dungeon-crawler posts

Welcome to Freeware Friday, a weekly column showcasing excellent games that you can play free of charge!

There are a few games that have had massive influence on those that came afterward, and one of the most influential is the first-person dungeon crawler Ultima Underworld. It built a comprehensive world filled with monsters and intrigue that would later have an effect on everything from System Shock to Elder Scrolls, and it was the first role-playing game to have true 3D graphics, among other features. However, this isn't about Ultima Underworld. Rather, it's about a freeware game made for the Assemblee competition that brings back pleasant memories of plumbing Ultima Underworld's depths. The game is The King, the Queen, and the Jester, and it's mix of first-person action with rogue-like depth make it one of the better games we've played in a long time.

There's no retail computer game that quite captures the gameplay feel of Munchkin, the little card game by Steve Jackson and John Kovalic. There is, however, a freeware game (just released, in fact!) that does. Loot reminds us very much of our time spent backstabbing our friends at the table, playing a Plutonium Dragon or cursing them down a level right as they are about to win.

Loot is all about exploring a dungeon and returning to the entrance before you die. When you enter a room, you may find some loot, a ladder, a trap, or any combination of the three. Loot gives you a card, a trap reduces your hit points by 1, and a ladder enables you to move down a level. It has the same exploration of rooms vibe that Munchkin does, but without the backstabbing or monsters. It's great fun and a great casual dungeon crawl.

[Via IndieGames]