy RPG games and are looking for a new adventure to play, this could be a good choice.
Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Despite it's name, this game does NOT involve any type of computer "hacking". It's actually my favorite "Roguelike" game. While it may take awhile to learn all of the different commands, the game itself is very deep and involving. Plus, it's different each time you play. Unlike most Roguelikes, Nethack also features optional VGA graphics. (Check 'em out in the screenshot. To learn how to get VGA graphics in Nethack, read our FAQ!) This is one of the few games that I come back to play over and over, so I suggest you try it! (Check nethack.org for special Windows/Linux/WindowsCE/other versions!)
Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Another "roguelike" role-playing game, Ragnarok gets extra points for using actual graphics instead of the usual ASCII characters used in most other similar games. The gameplay of Ragnarok involves exploring the gameworld, building experience, collecting items, etc ... all of which (like Rogue, Nethack, etc.) are randomly generated each time you begin a new game. The story is also a bit deeper than most games of this type, and you can use your mouse to control some aspects of the game.
Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
This is another Roguelike game, however, this game has a more futuristic theme. You're still exploring maze-like caverns, but here you must watch your oxygen levels, and collect various plants while avoiding or fighting various monsters. Of course, the levels are randomly generated each time, so it's never the same twice. The graphics are char edited ASCIIs, so they're slighly better than Rogue or Nethack. Seems pretty indepth!
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Rogue
Micheal Toy & Kenneth Arnold,
1986 |
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Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
The original "Roguelike"! It may have primitive graphics (ASCII), and no sound, but it's still quite enjoyable. People love these sorts of games because they're so indepth, and different every time you play. Check out this one to see a piece of gaming history, or are looking for a simpler alternative to super-indepth games like Nethack or ADOM ... but generally I still prefer Nethack (above).
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Shadowkeep 1: The Search
Magic Lemon Software,
1993 |
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Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Shadowkeep is a very old-school 3D-ish RPG in the vein of Dungeon Hack or the Eye of the Beholder series or any other 3D dungeon crawling PC RPG. You start out in the woods (among some very blocky-looking trees) and basically must wander around to figure out what to do. It's somewhat open ended but it can be tricky finding your way around (use the map). This one is for fans of the 3D RPG game only, others will likely be bored and/or frustrated quickly.
Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Telengard is one of the earliest graphical RPGs ever released for personal computers. Starting life on the Commodore PET and Apple II, it was eventually ported to PC around 1985. The game now seems very dated, but still features somewhat unique gameplay, CGA graphics, and a sometimes odd sense of humor. (The original author has released this game for free.)
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Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss
ORIGIN Systems,
1992 |
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Rating: DEMO! [ Screenshot ]
Ultima Underworld was a revolutionary game when it was released, introducing new features to the RPG genre including real-time 3D graphics which even in some ways surpassed Doom (released the next year in 1993). In this demo version you will get a small taste of what the full game offers, namely an intricately designed and developed RPG with a large "dungeon crawl" to explore, many NPC characters to meet and converse with, and excellent atmosphere. Overall it exudes the time and effort that went into making it a classic game and one that heavily influenced PC RPGs for many years after it was released.
Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Ultizurk (alternately titled "The Great Ultizurkian Underland" is obviously heavily influenced by the Ultima series of RPGs. It is a slow-paced old-school RPG with an isometric perspective, passable graphics and keyboard based gameplay. There is a long introduction story which you can watch/read if you're interested but I ended up skipping most of it. If you long for the days of isometric RPGs and are willing to put up with its slow pace, you may enjoy this game. The author "Dr Dungeon" will be releasing a new game soon (supposedly) so keep an eye out for that.
Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Another Roguelike. This one is very indepth, and includes many different features that make it involving to play, such as the huge variety of classes, locations, seasons, etc. It has an emphasis on "northern folklore" (particularly that of the author's native country Finland) rather than the purely fantasy theme of most Roguelike games. Personally, I still prefer Nethack, even though the graphics for URW seem pretty good (for a Roguelike). Check it out if you're a fan of long, involving RPGs.
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Walls of Bratock, The
Oracle Software,
1993 |
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Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Walls of Bratock (or just "Bratock") is a very old-school overhead RPG which closely sticks to the conventions of the genre. Fantasy storyline, block graphics, and turn-based battles are the order of the day here. There are some annoying parts, like the overly lengthy introduction, and the 30-second "shareware reminder" screen (!) but the game itself plays decently enough for fans of hardcore old-school PC RPGs.
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Wizard's Castle, The
International PC Owners,
1981 |
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Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
The Wizard's Castle is a simple text-mode based role playing game where the player is led on a monochrome adventure through a fantasy world full of danger. You begin by rolling a very simple character and choosing some equipment, then are thrown into the world without much plot setup. Since it was created in 1981 it's rather basic (and in fact seems to have been programmed in BASIC) but if you enjoy really old text games this might interest you.
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Wizard's Lair
Rick Nowalk,
1988 |
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Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Wizard's Lair is an ASCII RPG game that is surprisingly indepth given its simple appearance. It plays similarly to classic Roguelike games (like Rogue or Nethack) but this game is not random. It includes many people to talk to, shops to buy items, and a large world to explore. It doesn't look very pretty, and it is definitely for hardcore RPG players only, but if you are looking for a difficult, indepth game and aren't put off by a high learning curve, you may enjoy Wizard's Lair!
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Wraith
Robert J. Deutsch,
1995 |
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Rating: Shareware [ Screenshot ]
Wraith is a simplistic RPG in some respects, and rather advanced (for its time) in others. The view is a three-quarters overhead perspective (like certain Ultima games) and the gameplay is, for the most part, standard RPG fare. Graphics and sounds look pretty good. (Notes: Run SETUP.EXE after unzipping, and then run WRAITH.EXE to play the game. See the included README.TXT for more game instructions.)
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Zyll
IBM (Marshal Linder & Scott Edwards),
1984 |
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Rating: Freeware [ Screenshot ]
Marketed by IBM as an adventure game, Zyll is a text-based RPG with randomized elements where the object is to retrieve the "Black Orb". After choosing your class (warrior/thief/wizard) your adventure begins, and you are given various action options as you proceed. Because it was designed for old XT-style keyboards, it uses the F1-F8 keys for all/most commands. (See a diagram of the layout of the function keys. They correspond to the 8 options at the top of the screen.) By modern standards it's pretty basic, but at the time it was considered innovative.
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