1980 年の Rogue から変愚蛮怒、NetHack、Omega まで 73 のローグライク。うち 10 作品は 変愚蛮怒HD で遊べ、0 作品はリリース予定です。73 roguelikes from Rogue (1980) to Hengband, NetHack and Omega. 10 of them are playable in Hengband HD, and 0 more are coming.
In 1980, Michael Toy and Glenn Wichman, students at UC Santa Cruz, wrote a single Unix program that built a different underground maze every time you played it: a fresh layout of rooms and corridors each run, with no saves once you died. The display used nothing but characters -- @ for you, a letter for each monster. Ken Arnold, author of the curses library, joined later and helped polish it, and it spread across university computers once it was bundled with 4.2BSD. The word "roguelike" comes directly from this game's name.
Highlights
Every dungeon is assembled by the computer from scratch, so you never walk the same map twice.
Death erases your save. Each run carries real tension because there is no second try.
Potions, scrolls, and wands are all unidentified -- you learn what they are only by trying them.
The whole game is drawn in plain characters; the @ and each monster's letter slowly become familiar faces.
Toy and Wichman, with Jon Lane, founded A.I. Design and turned Rogue into a commercial hit on the IBM PC and Macintosh through Epyx.
Place in the lineage
Rogue is the ancestor of nearly every title on this family tree, from Moria and Hack down to the countless roguelikes that followed. Its descendants branch out both through BSD and through commercial ports, and the entire Japanese-language lineage on this screen also traces back here.
Getting started
To actually play, pick Rogue 3.6 or RogueClone2 6.0 from this family tree -- both can be launched directly.
Potions, scrolls, and wands stay unknown until you drink, read, or wave them. Don't rush; try one thing at a time.
Rogue 3.6 is one of the early BSD-era versions, from the "3.x" line. The map is generated anew every time you play, and each floor you descend reshuffles the rooms, monsters and items completely. Your goal is the Amulet of Yendor on floor 26: grab it and carry it back to the surface. Potions are known only by color, scrolls only by a nonsense title, and wands and rings only by their material -- you find out what they really are by using them. The original ~1981 BSD source was scattered and hard to find for years; several restoration projects have since rebuilt it, and modern ports such as "NewRogue 3.6.4" make it playable today.
Highlights
The map is randomly generated every game -- you never see the same dungeon twice.
The goal is simple: go down to floor 26 for the Amulet of Yendor and bring it back up.
Potions, scrolls, wands, and rings are all unidentified; their colors and materials are randomized every game.
Monsters are drawn as single letters, and deeper floors mix in tougher creatures under the same letters.
Place in the lineage
This is Rogue's most direct child on the tree, closest in spirit to the version that spread through universities via BSD Unix, largely unaltered from the original. From here, 5.2 and 5.3 renamed several monsters and cleaned up the save format on the way to 5.4.4.
Getting started
Hunger kills regardless of how strong you are. Look for food before you look for more dungeon.
Stepping into a dark room, you never know what is waiting -- lean into that tension.
Using an unidentified wand or ring is a small gamble; trial is the only way to learn what it does.
Rogue 5.2 is a version from around 1982, in the 4.2BSD era. The NetHack Wiki calls it "commonly v4" and treats it as effectively the last release of the "3.x" line. The restored source carries the original authors' copyright, plus credits for Nicholas J. Kisseberth (save/restore code) and David Burren (encryption code).
Highlights
Nicholas J. Kisseberth added save/restore support, and David Burren contributed the encryption code.
It captures the 4.2BSD-era state of the game right before the monster renaming that began with 5.3.
Place in the lineage
Following Rogue 3.6, this version bridges the 3.x line and the v5 line.
Rogue 5.3, released in 1983, is described by the NetHack Wiki as "the first v5 release." Around this version several monster names were swapped: what had been the "rust monster" became the aquator, and the "floating eye" became the ice monster. This coincided with the commercial IBM PC release of Rogue through Epyx, and the renaming is said to have been aimed at avoiding a conflict over Dungeons & Dragons naming.
Highlights
The rust monster became the aquator and the floating eye became the ice monster, reportedly to sidestep D&D naming rights.
The renaming lines up with Epyx's commercial IBM PC release, so it likely wasn't unrelated to going commercial.
Place in the lineage
Continuing from 5.2, this is the version that fixed the monster names still used across most later branches -- the Rogue Clone family and the BSD-bundled versions alike. If you spot "aquator" or "ice monster" anywhere on this tree, this is where they started.
2007·Michael Toy, Ken Arnold, Glenn Wichman, Nicholas Kisseberth
Rogue 5.4.4 is a port of the mature 5.x line that runs unmodified on modern systems. The original authors' copyright notice spans 1980 to 1999, showing how long the game kept being touched. Play is unchanged from the original: descend through a dungeon that is different every time, grab the Amulet of Yendor on floor 26, and make it back to the surface alive. Nicholas J. Kisseberth's save/restore work and David Burren's encryption code are still credited. The Roguelike Restoration Project hosted it at rogue.rogueforge.net around 2007, and it now lives on across several mirrored and forked GitHub repositories.
Highlights
Your target is the Amulet of Yendor on floor 26; bring it back up to win.
The map is randomly generated every game -- the original skeleton survives the port.
The authors' copyright spans 1980-1999, evidence of a long stretch of ongoing changes.
Save/restore was ported for modern systems by Nicholas J. Kisseberth.
Place in the lineage
This is the culmination of the 5.x line, inheriting the monster names and save format cleaned up in 5.2 and 5.3. This port was maintained by third-party volunteers, the Roguelike Restoration Project.
Getting started
Play is identical to 3.6 -- item identification works the same, so don't be afraid to try that first potion or scroll.
Watch your food. The deeper you go, the more hunger becomes the real threat, not the monsters.
Rogue Clone is a clean-room reimplementation written by Tim Stoehr in 1986, built without touching a line of the original Rogue's code -- Stoehr rebuilt it from watching how the game played. That gives it no license relationship to the original. After being posted to net.sources.games, it was folded into 4.3BSD-Tahoe in 1987, and it became the basis for the "rogue" command bundled with NetBSD, DragonFly BSD, and older FreeBSD/OpenBSD releases.
Highlights
A clean-room reimplementation that reuses none of the original Rogue source -- rebuilt purely from observed gameplay.
Folded into 4.3BSD-Tahoe in 1987, becoming the ancestor of the "rogue" command on many BSD systems.
Place in the lineage
A separate lineage from the original Rogue, and the direct ancestor of the BSD-bundled versions. Its improved successor, Rogue Clone II, is where Jun Ota's Japanese translation begins -- the starting point for the entire Japanese branch that runs all the way to RogueClone2 6.0 on this screen.
Rogue Clone II is Tim Stoehr's refined follow-up, fixing bugs in Rogue Clone and stripping out elements he didn't like. It was posted to net.sources.games in November 1986 and to comp.sources.games in May 1987. Its source became the basis for many later ports, reportedly including material that fed into Berkeley's official 4.3BSD Tahoe UNIX release in June 1988. In Japan, Jun Ota translated it, kicking off a long lineage of Japanese derivatives -- a data-separated edition, UTF-8 editions, and beyond.
Highlights
A refined version that fixed Rogue Clone's bugs and cleaned up elements the author disliked.
Reportedly fed into Berkeley's official 4.3BSD Tahoe UNIX distribution in 1988.
The basis for Jun Ota's Japanese translation -- the starting point for the entire Japanese Rogue lineage.
Place in the lineage
As Rogue Clone's improved successor, every Japanese-language node on this screen (rogueclone2_ja onward) branches off from here. It's the shared origin for both the English-language BSD-bundled lineage and the Japanese translation lineage.
The Japanese edition of Rogue Clone II was translated and ported by Jun Ota around 1987-89, aimed at Japanese-capable MS-DOS machines such as the NEC PC-9801 series, and it spread through Japanese BBS networks ("pasokon tsuushin"). There was a monochrome release ("Rogue Clone Japanese version 1.3") and a color release using escape sequences ("Rogue Clone 2 Japanese version 1.3"), the latter notable for rendering walls in cyan. This translation is the starting point for the entire later lineage of Japanese Rogue derivatives, from the data-separated edition through the UTF-8 editions.
Highlights
Ported for Japanese-capable MS-DOS machines like the NEC PC-9801 and spread through Japanese BBS networks.
Came in a monochrome edition and a color edition; the color edition rendered walls in cyan.
The common ancestor of the data-separated edition, rogueclone2s-utf8, and RogueClone2 6.0.
Place in the lineage
The Japanese port of the English Rogue Clone II, and the starting point of the lineage that runs through rogueclone2s to rogue2 on this screen. Its distribution through Japanese BBS networks of the era is also a distinctive part of this branch's story.
The data-separated edition (rogueclone2s) began in 1992, when Yasushi Ito of the Kyoto University Microcomputer Club took Jun Ota's Japanese Rogue Clone II and split its message and text data out of the source code. FUNABARA Masao later organized a maintenance release called "rogueclone2s," and Naohiro Aota further adapted it into a UTF-8 edition, "rogueclone2s-utf8" -- a relay of maintainers each carrying the project forward.
Highlights
Separated message text from source code, making the Japanese edition easier to maintain and modify.
Passed through a relay of maintainers -- Yasushi Ito, then FUNABARA Masao, then Naohiro Aota.
Place in the lineage
A maintenance bridge between Jun Ota's Japanese translation and RogueClone2 6.0. The idea of separating messages into data here laid the groundwork for RogueClone2 6.0's later, complete move to UTF-8.
