Dungeon Master
1987
- role-playing (rpg)
- action
- fantasy
- single player
The story
Dungeon Master established several new standards for role playing and computer games in general. Dungeon Master was a realtime game instead of the traditional turn-based approach that was prevalent until then. Instead of using text-based commands to interact with the environment, players directly manipulated objects and the environment by clicking the mouse in the enlarged first-person view. Abstract Dungeons and Dragons style experience points and levels were eschewed in favor of a system where the characters' skills were improved directly via using them. It also introduced some novel control methods including the spell casting system, which involved learning sequences of runes which represented the form and function of a spell's effect. For example, a fireball spell was created by mixing the fire symbol with the wing symbol. This kind of attention to detail and focus on the user interface was typical of the game and helped create an often captivating sense of craft and ingenuity. Other factors in immersiveness were the then-revolutionary use of sound effects to indicate when a creature was nearby, and (primitive) dynamic lighting.
What it’s like
Blocky stone corridors recede in a tight first-person view, lit by torches that dim and flicker as their fuel runs down, so the dark presses in from the edges of the screen. The palette is mostly grey-brown masonry with flat, chunky sprites for monsters and objects, and the image is sparse and low-resolution in a way that leaves plenty to the imagination. Sound does much of the work: a skittering or grinding noise tells you something is approaching before you see it, and the music is a thin, repetitive electronic loop that sits in the background. The vibe is quiet unease with a steady current of craft, a slow, deliberate pace of mapping, clicking on walls and items, and mixing runes at a casting panel. Fights are brief, clumsy and abrupt, with little blood, and the threat is mostly dread and getting lost rather than gore. It suits a late evening alone, a patient session of exploration, or anyone who likes the satisfaction of working out a system by hand and at their own speed.
More games like Dungeon Master
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Dungeon Masterand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
