Underplayed Gems

NetHack (1987)

NetHack cover
Developer
DevTeam
Platforms
DOS
Genres
Role-Playing (RPG)
Rating
5.0 of 5, 21 player ratings
Where to get it
My Abandonware
The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A dense, opaque dungeon crawl where every decision carries permanent consequences and mastery feels like deciphering an ancient, hostile system.

punishingdeepcrypticmethodicalobsessivecomplexunforgivingtext-basedreplayable

About

Released in 1987 for the DOS platform, NetHack is a top-down role-playing game set within fantasy themes. The title features generated levels and adheres to roguelike conventions as its original work by both developer and publisher DevTeam.

Screenshots

NetHack screenshot 1NetHack screenshot 2NetHack screenshot 3NetHack screenshot 4

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.