RogueClone2 6.0 is the current Japanese edition, carried forward through Jun Ota's translation, Yasushi Ito's data-separated edition, FUNABARA Masao's rogueclone2s, and Naohiro Aota's UTF-8 build, finished by Iichiro Suzuki. Start it up and it greets you by name -- "Hello, so-and-so. Welcome to the Caverns of Doom..." -- before sending you after the Amulet of Yendor somewhere in the depths. Earlier versions only made terminal output UTF-8; this one converts the message files and source code too, making the whole pipeline UTF-8 throughout.
Highlights
Everything from the opening greeting to item names is in Japanese, stored line by line as message text -- "Amulet of Yendor," "food," "scroll," "staff," and more.
Potion colors are randomized Japanese words -- blue, red, green -- and you only learn which is which by drinking one.
The fruit you find as food carries a Japanese touch: it is called "kokemomo" (lingonberry).
The map is randomly generated every game, and your goal is the Amulet of Yendor on floor 26.
Place in the lineage
Counting from Jun Ota's Japanese translation, four maintainers have carried this lineage forward in turn. After a maintenance edition that split out the data and a UTF-8 edition that converted terminal output, this version finally makes the entire pipeline UTF-8. A Japanese localization effort that began in 1987, in the era of Japanese BBS networks, is still being carried on today, on GitHub -- this is where that long lineage currently stands.
Getting started
Always keep an eye on your food supply -- starvation can undo even the strongest character.
Potion colors and scroll titles are randomized even in Japanese -- drinking, reading, and waving things is still how you learn what they are.
Written in 1982 by high-school student Jay Fenlason and three friends, this dungeon-crawler was inspired by Rogue, which they encountered at UC Berkeley. When Rogue's authors declined to share its source code, they rebuilt the game from memory and description alone, so Hack shares no code with Rogue. It was distributed on the 1982 USENIX tapes and became the starting point for the entire Hack lineage, including NetHack. The original source was lost for years before preservationists recovered it.
Highlights
Denied the source code, its authors rebuilt the game purely from memory of how it played — an unusual origin story.
Distributed on the 1982 USENIX tapes, it spread among Unix users of the era.
What was built here became the starting point for the entire Hack lineage, including NetHack.
Place in the lineage
Inspired by Rogue, this is the first work that started the whole Hack lineage (later NetHack). It shares no code with Rogue, and its original source, once lost, has since been recovered by volunteers.
Posted by Andries Brouwer to the Usenet newsgroup net.sources in December 1984, this was the first publicly released version of Hack. Brouwer largely rewrote Fenlason's original, adding features that would stay part of the lineage ever since: shops, treasure zoos and vault rooms, a choice of character class, and a starting dog. Further releases (1.0.1 through 1.0.3) followed through July 1985, and this was many Unix users' first encounter with Hack.
Highlights
Buying and selling at shops was introduced here for the first time.
Special rooms that persist to this day, like treasure zoos and vaults, first appear here.
Players could now pick a class at the start, and a starting dog joined as a pet.
Place in the lineage
Brouwer's near-total rewrite of Fenlason's original. Many mechanics that still exist in modern NetHack — shops, pets, choosing a class — were established here.
Posted by Mike Stephenson to comp.sources.games in July 1987, this was the first release to call itself "NetHack". It merged the two separate Hack lineages descended from Fenlason and Brouwer, and added new character roles such as Samurai, Priest, Valkyrie, and Healer, spellbooks and spells, fountains and throne rooms, and tougher foes like demons and giants. The "Net" in its name reflects that development was now carried out collaboratively over the internet.
Highlights
Roles that are still around today — Samurai, Priest, Valkyrie, Healer — were added here.
The core of today's spell system — learning spells from spellbooks — has its origin here.
A ritual-like mechanic appears: throwing a sword into a fountain can yield Excalibur.
New rooms and foes that block your path, like throne rooms, demons, and giants, were added.
Place in the lineage
This release merged the two separate Hack lineages and established both the name "NetHack" and internet-based collaborative development. The roles and spell mechanics introduced here are still part of NetHack today.
Released on 8 December 2003, this was the DevTeam's 29th public release — mostly an unglamorous bugfix release, closing an exploit involving gold in shops and fixing several crash bugs. What followed, however, was unusual: no new official release appeared until NetHack 3.6.0 in 2015, roughly 12 years later. During that long gap, countless variants — SLASH'EM, UnNetHack, dNetHack, NetHack 4, and more — were built on top of this 3.4.3.
Highlights
Several exploits, including a gold-in-shops trick, were closed here.
A number of crash bugs were fixed, making it a long-stable release.
With no new official release for 12 years, it became the de facto standard version for a long time.
SLASH'EM, UnNetHack, dNetHack, NetHack 4, and many other variants are built on this release.
Place in the lineage
The 12-year gap before the next official release made this version the common foundation for a huge number of variants. Most of the NetHack forks shown on this screen trace back to this 3.4.3.
Getting started
To actually play, the successors NetHack 3.6.7 and NetHack 5.0.0 are the better choice today.
NetHack's long-serving stable release, the archetypal "start knowing nothing" roguelike. Build a character from 13 roles (Samurai, Priest, Valkyrie, and more), 5 races (human, elf, dwarf, gnome, orc), and 3 alignments (lawful, neutral, chaotic), then descend in search of the Amulet of Yendor. Potions carry no label, scrolls bear gibberish titles, and wands are known only by their material — you quaff, read, and try things to find out what they do. Released 16 February 2023, it carries forward everything the series has built since NetHack's 1987 debut.
Highlights
Potions are unidentified, scrolls have made-up titles, and wands are known only by material — you have to use them, or reason from shop prices and weight, to find out what they are.
You have unique last resorts for tight spots: praying to your god, or engraving "Elbereth" in the dust with a weapon to make monsters flinch.
Multiple side branches lead different places: the Gnomish Mines, Sokoban, your role's own Quest, and Vlad's Tower.
You travel with a pet, feeding it and letting it fight alongside you.
Death is permanent — there's no reloading a save, so the tension never really lets up.
Dropping a ring into a sink usually reveals exactly what it is (though the ring is destroyed in the process).
The endgame goal is to complete your role's Quest, cross the Elemental Planes, and face judgment on the Astral Plane.
Place in the lineage
Part of the lineage running back to NetHack 1.3d in 1987, released 16 February 2023. It's a fix-only release closing a memory-corruption issue in 3.6.2–3.6.6 (related to status highlight colors and corpse-name formatting), with no new gameplay added. Long treated as the definitive version, it is the shared ancestor of most of the variants shown on this screen, such as SLASH'EM, UnNetHack, dNetHack, and EvilHack. A successor, NetHack 5.0.0, was released in 2026.
Getting started
It's fine to know nothing at first — a shop's asking price can be a clue to what something really is.
Eat before you're starving; collapsing from hunger ends the game right there.
Praying is a last resort when things go badly wrong, but don't lean on it too often or your god will grow annoyed.
Developed as the successor to NetHack 3.6, this branch was never given an official release. Its source was public on GitHub, and it stayed playable on the Hardfought server for a long time. In the end, the development tree never shipped as "3.7" — it became the basis for the later official NetHack 5.0.0 instead. Because the version numbers "3.7"/"3.7.0" had referred to several different development snapshots and caused confusion, they were retired.
Highlights
It never had an official release, but stayed playable on the Hardfought server for a long stretch.
The development work done here directly became the foundation of NetHack 5.0.0.
Place in the lineage
The development branch bridging NetHack 3.6.7 and NetHack 5.0.0. It's also the parent of variants that tracked this branch during that period, such as xNetHack and SpliceHack.
Released on 2 May 2026, this is NetHack's current official version. The official release notes describe it as "a direct descendant of NetHack 3.6", and more broadly as a distant descendant of Rogue and Hack. The source now complies with the C99 standard, and some of what used to be fixed at build time — like parts of the compiler toolchain — has been replaced with a Lua-based system loaded during play. Taking the official description at face value, the gameplay itself appears to carry over from the 3.6 line, so the familiar NetHack experience of figuring out unidentified potions and scrolls should still be there.
Highlights
The internals were substantially rewritten, right down to how special levels are generated.
Over 3,100 fixes and changes went into this release.
The DevTeam describes it as "a direct descendant of NetHack 3.6", positioning it as a continuation of everything NetHack has built up.
Saves from earlier versions do not carry over, and neither do bones files -- the levels where past characters died, which later games can load complete with the ghost and its gear. You start fresh.
Place in the lineage
This current official release grew out of the source tree long developed under the name "3.7" after the 3.6 series. The DevTeam positions it as a direct descendant of 3.6, making it the newest "mainline" release behind most of the NetHack forks shown on this screen.
Getting started
Old saves don't carry over, so both newcomers and longtime players are starting fresh here.
The internals changed a lot, but since the DevTeam calls it a direct descendant of the 3.6 line, it should feel like familiar NetHack to play.
SLASH'EM (Super Lotsa Added Stuff Hack - Extended Magic) is a variant Warren Cheung began in 1997, focused on greatly expanding NetHack's roles, races, and items. It was built on NetHack 3.3.1 by combining two separate mods, Tom Proudfoot's SLASH and Larry Stewart-Zerba's Wizard Patch. True to its name, it leaned hard into "adding lots of stuff", making it something of the original kitchen-sink variant. Its last stable release, 0.0.7E7F3, came out on 30 December 2006, and development has effectively stopped since.
Highlights
Built on NetHack 3.3.1 by merging two separate mods, SLASH and the Wizard Patch, into one.
It's the archetypal "kitchen sink" variant, piling on far more roles, races, and items than vanilla.
Its last stable release was 0.0.7E7F3 on 30 December 2006, and development has stopped since.
