A Crypt-Crawling Tactical Roguelike: Ananias

Ananias [official site] is a traditional dungeoncrawling roguelike with a streamlined interface. No need to consult a text file or help menu that alarmingly reveals a list of inputs that differentiate between (s)ip, (S)wallow and (q)uaff ('Q' is quit), everything can be controlled with a click of the mouse. It's simplified but it isn't simple, and the latest update adds new tactical options to bring the best out of the turn-based combat. It's available on Windows, Mac and Linux (also Android). You can download for free, play in your browser or pay what you like through Itch.

I can just about accept the intro to that trailer because the crypt door opening reminds me of the beginning of Dungeon Master. And the rest of the trailer gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect - tile-based tactical combat and exploration.

Ananias and I hadn't encountered one another until this morning, when I saw news of the most recent update. The combination of improved pet management and options for combat stances sparked my interest and half an hour later, I decided to stop playing and start writing. There's no headline feature to highlight, but Ananias is an approachable and tactically interesting dungeon crawler.

The 'pay what you like' version contains four classes, while the Fellowship edition (purchased through the same Itch page by paying at least $4.99) unlocks four 'legendary' classes. One of them appears to be a frog sage. Use this information wisely.