I just launched an updated Demo of THE RUINS OF CALAWORM.
There’s already been an announcement from a year ago, but the game underwent a rather large, fundamental overhaul since then, and is now near completion.
THE RUINS OF CALAWORM is a Rework of german Cult Roguelike ‘Die Gemäuer von Kalawaum’, that has had it’s heyday back in early 90s (mainly due to a popular ATARI ST-Port), then vanished into obscurity as PCs took over the world.; a turn-based Dungeon Crawler featuring a mix of fixed layouts and procedurally generated World Parameters. It has streamlined Mechanics (no Spellcasting, no Ranged Combat, no complex Stats), and is built all around the idea of Bumping into Things.
Exploration is one of the game’s core pillars, also navigational puzzles: you have to find keys and carry them safely to their destination, activate Switches, and whack enough Monsters until you’re strong enough to tackle the next Region; light up Fireplaces and discover the game’s story in the form of written Notes that lie scattered about. The full release version will also have an Editor included, where one can design their own Maps and throw them into the pool, from which the generator then randomly picks layouts, and assembles them into a fresh World Module.
With this project I first implemented Core Mechanics (managed to contact the original Authors, who were quite positive about my undertakings and gave me their blessings), then threw my own ideas into the Mix, and overall tried to make it a more approachable, varied and “friendly” experience fit for modern day audiences, while still trying to nail that vibe I remembered so fondly. THE RUINS OF CALAWORM has now been in the works for 2 and a half years, and I intend to finish it some time in 2023.
The Story (which is only hinted at in the Demo) comes with a Lovecraft Spin: you’re a Plague Doctor who’s investigating a nearby Fortress, thereby encountering lots of Monsters. There’s Shrines, where one can pray to the Old Gods, I added a full fledged Minigame, and last but not least there’s going to be an (optional) Sanity System, where one has to manage their Mental Condition (currently deactivated in the Demo).
Source: itch.io