Place in the lineage
A forerunner of the wave of variants built on NetHack 3.4.3, and the original template for "kitchen sink" style forks. Development has stopped, but its approach influenced many later variants.
UnNetHack is a variant maintained by Patric Mueller and others, initially forked from NetHack 3.4.3. It has kept absorbing data structures from the 3.6 series and elements from the then-in-development 3.7 branch, while continuing its own independent changes: more randomness, extra dungeon levels, higher difficulty, and UI improvements aimed at cutting down on tedium. Development continues on GitHub, and it's playable right now on public servers such as Hardfought.
Highlights
It keeps absorbing data structures from NetHack 3.6 and elements from the then-in-development 3.7 branch, evolving on its own path.
Changes add more randomness and extra dungeon levels, pushing difficulty above vanilla NetHack.
UI improvements cut down on tedious busywork, with real attention paid to playability.
Place in the lineage
A long-running variant that started from NetHack 3.4.3 and has kept absorbing elements from both the 3.6 series and the in-development 3.7 branch. Development is still active.
Getting started
Public servers like Hardfought let you try it right away without setting up anything yourself.
If you know vanilla NetHack, play a bit more carefully — the extra randomness and levels raise the difficulty.
dNetHack is a variant based on NetHack 3.4.3 that boldly weaves in Cthulhu Mythos elements. On top of sanity, madness, and cosmic entities, it adds a large number of new races (incantifier, clockwork automaton, half-dragon, drow) and roles (Troubadour, Noble, Pirate, Binder), and reorganizes and expands the dungeon itself. It's generally considerably harder than vanilla NetHack, and was created by a developer known online as Chris. Its continuation, dNAO (dNetHack Ascension Org), is playable on Hardfought servers.
Highlights
Cthulhu Mythos elements — sanity, madness, cosmic entities — are woven into the game.
You can play as unusual new races: the incantifier, clockwork automaton, half-dragon, and drow.
New roles not in vanilla NetHack are available: Troubadour, Noble, Pirate, and Binder.
The dungeon itself has been reorganized and expanded, making it considerably tougher than vanilla.
Place in the lineage
A variant forked from NetHack 3.4.3 that layers on an original Cthulhu Mythos setting. Development continues as dNAO (dNetHack Ascension Org), still playable on Hardfought servers.
Getting started
Since it's noticeably harder than the original, it helps to learn the basics on vanilla NetHack first.
dNAO on the Hardfought server is the easiest way to actually try it today.
Alex SmithのAceHackとDaniel ThalerのNitroHackという2つの派生を統合して生まれた版です。NetHack 3.4.3を土台にしつつ、インターフェースを大幅に作り直したのが最大の特徴で、C/lex/yaccのソースコードの半分以上が書き換えられています。2012年4月1日、rec.games.roguelike.nethackニュースグループにエイプリルフールの発表として公開され、その後4.3-beta1(2014年5月)、4.3-beta2(2015年4月)といったベータ版が続きました。
NetHack 4 was created by merging two forks, Alex Smith's AceHack and Daniel Thaler's NitroHack. Built on NetHack 3.4.3, its defining feature is a heavily reworked interface, with more than half of its C/lex/yacc source code rewritten. It was announced as an April Fools' joke on the rec.games.roguelike.nethack newsgroup on 1 April 2012, followed by beta releases such as 4.3-beta1 (May 2014) and 4.3-beta2 (April 2015).
Highlights
It was created by merging two separate forks, AceHack and NitroHack, into one.
More than half the source code was rewritten, with the interface heavily redone.
It has an unusual origin story: it was first announced as an April Fools' joke.
Place in the lineage
A variant built on NetHack 3.4.3 that focused on reworking the interface. The improvements made here carried forward into its successor, FIQHack.
FIQHack is a fork of NetHack 4 by FredrIQ (Fredrik Ljungdahl). It focuses on improving monster AI, balance, and the interface, aiming for more symmetry between player and monster behavior — monsters can cast the same spells as players or wear equipment, for example. It's part of the NetHack 4 lineage, which traces back to NetHack 3.4.3, and its versions have historically been released around the Junethack tournament.
Highlights
Monsters can cast player spells and wear equipment, narrowing the gap between player and monster behavior.
It's a variant focused on playability, with real attention to monster AI and balance.
Versions have historically been released to line up with the annual Junethack tournament.
Place in the lineage
Built on NetHack 4, this variant pushes further toward symmetry between monsters and players.
Keith Simpson(通称k21971/K2)による、NetHack 3.6.2を土台にした難易度重視の派生版です。2018年10月20日に開発が始まり、2019年4月に公開されました。いまはNetHack 3.6.7やNetHack 5.0のバグ修正も取り込んでいます。GruntHackやSporkHackなど、他の難易度重視の派生からアイデアを取り入れつつ独自の新要素も加え、原作よりかなり歯ごたえのある遊びを目指しています。
EvilHack is a difficulty-focused variant by Keith Simpson (k21971 / K2), based on NetHack 3.6.2. Development began on 20 October 2018 and it was released in April 2019; it now also incorporates bugfixes from NetHack 3.6.7 and NetHack 5.0. It draws ideas from other difficulty-focused variants like GruntHack and SporkHack, adding original content on top, aiming to be considerably harder than vanilla NetHack.
Highlights
Monsters are tougher and smarter, so you can get overwhelmed faster than in vanilla NetHack if you're not careful.
Use of Elbereth — the ward you engrave in the dust to scare off monsters — is restricted until you've learned it in-game.
It draws ideas from other difficulty-focused variants, including GruntHack and SporkHack.
It keeps pulling in bugfixes from NetHack 3.6.7 and NetHack 5.0 as development continues.
Place in the lineage
Built on NetHack 3.6.2, this variant pushes difficulty considerably higher. The approach to difficulty tuning refined here has influenced other variants, such as xNetHack.
Getting started
Relying on Elbereth doesn't work as reliably as in vanilla, so play more cautiously than usual.
Learning the basics on vanilla NetHack first makes the added challenge here easier to appreciate.
aosdict(通称Phol ende wodan、GitHub上はcopperwater)による、NetHack 3.7(公式の開発ブランチ)を追いかけてきた派生版です。「x」は「experimental(実験的)」の意味で、バランス調整やテンポの悪い要素の削減、既存要素の深掘り、コミュニティ発の新しいアイデアの実験を目的にしています。あれもこれも詰め込む「キッチンシンク型」にはならないよう気を配りつつ、SpliceHackやEvilHack、NetHack Fourkからも着想を得ています。
xNetHack is a variant by aosdict (also known as Phol ende wodan, GitHub handle copperwater) that tracks the official NetHack 3.7 development branch. The "x" nominally stands for "experimental": its goals are fixing balance issues, cutting tedious elements, deepening existing systems, and trying out community-suggested ideas. It's careful not to become a "kitchen sink" that piles on everything, while drawing some inspiration from SpliceHack, EvilHack, and NetHack Fourk.
Highlights
It focuses on polishing the feel of play — fixing balance and cutting tedious elements.
It deliberately keeps additions in check to avoid becoming a "kitchen sink" variant.
It serves as a testing ground for community-suggested ideas, some of which have gone on to be adopted by vanilla NetHack.
Place in the lineage
A variant that has tracked and refined the NetHack 3.7 development branch, feeding some of its ideas back into vanilla NetHack. It shares inspiration back and forth with SpliceHack and EvilHack.
Getting started
Knowing vanilla NetHack makes it easy to appreciate the pacing-focused tweaks here.
If you're curious what changed, the official GitHub and NetHack Wiki changelists are worth a look.
SpliceHack is a variant by AntiGulp built on NetHack 3.7 (also incorporating some SLASH'EM elements). It aimed for a "kitchen sink" style with large amounts of added monsters, items, special levels, and features, while still trying to stay approachable for players who already know vanilla NetHack. Its last stable release was 1.0.1; the project is no longer actively maintained, and was revised and continued as "SpliceHack-Rewrite" (versions 1.1 and 1.2).
Highlights
It's a heavily loaded "kitchen sink" variant, adding large amounts of monsters, items, and special floors.
It folds in some SLASH'EM elements while still aiming to stay approachable for players who know vanilla NetHack.
Development stopped at 1.0.1, but continues under the successor project SpliceHack-Rewrite.
Place in the lineage
Built on the NetHack 3.7 development branch with SLASH'EM elements layered on top, this is a heavily loaded variant whose development has passed on to SpliceHack-Rewrite.
Getting started
If you want to actually play it, check out the actively maintained successor, SpliceHack-Rewrite.
Robert Alan Koeneke began writing this game around 1981 at the University of Oklahoma, hooked after playing Rogue. Written first in VMS BASIC and then rewritten in VMS Pascal, it was released as Moria 1.0 in 1983. The goal is to descend to the depths and defeat the Balrog. Eight races and six classes are available, and unlike Rogue, the game keeps a permanent shopping town.
Highlights
The town never resets. Dungeon levels regenerate every time you use the stairs, but the six shops in town (general store, armoury, weaponsmith, temple, alchemist, and magic shop) stay in the same place for the whole game.
Choose from 8 races and 6 classes; Mages, Rangers, and Rogues learn spells, while Priests and Paladins learn prayers.
The deeper you go, the tougher the monsters and the better the treasure, so every descent is a judgment call between pushing on and heading back to town.
The goal is simple and direct: reach the bottom and defeat the Balrog.
Its source code was released early, making it one of the oldest open-source roguelikes.
Place in the lineage
Inspired by Rogue but built independently, it broke new ground with a persistent shopping town. From here the lineage runs through UMoria, then Angband, and eventually Hengband. Its friend-assisted character generator and early open-source release both shaped the roguelikes that followed.
