NetHack

NetHack builds its adventure from interactions learned through experience. The dungeon contains potions, scrolls, weapons and food, but an object's appearance does not always explain its properties. An item can be used badly, a monster can prove more dangerous than expected, and a useful resource can be spent too early. Knowledge of the rules becomes the main reserve carried between games.

Play advances in turns, so you can stop and think before acting. Yet actions that consume a turn change the situation: opponents get opportunities to move, while your character spends time and resources. The dungeon's random layout prevents reliance on a memorized route. Instead, you must assess the particular combination of finds, dangers and available escape routes.

Beginning in 1987 as a descendant of Hack, NetHack grew through its development team and community. Text symbols and graphical interfaces are alternative presentations of one system. Death normally ends the expedition but leaves you understanding another connection between rules. Its difficulty is therefore more interesting than a simple test of patience: a new discovery can completely change how you use a familiar object.