MazeCrawl

MazeCrawl
Beta Project
Developer	volos314
Theme	Horror, fantasy
Influences	Adom
Released	2007
Updated	2007/11/06
Licensing	Closed Source, freeware
P. Language	English
Platforms	Windows
Interface	ASCII, Keyboard
Game Length	Short
Official site of MazeCrawl

MazeCrawl is a rogue-like with a number of interesting features.

Character Creation

MazeCrawl uses a point spending system for stats and a number of "feats" that work together to affect "secondary" stats. Seriously, a neural network graphic would be useful here. Through a selection of stats and feats it is possible to create a character made for a certain type of play. Possible types include a melee meat-tank, accurate sniper, sneaker, lucky bastard, the heavy-weapons guy (ammo carrying capacity), a mix of types, or a balanced character. In practice, anything other than a balanced character will sooner or later meet its antithesis and die.

Map

Its map consists of a single 2D grid with an outer "forest" area and an inner "maze" section. The forest is littered with destructable trees, ammunition, weapons (near the starting location), and introductory baddies (zombies and scorpions). The maze is accesable via a single door that locks behind you unless it is circumvented. The map layout in the maze is, uh, unique? I dunno how to describe it, help.

Monsters

The monsters presented are impressive for their diversity. This includes the Guardian with an extreme amount of hit points, the Spirit of Sorrow that is difficult to hit (dodging), the Destroyer that is fast, and the Angel of Death that can only be killed by a certain melee weapon. Scorpions and Zombies are primarily there to waste ammunition on, while Man-Eaters can actually harm you if you let them.

Field of view

MazeCrawl implements a facing direction that implicitly uses the direction of movement, but can also be manually set. Monsters can, and do, sneak up behind the player while their back is turned. And I swear those guardians are giant fucking ninjas.

Traps

Randomly placed are the usual variety of traps that hurt the player. The special exception to the rule would be the trap that gouges out one eye of the player, narrowing his field of vision. After two such traps, the player is blind.

Goal

The goal is to enter the maze, find the 4 artifacts and escape the maze.