Getting started
Gear up in town before diving deep rather than pushing your luck early.
Since death is permanent, avoid fights you're not sure you can win.
In February 1987, James E. Wilson began porting the Pascal source of Moria 4.8 to C for Unix. Naming the result UMoria (short for Unix Moria), the first official release, 4.85, was posted to comp.sources.games in November 1987. Being written in C made it far more portable, spreading to the IBM PC, Atari ST, Amiga, Macintosh, and beyond. In 1990, this line's version 5.2.1 became the starting point from which Angband was built.
Highlights
Being written in C made this the first widely portable Moria, reaching far more machines than the original.
The gameplay stayed the same as Moria's (persistent town, 8 races, 6 classes, defeat the Balrog), but its portability kept it in play for years.
Version 5.2.1 of this line is the exact branch point from which Angband split off.
Place in the lineage
A C port of Moria that gained wide portability, and on top of that portability Angband itself was built. A pivotal node in the roguelike family tree.
Getting started
A good way to try classic Moria's gameplay in something close to its original form.
This is the branch that keeps old-school Umoria alive and playable today. David Grabiner released Umoria 5.6 in October 2008. The following 5.7 line, with Michael R. Cook contributing, was rewritten in C++ and narrowed its supported platforms to Windows, macOS, and Linux. The gameplay itself stays true to classic Moria: pick from 8 races and 6 classes, outfit yourself at the six shops in the persistent town, then dive into a dungeon that reshapes itself every time you use the stairs, aiming to defeat the Balrog at the bottom.
Highlights
Lets you experience, essentially unchanged, the gameplay Robert Alan Koeneke created in the early 1980s.
Only the town persists throughout the game, letting you re-outfit at the general store, armoury, weaponsmith, temple, alchemist, and magic shop.
Build a character from 8 races and 6 classes; Mages, Rangers, and Rogues learn spells, while Priests and Paladins learn prayers.
Dungeon levels regenerate every time you take the stairs, with deeper levels bringing tougher monsters and better loot.
The 5.7 line's source was rewritten in C++, and ongoing cleanup keeps splitting large functions into readable ones.
Place in the lineage
A descendant of UMoria that keeps Moria-era gameplay running on modern systems. It carries an era of the roguelike lineage older than Hengband into the present. David Grabiner tracked down every past author for permission before relicensing it under the GPL in 2008.
Getting started
Enjoy the early tension of not knowing what an item does until its color or material gives you a hint.
The deeper you dive, the greater both the risk and the reward, so deciding whether to push on or retreat to town is the core decision.
Its old-school, simple controls give a feel close to the roots of the roguelike genre.
University of Warwick students Alex Cutler and Andy Astrand began building this in 1990 on top of UMoria 5.2.1, greatly expanding items and monsters and leaning harder into Tolkien's world. After the two left the university, Geoff Hill and Sean Marsh took over, and on 11 April 1993 the game was first released outside the campus as "2.4.frog_knows" -- the moment a project that had lived only among students became widely known.
Highlights
Far more monster and item variety than UMoria, with a much stronger Tolkien flavor.
The first release to leave campus and reach a wider audience, after existing only in a student circle.
The common starting point for the many Angband variants that would later branch off.
The fortress of Angband and the Dark Lord Morgoth -- the same setting Angband 4.2.6 still uses today -- was already in place here.
Place in the lineage
The version that split from UMoria and first took the name Angband, the starting point of a long lineage running through the 2.7 and 2.8 lines to today's 4.2 series.
Angband-- ("Angband minus minus") was a DOS version made by Topi Ylinen, a Moria winner turned Angband addict who had grown bored with the standard monsters. He built it on the PC Angband 1.31 source and set it in Roger Zelazny's Amber universe. As he himself wrote, it has long since vanished, but many of its monsters lived on in PC Zangband 1.0 and then in Zangband.
Highlights
The seed of Zangband: it brought monsters from the world of Amber into Angband.
PC (DOS) only, built on the PC Angband 1.31 source.
Place in the lineage
Branched from a DOS port of Angband and led through PC Zangband 1.0 to Zangband. Zangband was later rebuilt on Angband 2.8.1, but the monsters and setting born here were carried over.
PC Zangband 1.0 was the DOS-only version Topi Ylinen made after he got a better computer and learned to code. Most of Angband--'s monsters survived into it. It was also the first PC Angband to draw the dungeon with simple font-based graphics, which PC Angband 1.40 went on to use as well.
Highlights
The first PC Angband to draw with font-based graphics instead of plain characters.
Carried over the Amber monsters of Angband--.
Place in the lineage
The first version to bear the Zangband name, continuing from Angband--. Zangband 2.x was later rebuilt from the Angband 2.8.1 source, so it is not a direct code descendant, but the best parts of this version were carried into it.
Version 2.7.8, released 4 September 1995, dates from Ben Harrison's stewardship. Harrison's cleanup of the source -- adding comments and improving readability -- made it far easier to port and modify. This era's codebase became the base that many variants, including Kangband and Zangband, forked from.
Highlights
Ben Harrison's cleanup made the source readable and easy to modify.
Numerous variants, including Kangband and Zangband, forked from this era's code.
Place in the lineage
A bridge version between the 2.4 and 2.8 lines; this era's codebase became the foundation for the later boom in Angband variants.
The 2.8.x line ran from 2.8.0 (October 1996) to 2.8.3 (11 February 1998) under Ben Harrison, with Robert Ruehlmann involved in some of the following beta releases. Version 2.8.3 became the base of the Japanese Angband translation and also of several variants, including OAngband.
Highlights
Version 2.8.3 is special to Japanese Angband fans, being the base of the Japanese translation.
Multiple variants, including OAngband, were built on top of this 2.8.3.
Place in the lineage
The successor to the 2.7 line, and the branch point for both the Japanese translation and many variants -- a thread running from here through the Japanese Angband, OAngband, and eventually Hengband.
A Japanese translation of Angband 2.8.3, led mainly by a translator known as Shitoshin (Kiyohide Utsumi), with several other contributors along the way (SUS, KUNI, Kairai, Otomaru, and FIRST/Kentaro Shirakata, among others). It was ported to many platforms, with version numbering reaching 2.8.3-1.2.6.
Highlights
The project that first made Angband playable in Japanese.
Ported to many platforms and updated over a long span.
The wording created here was carried into ZAngband's Japanese version and from there into Hengband.
Place in the lineage
The headwater of Hengband's Japanese phrasing. This translation's wording passed through the Japanese version of ZAngband and survives today in Hengband's on-screen text.
Version 3.0.0 was released on 30 May 2002. Robert Ruehlmann maintained the line from 3.0.6 (June 2005) onward, substantially reworking monsters and objects and experimenting with Lua scripting, which the community ultimately rejected and dropped. Around 2007, Andrew (Andi) Sidwell took over.
Highlights
A major turning-point generation, with monsters and objects substantially reworked.
Traces of trial and error remain, including an attempt at Lua scripting that never took hold and was dropped.
Many later variants, including Sil, Sangband, and NPPAngband, grew from this generation's code.
Place in the lineage
The generation that succeeded the 2.8 line; code that branched off here went on to produce many later variants, including Sil, Sangband, and NPPAngband.
The current mainline of the Angband lineage born in 1990, still actively maintained today by BackwardsEric. The latest stable release, 4.2.6, came out on 15 December 2025. The setting is Angband, the fortress of the Dark Lord Morgoth: starting from town, you aim to defeat Morgoth, who lurks on level 100 (the dungeon itself continues even deeper, to level 127). You build a character from 11 races and 9 classes (across 4 magic realms), and the game carries a sheer volume of content built up over decades -- 623 monster types, 138 artifacts. Despite its long history, small quality-of-life improvements keep coming: 4.2.6 makes failed magic device activation auto-retry just like digging does, and lets you automatically open known doors or clear known rubble while traveling.
Highlights
The goal is to defeat Morgoth, who lurks on level 100 (the dungeon continues even deeper, to level 127) -- a classic, decades-refined roguelike.
11 races and 9 classes, spanning 4 magic realms (arcane, divine, nature, shadow); the combinations alone give a huge variety of characters.
An overwhelming amount of content: 623 monster types, 138 artifacts, 107 ego items.
Years of quality-of-life polish have accumulated: known doors and rubble now clear automatically while traveling, and failed magic device use now auto-retries like digging.
Place in the lineage
The mainline that continues today after more than 20 years of branching and remerging since the original Angband of 1990. This lineage produced OAngband, Sangband, NPPAngband, and Sil, and Hengband also branched off, by way of the Japanese Angband translation.
Getting started
Gear up in town early and avoid diving too deep too fast -- that's the key to survival.
For classes with a magic realm, your choice of realm strongly shapes how you play, so pick your class with that in mind.
Death is permanent, so know when to retreat to town if things look dangerous.
Started by Leon Marrick and later developed by Bahman Rabii, this Angband variant's first release, 0.1.0, came out on 13 August 1998, based on Angband 2.8.3. It gave classes and races more distinct identities, made monsters smarter, and reworked combat from scratch (known as O-combat), a model that later spread to several other variants.
Highlights
Known for O-combat, a from-scratch combat rework that later spread to multiple other variants.
Classes and races became more distinct, and monsters got smarter.
Variants such as FAangband and Sangband branched further off from this one.
Updates continued into roughly 2006-2008, a long-lived variant.
Place in the lineage
A variant that branched from Angband 2.8.3; its reworked combat influenced later variants such as Sangband, and FAangband branched further off from here.
