DeAnima

DeAnima is a first-person, turn-based roguelike in the spirit of Rogue and NetHack. Time moves only when you do. Each dungeon is new, death is permanent, and the game explains almost nothing.

You are a lone wanderer trapped in the Dungeon of Dread, seeking the fabled Crown of Nivek. Finding it lets you leave, but whether you should is another question. Escape is one ending; ascending with virtue and transcending with peace are further goals that you must discover and earn.

The dungeon and its demons

Every monster represents a fear you carried into the dungeon. When you kill one, another takes its place. Eating the wrong corpse turns you into a monster: enemies leave you alone, but hunger remains.

Some spiders offer services instead of fighting. Hegor feeds, Valac enchants, Midgul sells, Fayora names and Erizul ends. You will have to work out why most of them are spiders.

Items and survival

More than 100 potions, scrolls, wands, rings and bags begin unidentified. You must discover what each item is and what it does, and experiments can be costly. Hunger and the Reaper keep you moving.

Your deity starts each run mildly annoyed with you. You can sacrifice at the altar and test your gear for curses, but praying twice in a hurry has consequences. If you find Wishbone, a skeleton described as your only true friend, he grants a wish for any item you can name.

Roles and progression

The game has 16 character roles, including Rogue, Priest, Valkyrie and Tourist, each with unique abilities and traits to master. Nothing carries over after death except what you have learned. Escape once to unlock eight hidden roles; ascend once to open Hard Mode.

There are 15 tracked conducts, including Atheist (never pray), Miser (never spend a coin) and Carnivore (eat nothing but corpses). Your Code of Conduct is recorded in the Hall of Fame.