dungeon crawling
Underground adventure gaming
Dungeon crawling is a style of gameplay in video games and tabletop role-playing games focused on exploring underground labyrinths, fighting monsters, and collecting treasure.
The term evokes methodical progress through dangerous spaces room by room: We spent the whole session dungeon crawling through an abandoned mine.
The genre emphasizes combat, loot, and navigation over story or character development.
- permadeathIrreversible character termination
- torchlightIllumination from burning brand
- fog of warUncertainty in combat situations
- explorationTraveling through unknown regions
- combatArmed hostile engagement
key · crypts · trap · chest · pit · catacombs · challenge · quests · boss battles · ancient ruins · skeleton · turn-based combat · dice rolls · hit points · treasure hunting · loot drops · goblin · resource management
- RPGsDungeons and Dragons, Final Fantasy, Skyrim, GM, Baldur's Gate
- Action RPGsDiablo, Diablo II, Torchlight, skill trees, character builds
- roguelikespermadeath, procedural generation, runs, roguelite, restart loop
dungeon crawlingpolitical intrigue
Covert governmental scheming
courtly intrigue · diplomacy · character drama · puzzle solving · crafting