Authored and maintained by Nick McConnell, this variant began on 28 November 2005 as a modification of OAngband 0.7.0. From version 2.0.0 onward it instead tracks the mainline Angband 4.2 series. It moves the setting from the usual Third Age to the First Age of Middle-earth (Beleriand), the late period covered by The Silmarillion, removing later-era elements such as the Elven Rings.
Highlights
Set not in the era of The Lord of the Rings but in the First Age of Beleriand, the world of The Silmarillion.
Later-era elements such as the Elven Rings are removed to fit that earlier time period.
Links town, wilderness, and multiple dungeons, ultimately leading to Angband, home of Morgoth.
Since 2.0.0 it has tracked the mainline Angband 4.2 series as its base and remains actively updated.
Place in the lineage
A variant that branched from OAngband and later switched to building on the mainline Angband 4.2 series. By moving the setting to the First Age, it added a new era's story to the Angband lineage.
An Angband variant where you grow by developing individual skills rather than following a fixed class. Development began in 1998 with Julian Lighton, Chris Petit, and Michael Gorse, and was later continued by Leon Marrick and Joshua Middendorf. It is built on Angband 3.0.6 and OAngband 0.5.0.
Highlights
Rather than a fixed class, you shape your own growth by developing skills individually.
Multiple magic realms are available: Wizardry, Priestly, Druidic, and Necromantic.
Includes oath-based specializations for warriors and burglars, and a system for crafting your own equipment.
Updates continued into around 2010.
Place in the lineage
A variant built on Angband 3.0.6 and OAngband 0.5.0 that opened a distinct direction: skill-based growth.
An Angband variant built on mainline Angband 3.1.2, aiming to gather popular features from other variants into one rebalanced game. It was developed by Jeff Greene and Diego González, incorporating a terrain system from UnAngband, monster AI ("4GAI") from OAngband, and a random quest system influenced by EyAngband.
Highlights
A "best of" variant that set out to combine popular features from several other variants into one.
Draws on UnAngband's terrain system, OAngband's AI, and an EyAngband-style random quest system.
Place in the lineage
A variant that branched from Angband 3.1.2, gathering elements from several other variants into one. Updates stopped after the roughly 8.0.5 line, around 2016.
An Angband variant set in the First Age of Middle-earth, with experience and combat reworked from the ground up. Developed by "half" (with Beorn), it was first released in January 2012, with its final update, version 1.3.0, coming in January 2016. It aims for fidelity to Tolkien's setting and short, tactically dense combat, and has no concept of a player level -- instead, you grow by developing individual skills.
Highlights
No player level; experience is spent directly on 8 individual skills (melee, bows, stealth, song, and more) instead.
Features "songs" that let you support allies or unsettle enemies mid-fight.
Includes a smithing system for forging your own gear.
Built around short, tactically dense melee combat that resolves quickly.
Aims for fidelity to the First Age setting behind The Lord of the Rings.
Place in the lineage
A variant that branched from the Angband 3.0 line, establishing its own systems of experience, combat, stealth, song, and smithing. After development stopped, the community picked it up and continues it today as Sil-Q.
Getting started
With no player level as a safety net, how you spend experience across skills defines your character.
Using stealth to avoid being noticed lets you fight on your own terms.
Sil development had stalled, and this is the branch the community (the sil-quirk group) picked up and continues to update. The stable release 1.5.0 came out on 3 January 2022, and a beta release, 1.5.1-beta1, is also available. The setting is deep beneath Angband, the fortress of the Dark Lord Morgoth: you play a lone adventurer who must steal a single Silmaril from his iron crown and escape alive. Defeating Morgoth is not the goal -- stealing the treasure and getting out alive is the win condition, setting this apart from other Angband games.
Highlights
No town, no shops, no money -- you head straight underground with only what you carry and what you can do.
No player level; experience goes directly into 8 skills such as melee, bows, stealth, and song.
Identifying a piece of ego equipment grants experience, so seeking out strong gear is itself part of growing your character.
Songs let you inspire allies or sap enemy morale mid-battle, adding a push-and-pull over whether to keep singing while fighting.
A smithing system lets you forge your own gear from materials you find.
Choose your heritage from four races: Noldor, Sindar, Naugrim (Dwarves), and Edain (Men).
Place in the lineage
Built on Sil, itself a branch of the Angband 3.0 line, this is the community's continuation of that game. It keeps Sil's bold cuts -- no town, shops, or money -- along with its skill, song, and smithing systems, and is still being updated today.
Getting started
With no level as a safety net, review your skills and gear before diving deeper.
If you find marked (ego) equipment, identifying it is worth doing -- it earns you experience.
Kangband (also KAngband) is an Angband variant that branched off early, known for terrain rendering, a large wilderness, and fixed-sequence quests -- features that were still unusual among Angband variants at the time. RogueBasin records more than one similarly-named project: a line from roughly 1998-2001, and a separate KAngband by John I'anson-Holton from 2001 onward. Sources disagree on the exact developer and which Angband version each was based on. Development has since stopped.
Highlights
Introduced wilderness, terrain and fixed quests -- novel features for its time
These wilderness and fixed-quest mechanics were adopted by Zangband 2.2.0
Little documentation survives, and a working distribution is not easy to find today
Place in the lineage
An early variant branching from the Angband 2.7.8 line, credited with the wilderness, terrain, and fixed-quest mechanics that Zangband adopted in 2.2.0. On the lineage chart it is a quiet but important relay point that handed tooling forward to Zangband.
Zangband (ZAngband) is an Angband variant begun in 1994 by Topi Ylinen. The "Z" honors SF author Roger Zelazny, and the game draws on the world of his Chronicles of Amber novel series. It began as the DOS versions Angband-- and PC Zangband 1.0 and was rebuilt on the Angband 2.8.1 source for 2.x. Version 2.1.0c was Ylinen's own final release, after which Robert Ruehlmann took over maintenance.
Highlights
Steeped in the setting of Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber
The 2.x line is built on the Angband 2.8.1 source, carrying over the monsters and setting of Angband-- and PC Zangband 1.0 plus a new magic system inspired by Master of Magic
A change of maintainer (Ylinen to Ruehlmann) marks the start of a long lineage into the later 2.2.x and 2.4-2.7.x lines
Place in the lineage
Zangband is not a single straight line. It began with Topi Ylinen's Angband-- (built on PC Angband 1.31) and PC Zangband 1.0, was rebuilt on the Angband 2.8.1 source for 2.x carrying over the earlier monsters, setting and a new magic system, and took the wilderness and fixed quests from Kangband in 2.2.0. From here come the 2.2.x line that Robert Ruehlmann took over (the base of Hengband) and the later 2.4-2.7.x line.
Zangband 2.2.x is the line maintained by Robert Ruehlmann after Topi Ylinen. According to RogueBasin, Ruehlmann personally maintained versions 2.01d through 2.2.6c, and 2.2.8 and later were handled by a development team that included Steven Fuerst. Version 2.2.8 -- reached via the Japanese ZAngband 2.2.8 edition -- became the direct base of Hengband, and it carries forward the Chronicles of Amber setting.
Highlights
The Chronicles of Amber setting survived intact all the way to version 2.2.8 under the new team
The "Amberite" player race travelled unchanged from this line all the way into Hengband
Kangband's wilderness, terrain and fixed-quest mechanics are still present here
Place in the lineage
Continued by Robert Ruehlmann from Zangband 2.1.x (Topi Ylinen) up to 2.2.8. That 2.2.8 became the base of the Japanese ZAngband 2.2.8 edition (by Itakura), from which Hengband was born. On the lineage chart this is the single most important relay point leading directly to Hengband.
Getting started
If the "Amberite" race interests you, it's worth knowing its origin traces back to this version
Zangband 2.4-2.7.x is the later line, heavily reworked from the 2.2 series. RogueBasin records the last development version as 2.7.4c (August 2004), followed by a 2.7.5 preview in June 2005, after which updates stopped. The listed development team -- Steven Fuerst, Robert Ruehlmann, Topi Ylinen, Chris Kern, Eric Bock, Mitsuhiro Itakura, and Ross Morgan-Linial -- included a Japanese developer, Itakura.
Highlights
A major overhaul of the 2.2 line, and the last large update to mainline Zangband
Updates stopped after the 2005 preview, closing out mainline Zangband's history
Place in the lineage
A later line branching from Zangband 2.2, after which mainline Zangband updates ceased. From this point, the Hengband lineage (born from the Japanese ZAngband 2.2.8 edition) and various overseas forks (such as ToME 2) each continued to evolve independently.
ToME 2（Tales of Middle Earth、旧称 Troubles of Middle Earth）は、Nicolas Casalini（DarkGod）が1998年に始めたAngband系の派生です。ZAngband 2.2.9aのソースを元にしていますが、そこから大きく変わっています。もとはAnne McCaffreyのパーン世界を混ぜた「PernAngband」として始まりましたが、著作権に関する懸念から、中つ国（トールキンの世界）だけを舞台にした設定へ変更された経緯があります。後継の「ToME 4（Tales of Maj'Eyal）」とは別物で、こちらはAngband系のシングルプレイヤー版です。
ToME 2 (Tales of Middle Earth, formerly Troubles of Middle Earth) is an Angband-family variant started in 1998 by Nicolas Casalini (DarkGod). It is based on the ZAngband 2.2.9a source, though it has since diverged considerably. It began as "PernAngband," mixing in Anne McCaffrey's Pern setting, but was changed to a pure Middle-earth theme after concerns over rights to the Pern material. It is a distinct, single-player Angband-family game, separate from the later Tales of Maj'Eyal (ToME 4).
