Reaping the dungeon

Reaping the Dungeon
Stable game
Developer	Ron Heuse
Theme	Science Fiction
Influences	?
Released	~1994 (1.1)
Updated	? ({{{updver}}})
Licensing	Shareware
P. Language	?
Platforms	Msdos
Interface	ASCII, Keyboard
Game Length	3-5 days
[? Official site of Reaping the Dungeon]

Reaping the Dungeon (a.k.a Dungeon Rogue) is a futuristic Roguelike created by Ron Heuse and released in the mid 90's.

Description

Plot

The game is based below the surface of Jupiter in the year 2048, where a machine, built by a research lab that was based there, has gone out of control and has forced the researchers underground. The machine in question produces dangerous creatures which attack on sight, preventing the researchers from escaping. You (the player) has recieved a request for help from your father, who is head of the research station. The player has been requested to dive to a depth of 150 metres to retrieve a weapon that was left behind during the evacuation, then to delve deeper underground where the machine (and the researchers) are located.

Gameplay

the game is similar to other Roguelikes in that the player is required to explore and move deeper into the dungeon in order to reach the objective at the bottom. Where this game differes from others is the level of resource management that is required to keep the player alive, One such resource (collectively known as cells) being oxygen. You use up oxygen at a constant rate which, if left to run out, will cause you to suffocate and will eventually kill you. Health and energy are the others. Energy cells are required to power up weapons and devices that you carry around, and although runnung out of energy cells doesn't kill you outright, it means you can't recharge your devices and effectively stops you from fighting back, making the game much harder.

Unlike most Roguelikes (where players are given a set amount of hitpoints/mana point) there is no upper limit to the amount of cells you can carry, theoretically allowing you to carry limitless supplies of each, but in practice, aside from the fact that cells in the dungeon are far from plentiful, there is a physical limit to what you can carry, and all cells (including health cells) add weight to your character.

Your character effectively levels up by spending 'raw crystals' (gained by destroying creatures, and finding it throughout the dungeon) on various atribbutes that will help the player survive in the dungeon. There are also shops where you can exchange precious metals and diamonds for credits, which can be spent on additional weapons and devices, as well as on cells and extending your weight limit.

Getting the Game

Although the game was initially released as shareware, the game is no longer sold comercially, but the full version can still be obtained by following the link below and following the instructions. The shareware version is also freely availiable over the internet, but is capped at 15 levels.

External Links

Download shareware version (via Demu.org)

Instructions to get full version at Ron Heuse's website