Highlights
Heavily reworked from its ZAngband 2.2.9a base in its own direction
A Middle-earth (Tolkien) setting gives it one of the clearer identities among Angband variants
Renamed from "PernAngband" after dropping the Pern (Anne McCaffrey) material
Place in the lineage
A variant branching from the Zangband 2.2 line (2.2.9a), a close contemporary of the 2.2.8 that led to Hengband. By leaning into a strong Middle-earth narrative, it grew in a different direction from the Hengband line.
XAngband is a Japanese variant based on ZAngband 2.4.0, tuned to be somewhat easier than its base. It was developed under the name "iks" and was called KantAngband before version 0.7.2. It was first released as 0.7.2 in April 2003, kept receiving updates for about six years, and its final update, 1.3.1, came in March 2009. It shares some developers with Hengband, but because it is based on a different ZAngband line, it is not a direct derivative -- more a parallel branch within the same Japanese *band community.
Highlights
Based on ZAngband 2.4.0, rebalanced to be friendlier for newer players
Continued development after being renamed from "KantAngband"
Grew out of the same Japanese development community as Hengband -- a cousin rather than a descendant
About six years of active updates ended with 1.3.1 in 2009
Place in the lineage
A Japanese variant branching from the Zangband 2.4-2.7 line (2.4.0), a neighboring branch to Hengband that shares a common ancestor rather than a direct parent-child relationship. The connection is one of a shared development community.
Getting started
Since updates have stopped, it's worth checking compatibility before playing
A Japanese-language edition combining ZAngband 2.2.8 with a Japanese translation of Angband 2.8.3. The copyright for the Japanese-specific localization belongs to Mitsuhiro Itakura. It is the point where the Amber-themed Zangband line and a Japanese Angband translation converge, and Hengband was derived directly from this edition.
Highlights
Merges two separate lines: ZAngband 2.2.8 and the Japanese translation of Angband 2.8.3
Its Japanese-localization copyright notice still lives on inside Hengband today
The direct parent of Hengband, and the starting point of the whole Japanese *band lineage
Place in the lineage
Made by combining Zangband 2.2.8 (maintained by Robert Ruehlmann and others) with a Japanese translation of Angband 2.8.3 by Itakura. Hengband was born from this point, and much of the Japanese *band family -- the Touhou fan edition, Gensoband, Tangband, and more -- ultimately traces back to this single convergence.
Hengband is a Japanese variant in the *band roguelike family descended from Moria and Angband, derived directly from the Japanese edition of ZAngband 2.2.8. Development began around 2000. Victory -- "*WINNER*" -- comes only after descending to the bottom of the 100-floor Iron Hell and defeating the final boss, the Serpent of Chaos; getting there takes more than raw level and gear, it takes your own judgment in the field. It has been kept alive for over 20 years, with updates gathered mainly through GitHub and Discord.
Highlights
37 races times 27 classes times 12 personalities means every character feels genuinely different
Start at the Yeek Cave right next to town -- safe except for the Yeek King waiting at its lowest level
You can travel the wilderness on foot from town to town; roads and plains are relatively safe, but lava fields and open sea hide dangerous monsters
Artifacts marked with a star are one-of-a-kind in the world, and *identify* is what finally reveals their full powers
Inscribing an item lets you get a confirmation before accidentally using or dropping it, and you can write your own rules for what gets auto-picked-up
Clear all 100 floors of the Iron Hell and defeat the Serpent of Chaos to earn *WINNER* status
Place in the lineage
Its roots trace back to Moria/Angband, through Topi Ylinen's Zangband, the 2.2.8 line maintained by Robert Ruehlmann and others, and a Japanese ZAngband 2.2.8 edition by Itakura, before becoming an independent project called Hengband around 2000. From here branch Tangband, the Touhou fan edition (leading to Gensoband), and the Chengband line (leading to PosChengband, Composband, FrogComposband, and FroxComposband).
Getting started
Head for the Yeek Cave first -- it lets you build up gear and levels without much risk
Traveling the overworld map burns food, so stock up before leaving town
Potions, scrolls, and wands start out unidentified -- drinking, reading, and trying them is how you learn what they do
Tangband is a fast-paced Hengband variant built around the idea of being "smooth, speedy, and fun." A "doomsday" event forces you to clear the Iron Hell within 14 in-game days or the world ends, and character growth runs roughly ten times faster than normal -- designed so a single sitting can reach a real conclusion.
Highlights
The birth-time "doomsday" option (on by default) turns the game into a 14-in-game-day race
From day 15 onward, a "Doomsday Serpent" is summoned every 10 turns, scaling from 1 up to 8 at once
Experience requirements are cut to roughly a tenth, so leveling up is about ten times faster
Around 253 unique monsters were given guaranteed great-item drops, making rare gear easier to find
Early quests (like the thief quest) come pre-stocked with trap-detection, word-of-recall, and light scrolls plus gold
The rumor service at the frontier's inn is free, making early information easier to gather
Place in the lineage
A variant branched from Hengband. Its only new enemy is the Doomsday Serpent -- the real changes are rule tweaks to the time limit, growth speed, and item drop rates that reshape the feel of play.
Getting started
Keep the 14-day clock in mind and push through the Iron Hell without too many detours
The recall and light scrolls handed out in early quests are precious -- use them wisely
Fast growth cuts both ways: don't get caught underprepared by tougher monsters catching up quickly
TOband is a Japanese Hengband variant that rebuilds the game in the world of Tactics Ogre, the Super Famicom tactical RPG. Every class and spell was renewed, and the artifacts you find and the unique monsters you face were replaced with ones from Tactics Ogre. A class-change system lets you switch freely between classes, which greatly widened how a character can be built. It was made by macband; 1.0 came out in April 2004 and updates continued until PR10 in March 2005.
Highlights
Class changes let you switch freely between several classes, opening up how you build a character.
Every class and spell was rebuilt, so combat feels quite unlike Hengband.
The artifacts and unique monsters come from the world of Tactics Ogre.
Weather, terrain effects and elements make where and when you fight matter.
Alignment and the Chaos Frame, ten special moves and tarot cards bring in more of Tactics Ogre.
Place in the lineage
One of the variants that branched from Hengband. It keeps Hengband's foundation but reshapes the setting and the class and magic systems after Tactics Ogre. Development stopped with PR10 in 2005.
Getting started
If you have played Tactics Ogre, look out for familiar names and systems as you go.
Do not get attached to your first class; reshaping the build through class changes is the point of this variant.
The TOband2 PR10 fork brings TOband back to life roughly twenty years after development stopped with PR10 in 2005. rmgames0-eng published it on GitHub in September 2026 and shipped two fix releases within the first two days. One fixes a 32-bit overflow in monster experience, reportedly verified across 48,600 combinations of 972 monster types and levels 1 to 50. The other fixes ammunition being duplicated by the gunner's ore crafting. It makes the Tactics Ogre-style Hengband variant playable on today's Windows.
Highlights
A new fork that resumed work on TOband after nearly twenty years.
Fixes an overflow in monster experience, checked across 48,600 combinations.
Also fixes ammunition duplication in the gunner's ore crafting.
Ships Windows zip builds together with SHA-256 checksums.
Place in the lineage
A fork continuing from PR10, the last TOband release. It only started in September 2026, and so far it focuses on bug fixes.
Getting started
To play TOband, check this fork's releases for the latest Windows build first.
Hengband Touhou Katteban is a fan variant of Hengband incorporating Touhou Project characters and setting, and it is the direct predecessor of Gensoband. Information about this line now lives mainly on Gensoband's official site and its @wiki (formerly the Hengband Touhou Katteban @wiki); detailed records of its original release timeline are scarce. An unofficial English translation (Hengband Touhou Katteban EN) also exists.
Highlights
A Hengband fan variant bringing in Touhou Project characters and world
The direct predecessor of Gensoband
An unofficial English translation exists, giving overseas players a way in
Place in the lineage
A Touhou Project fan variant branching from Hengband, later carried forward into Gensoband. On the lineage chart it is the transitional link between Hengband and Gensoband.
Gensoband is a variant still in active development, continuing from the Hengband Touhou fan edition and following the Touhou Project's fan-work guidelines. It is developed under the GitHub account asamayim, with updates continuing through v2.1.6 in February 2026. Its world spans 14 Touhou-themed towns -- the Human Village, Youkai Mountain's Tengu settlement, the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Hakurei Shrine, the Kappa bazaar, Eientei, Kourindou, Myouren Temple, Kirisame Magic Shop, an abandoned mansion, and more -- laid out as an actual map. Its official site offers downloads, a changelog, a bug-report board, and score/artifact rankings.
Highlights
Travel across 14 Touhou-themed towns, from the Human Village to Youkai Mountain to Eientei
Corpse imagery and "killed" phrasing are removed, and you can choose a difficulty at character creation
Floor 50 of the Iron Hell has a mid-boss (in purple), floor 100 has a final boss, and there's an extra EX dungeon besides
Characters like Reimu and Marisa are selectable as dedicated unique classes with fixed race, gender, and name
Magic is reorganized into 13 realms, adding new resistance types such as water, anti-corruption, spacetime, and insanity
Danmaku-style attacks (level-scaled typeless bolts) and two-handed bow use add combat options Hengband doesn't have
Place in the lineage
Continuing from the Hengband Touhou fan edition, its data has grown well past Hengband's: 1,418 monsters, 925 item kinds, and 355 artifacts.
Getting started
Picking an easier difficulty at birth is a reasonable way to start
Each town feels genuinely different, so it's worth wandering a few of them early on
Unique classes like Reimu and Marisa work differently from ordinary race/class picks, so read their descriptions first
Chengband is a lightly modified version of Hengband aimed at English-speaking players. It is distributed as .zip/.tar.gz archives via the AngbandPlus page maintained by NickMcConnell. It is the direct predecessor of PosChengband, effectively acting as the bridge that carried Hengband's ideas into the English-speaking *band community.
Highlights
A lightly reworked, English-facing edition built on top of Hengband
Distributed through AngbandPlus, a site that aggregates Angband-family variants
The starting point of the long Composband lineage that follows via PosChengband
Place in the lineage
Branched from Hengband, and became the starting point of a long lineage running through PosChengband, Composband, FrogComposband, and FroxComposband. Through this version, ideas that grew up in the Japanese Hengband community reached the English-speaking *band community.
PosChengband is a variant continuing from Chengband, with substantial changes to content and balance. Its README describes it as "an RPG based on Hengband," and it is currently maintained in a GitHub repository under NickMcConnell. It served as the direct foundation for Composband and, through it, several later variants -- making it a key hub in the lineage.
Highlights
A major rework of Chengband in both content and balance
Its own README frames it as "an RPG based on Hengband"
The direct foundation for the line running through Composband, FrogComposband, and FroxComposband
Place in the lineage
Branched from Chengband and became the hub from which Composband, FrogComposband, and FroxComposband all descend -- three still-active variants branching from this single point, underlining its weight in the lineage.
Composband is a composite variant combining PosChengband, Kangband, and other *band variants, adding new content and gameplay changes on top. It was forked from PosChengband (NickMcConnell/poschengband) and is attributed to Gwarl, who also runs angband.live. Its README notes that it reuses PosChengband's own documentation as a starting point, reflecting the continuity between the two.
Highlights
A "composite" variant that blends PosChengband with elements from other lines such as Kangband
Developed by Gwarl, who also runs angband.live, an online host for *band variants
The midpoint of a lineage that continues through FrogComposband to FroxComposband
Place in the lineage
Branched from PosChengband and forms the midpoint of the line running through FrogComposband to FroxComposband. True to its name, it leans into combining multiple variants -- a direction carried forward by its descendants.
FrogComposband is a variant forked from Composband. Its README describes it as "a variant of PosChengband and Composband with more stuff, more humor and fewer bugs." It was developed under the GitHub account sulkasormi, and active development later passed to FroxComposband. Its terrain and monster data are shared almost unchanged with its successor, FroxComposband.
Highlights
Billed as PosChengband/Composband "with more stuff, more humor and fewer bugs"
Its terrain, monster and item data carry over almost unchanged into its successor, FroxComposband
Place in the lineage
Branched from Composband and became the direct ancestor of FroxComposband. It shares almost identical terrain and monster data with its successor, FroxComposband.
FroxComposband is an actively developed variant descended from Hengband via Chengband, PosChengband, Composband, and FrogComposband. Per its README, it is "a single-player roguelike dungeon-crawler descended from Angband and Moria," with over 50 bug fixes and usability improvements on top. It supports importing save files from older FrogComposband versions, and pre-built packages are distributed for Windows, macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), and Linux. It keeps up an unusually active development pace among *band variants.
Highlights
74 races by 53 classes -- one of the largest combinations of any *band variant
44 dungeons and 85 quests, alongside 1,395 monsters and 537 item kinds of data
Distinctive classes like Necromancer, Time-Lord, Rune Knight, and Duelist to choose from
Carries over old FrogComposband save files, letting you pick up where you left off
Pre-built packages ship for Windows, macOS (Intel/Apple Silicon), and Linux
An unusually active development pace among *band variants
Place in the lineage
Sits at the end of the Hengband to Chengband to PosChengband to Composband to FrogComposband to FroxComposband lineage. Data such as its 188 terrain types and 1,395 monsters closely match FrogComposband's.
Getting started
If you have an old FrogComposband save, you can bring it straight in and keep playing
With so many classes to choose from, starting with a familiar one like Warrior or Mage is a good way in
Development moves fast, so checking the official repository's changelog now and then is part of the fun
Released in 1987 by Laurence Brothers, Omega is an independent line of roguelike that shares not a single line of code with Rogue or Hack. Beyond its dungeons, it has a town full of shops and facilities and a walkable overland countryside, and the story unfolds as you move between several dungeons. The town has its own ecology and rival factions, and there is more than one way to win. Written in C and running widely on Unix, DOS, Windows, and Linux, it became the starting point of a line that would be ported and modified for decades.
Highlights
Town, wilderness, and multiple dungeons formed a three-layer world remarkably early for its era
The town has a living ecology of NPCs, giving a sense that the world keeps moving even when you're not looking
Several factions exist, and which one you side with changes how things unfold later
Winning is not a single fixed path; multiple win conditions are available
C's portability let it survive for decades across Unix, DOS, Windows, and Linux
Place in the lineage
The origin point of a line that grew up entirely independent of Rogue, Hack, and NetHack. It was followed by 0.80.2 (the long-standing stable release), 0.90.4 (a development release), and eventually the modern Omega Rebirth. The town/wilderness/dungeon skeleton has stayed intact since this very first release.
Getting started
Start by walking the town to learn where the shops and facilities are before picking fights
Your first stance toward the factions has lasting consequences, so choose carefully
Omega 0.80.2 was for a long time treated as the definitive, stable release to play. It keeps the town/wilderness/dungeon skeleton intact while layering on bug fixes and refinements, making it the natural starting point for anyone new to Omega. Years of polish also mean it's less likely to trip you up with severe bugs.
Highlights
Long treated as "the" version of Omega thanks to its polished, stable state
The town ecology, factions, and multiple win conditions from 0.75 are present here in refined form
Distributed via SourceForge and still kept compiling on modern Linux by community forks today
Years of accumulated bug fixes give it a weathered stability that rarely throws unfair surprises
Place in the lineage
A stable, polished release built on the town/wilderness/dungeon skeleton established in 0.75. It sits before the 0.90.4 development release and, through it, Omega Rebirth.
Getting started
If it's your first time with Omega, this stable release is the best place to learn the ropes of the town and wilderness
Omega 0.90.4 is a development release (treated as pre-alpha) that pushed beyond the long-standing 0.80.2 stable. Its gameplay skeleton -- a 64x64 town and dungeon plus a walkable overland countryside -- is the same Omega that has existed since 0.75, carrying forward the town's ecology, its rival factions, and multiple win conditions.
Highlights
Combines a 64x64 town and dungeon with an overland countryside, giving the journey a wide stage
Carries forward the ecology, factions, and multiple win conditions established since 0.80.2
Place in the lineage
A development release that followed 0.80.2. The later Omega Rebirth (2023, a C++ rewrite) is built on this 0.90.4.
Getting started
Start by walking the town to learn where the shops and facilities are before picking fights
Your first stance toward the factions has lasting consequences, so choose carefully
Omega Rebirth is a full C++ rewrite by Lyle Tafoya, built on top of Omega 0.90.4. Its first release came out in January 2023, and by December of the same year it had reached version 0.7.0. It modernizes usability with a centered map display and a consolidated health/mana status panel, while also reworking balance: replacing random stat rolls with point-based allocation and removing unfair instant-death scenarios. It was built as an entry point for people who had bounced off the older Omega releases.
Highlights
Centered map display fixes the old problem of the character drifting to the screen's edge and becoming hard to see
Health and mana are combined into a single, easy-to-read status panel
Supports terminal resizing, so it feels at home in modern environments
Stat generation moved from random rolls to point-based allocation, reducing unfairly weak starting characters
Balance work removed unfair instant-death scenarios that used to punish new players
Place in the lineage
A C++ rewrite built on Omega 0.90.4 that keeps the town/wilderness/dungeon/faction/multiple-win-condition skeleton from 0.75 intact while modernizing the UI and balance. Its 2023 timeline makes it one of the newest, actively updated branches of the Omega line.
Getting started
If old Omega releases frustrated you with display glitches or unfair instant deaths, try this one first
Point-based stat allocation means you can shape your first build yourself rather than leaving it to the dice
Larn is a dungeon exploration game created by Noah Morgan in 1986, and its defining feature is a hard time limit. Your daughter has fallen ill with a rare disease, and unless you bring back a cure from the depths within a set number of days, the story ends badly. Unlike the more leisurely descents typical of Rogue-family dungeon crawlers, the constant negotiation with the clock is placed at the very center of the gameplay. larn.org hosts a history page, and an actively maintained browser-playable version is still being updated today. A single shopping trip in the early town can end up deciding whether you live or die deep below.
Highlights
A clear time-limited mission: bring back a cure for your daughter's illness within a set number of days
A constant trade-off between time-consuming actions (resting, shopping, detours) and how fast you can push deeper
A separate dangerous area deep in the dungeon (a volcanic cave) gives the exploration real breadth
A pioneering work for 1986 in building the entire goal structure around an explicit time limit
Even shopping and preparing in town costs time, making the planning before a descent part of the game itself
Place in the lineage
Larn shares no direct code with Rogue but is one of the independent lines it inspired. It sits at the very root of a lineage that branched in 1987 when Phil Cordier added classes and extra dungeon levels to create ULarn, which was later itself forked into ReLarn.
Getting started
Keep an eye on the remaining days at all times; if you're behind, cut detours short and prioritize going deeper
It's fine to expect an early run to end without delivering the cure -- treat your first playthrough as learning the town and early levels
ULarn is a 1987 extension of Larn by Phil Cordier that introduced character classes not present in the original, along with additional dungeon levels and new weapons. It keeps the original's core structure of racing the clock to bring back a cure, while broadening the choices available to add depth. Playing it right after the original makes the differences between classes easy to feel.
Highlights
Introduces character classes absent from the original Larn, adding variety to how you play
Adds extra dungeon levels and new weapons, giving more ground to explore than the original
Keeps the original's core goal structure -- racing the clock to find a cure
Forks such as the joshbressers version on GitHub are still actively maintained today
The larger dungeon gives each class more room to play to its strengths than the original did
Place in the lineage
A direct extension of Larn that keeps its time-limited cure-hunting mission while expanding it with classes and a larger dungeon. ULarn in turn was the base for ReLarn, a later fork that left gameplay untouched but reorganized the codebase, placing ULarn squarely in the middle of the Larn -> ULarn -> ReLarn line.
Getting started
Classes have different strengths, so read the descriptions first and pick one suited to your playstyle
The time limit carries over from Larn, so don't overindulge in detours
ReLarn is a fork of ULarn (around the 1.5 line) by Chris Reuter that keeps the gameplay essentially unchanged while reorganizing the code into modules for maintainability. It improves line-of-sight calculation, adds a list-based interface for choosing items and spells, and supports color and standalone window display -- polishing the feel of the game without touching its core rules. The canonical repository lives on GitLab, mirrored on GitHub, with prebuilt binaries for Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Highlights
Improved line-of-sight calculation makes it easier to grasp what you can actually see
List-based selection for items and spells reduces the burden of remembering commands
Supports color and windowed display, making it comfortable beyond a bare text terminal
Prebuilt binaries for Windows, Linux, and macOS lower the barrier to trying it
It sticks firmly to never changing core gameplay, so ULarn know-how carries over directly
Place in the lineage
A fork of ULarn 1.5 that leaves core gameplay untouched while modernizing code maintainability and the interface. Within the Larn -> ULarn -> ReLarn lineage, it represents the newest generation -- the point where the original's tense gameplay was preserved while the codebase itself was brought up to date.
Getting started
If you're used to ULarn, expect the same feel with better comfort, not a different game
Prebuilt binaries mean you can try it right away without compiling anything yourself
Linley's Dungeon Crawl is a roguelike that Linley Henzell began in 1995 and publicly released in 1997. Henzell continued developing it himself until 1999, after which stewardship passed to a group of volunteer contributors. It is, in effect, the prototype that would later grow into Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup (DCSS).
Highlights
Henzell developed it solo for its first four years before handing stewardship to a volunteer group
The direct precursor and origin point of what became Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup
Place in the lineage
One of the independent lines Rogue inspired. After development passed to a volunteer group, the DCSS development team took it forward from 2006 onward into Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup. Today "Crawl" usually means DCSS, but this original Linley's Dungeon Crawl is its prototype.
Getting started
If you want to actually play it today, the actively developed successor Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup is the realistic choice
For tracing the lineage, treat this entry as the record of where things started rather than looking for differences from DCSS
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup (DCSS) is the actively developed successor to Linley's Dungeon Crawl, taken over by the DCSS development team in 2006 and still under lively development today. Its large C++ codebase is hosted at github.com/crawl/crawl, supports both ASCII and graphical tile display, and even offers public online servers you can play straight from a browser -- an unusually low barrier to entry within this lineage.
Highlights
Dozens of species/background combinations mean every "single run" plays out completely differently
A god-worship system where the deity you serve dramatically changes your available powers and restrictions
Supports both ASCII and tile display, so you can play in whichever look you prefer
Multiple public online servers let you play straight from a browser
Actively developed at github.com/crawl/crawl with frequent updates
Place in the lineage
The direct successor to Linley's Dungeon Crawl, renamed Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup when the development team changed hands in 2006. Preserving the spirit of the predecessor's license while formally consolidating it under GPL v2-or-later with every contributor's consent stands as a model for how an open-source roguelike can change hands between generations.
Getting started
Start with the tutorial or a beginner-friendly species/background combo (like a human fighter) to learn the systems
The god you worship shapes your build heavily, so read the descriptions carefully before choosing
The public online servers let you play right away once you create an account -- no installation needed
Brogue is a roguelike by Brian Walker, whose defining trait is simplicity in service of deep tactics: "few commands, deep tactics." It combines identification elements where scroll and potion names are randomized each game, and terrain gimmicks like water, fire, and poison gas, all without leaning on a complex command set. It was distributed for Windows, macOS, and Linux, but Walker's own development has ended; the community-run Brogue CE (Community Edition) now continues it.
Highlights
A deliberately small command set still yields real tactical depth through terrain interaction
Terrain and item combinations open up situations -- fire spreading through grass, or a swamp's gas exploding when ignited
Unidentified scrolls and potions remain part of the game, giving a real edge of tension to handling the unknown
Despite its simple look, strategic decisions matter from floor one
The small command set means little time spent learning controls before you're focused on the real decisions
Place in the lineage
One of the independent lines Rogue inspired. After Walker's own development ended, the project passed to a volunteer group led by tmewett as Brogue CE (Community Edition), which continues development.
Getting started
With so few commands, thinking in terms of terrain-and-item combinations is often the key to a way out
Don't rush to use every unidentified item at once -- test them one at a time in safe moments
Brogue CE (Community Edition) is a continuation of Brogue taken over from Brian Walker by a volunteer group led by tmewett. It leaves the original's "few commands, deep tactics" design untouched while focusing on bug fixes, quality-of-life improvements, and serving as a foundation for further ports and forks. Development continues at the canonical github.com/tmewett/BrogueCE, and a dedicated community wiki makes it easy for players to find information.
Highlights
Development never stopped after the original ended -- bug fixes and small comfort improvements keep accumulating
Canonical source at github.com/tmewett/BrogueCE makes it easy to track changes
A dedicated community wiki makes it easy to look up items and monsters
Carries forward the original's "few commands, deep tactics" design philosophy unchanged
Place in the lineage
Taken over by tmewett and other volunteers after Brian Walker's own development of Brogue ended. It keeps the original's skeleton intact while focused on "keeping it playable," and stands as an example of an open-source roguelike surviving a change of maintainers.
Getting started
If you've played the original Brogue, expect the same feel with fewer bugs
When puzzling over an item or monster, checking the community wiki while you play speeds things up
IVAN（Iter Vehemens ad Necem、ラテン語で「死への激しい道のり」の意）は、部位ごとの身体表現と素材の扱いを作り込んだグラフィカルなローグライクです。腕や脚、目や頭など体の部位ごとに負傷や欠損が管理され、武器や防具は素材によって性質が変わるなど、他のローグライクと比べても物理的なディテールへのこだわりが強い作品です。開発は2004年に一度止まりましたが、Attnam.comコミュニティの有志によって2015年に再開されました。
IVAN (Iter Vehemens ad Necem, Latin for "a violent road to death") is a graphical roguelike built around a detailed bodypart system and material handling. Injuries and losses are tracked per body part -- arms, legs, eyes, head -- and weapons and armor behave differently depending on their material, giving it an unusually strong commitment to physical detail compared to other roguelikes. Development originally stopped in 2004 but was revived in 2015 by contributors from the Attnam.com community.
Highlights
Injuries and losses are tracked per body part -- losing an arm directly affects your equipment and combat ability
Weapons and armor vary in performance and durability depending on their material (iron, bronze, and so on)
Graphical display makes per-part damage and status easy to read at a glance
Has a real revival story: development stopped in 2004 and was picked back up by a volunteer community in 2015
Body damage is reflected visibly, so the toll of past fights stays with your character in a tangible way
Place in the lineage
One of the independent lines Rogue inspired, notable for bringing a per-bodypart injury system that few other roguelikes share. After development paused once, it was taken over by the Attnam.com community and continues to be updated -- a case of a stalled line being revived by its community.
Getting started
Play with body parts in mind -- protecting vital ones like your head and dominant arm improves survival
Weapons and armor vary by material, so check an item's properties before relying on it
ADOM（Ancient Domains of Mystery）は、Thomas Biskupが開発し1994年に公開したローグライクです。単発のダンジョン攻略に留まらず、物語や世界観の作り込みに力を入れており、多様な種族・職業の組み合わせ、豊富なアイテム、そして複数のクエスト網が用意されています。ソースコードは非公開で、勝手な派生版が広まるのを避けるためBiskup自身が意図的に非公開のままにしているとされており、この系譜図に載っている他の多くの作品とは違い、フォークして遊ぶことはできません。
ADOM (Ancient Domains of Mystery) is a roguelike created by Thomas Biskup and released in 1994. Rather than being just a single dungeon crawl, it puts real weight on story and worldbuilding, offering a wide variety of race/class combinations, a large item pool, and a web of interconnected quests. Its source code is closed; Biskup has reportedly kept it proprietary on purpose specifically to prevent unauthorized variants from spreading, so unlike many of the other entries in this lineage chart, it cannot be forked or played from source.
Highlights
A web of interconnected quests with real story and setting, not just a single self-contained dungeon
Wide variety in character creation through race/class combinations that meaningfully change how a run plays out
Features a "corruption" mechanic where prolonged exposure to Chaos slowly warps your body, making the pace of your descent itself a strategic trade-off
A pioneering example from 1994 of a roguelike built around story as much as exploration
A rare closed branch in this lineage chart -- no forking or modification is possible since the source is not public
Place in the lineage
One of the independent lines Rogue inspired, but because its source was never released, no other version has branched from it, leaving it an isolated endpoint on this lineage chart. Its story-first design became a reference point for many later roguelikes that chose to bring in more narrative.
Getting started
Check race/class compatibility up front and pick a combination close to how you want to play
Pay attention to how quests connect to each other, not just individual runs -- it deepens the sense of the world
It's currently sold on Steam, so you can start without worrying about setting anything up yourself