A new dungeon every run
Twelve levels in four regions: the Crypt, the Glowcaves, the Drowned Temple and the Clockwork Keep. Each has its own monsters, music and boss.
Free · ZX Spectrum NextNew v150 is out. See what's new →
Go down. Grab the Sunstone. Get back!
A dragon sleeps on a glowing gem, twelve levels under the tavern. Pinching it is the easy part. Then you climb back up, through every level you came down, with a very cross dragon behind you.
Features
A proper roguelike, made to be fair
Down is only half of it
Every level stays as you left it. On the way back up, the dungeon has changed its mind about you.
You always know the odds
One twenty-sided die decides everything, and the screen says what you need. Look at a monster to see how many hits it takes, both ways.
Not everything wants a fight
Some monsters are wary, some are friendly. Folk like a chat. Feed a hungry animal, make a friend, bring a pet.
Grow by doing
No experience points. Fight, cast and dodge well, and your scores may rise when you take the stairs.
Mystery in every bottle
Potions and scrolls are unknown until you try them. Spells come from scrolls, and wands run out.
A different story each time
Every run draws its own handful of surprises. The tavern tells you three rumours about them. One is a fib.
For the whole family
Easy mode gives you three lives. A short run is six levels. Relay mode lets two players take turns.
Race a friend
Type a dungeon number and you both get the same dungeon. Compare scores in the hall of fame.
Heroes are remembered
With an SD card, the game keeps your hall of fame and your fallen heroes. You may find their traces in later runs.
Ten classes, seven races
Wizard, witch, warrior, rogue, cleric, ranger, bard, druid, and two more to earn. Pick a look and a robe colour too.
Music that follows you
Every region has its own tune on the Next's sound chips. It gets tense when something wakes, and goes quiet when you tiptoe.
Screens
A look inside
Click a picture to see it bigger. Only the first few levels: the rest is for you to find.
How to play
Bump into things and see what happens
The keys
| Q A O P | Move up, down, left, right. Or 5–8, or a joystick. Press two at once to go diagonally. |
| SPACE | Wait a turn and search, or take the stairs |
| I | Your pack: Q/A to pick, SPACE to use, T to throw |
| Z | Your spell book |
| X | Your class's special, once a level |
| K | Pray, once a level |
| L | Look at what you can see |
| M | The map |
| H | Help, any time. It takes no turns. |
| 0 / ENTER | Back out of things |
The goal
Go down to the dragon and take the Sunstone. Then get back out of the top stairs with it, and you've won.
Bump into it
Walk into a monster to fight it, into a friend to swap places, and into folk to chat. Walk into shrines, wells and fountains to see what they do. Most things do something. Some bite.
The status line
- D
- How deep you are
- HP
- Health. Red? Run!
- F
- Fight: hitting things
- M
- Magic: casting spells
- L
- Luck: dodging trouble
- G
- Gold, for your score
- Mn
- Mana. It comes back.
- Lt
- Your torch. Red: nearly out!
Before you go
Type a name, then pick a class, a look, a race and a robe colour. Then choose how hard: easy mode gives you three lives, normal gives you one, and relay is for two players taking turns. The dials make it easier or harder: monsters, traps, torches, and how deep it goes.
Tips
From those who went before
- Press L to Look before you fight.
- Running away is a fine plan.
- Rest when you're hurt, away from trouble.
- Let sleeping monsters lie.
- Wait (SPACE) to search for traps.
- A dead end? Wait. Maybe there's a door.
- Torches burn down. Carry spares.
- Keep a torch lit. Something waits in the dark.
- Try odd potions when it's safe.
- Throw the potions you don't trust.
- Read scrolls when nothing's near.
- One ring at a time. Choose well.
- Fight rat packs in a corridor.
- Bats flit about. Let them come to you.
- Slimes split. Hit them hard, or walk away.
- Throw food to a hungry animal.
- Friendly folk like a chat. Bump them!
- Rumours are mostly true. Mostly.
- Easy mode: three lives. No shame.
- Some names are more than names...
- On a real Next: copy
down-and-back-again.nexto your SD card. Pick it in the Browser and press ENTER. - In an emulator: open the
.nexfile in CSpect. Give it an SD card folder if you want your scores kept. - Your save: the game writes
dabagain.savbeside it: the hall of fame, unlocks and past heroes. Keep it when you download a new version.
Changelog
What's new
- Fire, water and ice: fire catches on doors and shelves and spreads, steam hides what's behind it, sparks carry through water, and cold freezes it solid. Monsters caught in the flames get burnt too.
- A new wand of frost, and icy rooms in the Glowcaves where you slide one square further than you meant to.
- A troll who gets cleverer in the cold. Answer his riddle and keep your gold.
- On the way back up, something tries to shut you in. Hold out.
- Talking, cooking and making a vow now get a clean screen of their own.
- Two ways down: some levels have a second stairs, and each one promises something different. The level below remembers which you took.
- A wandering pedlar with three things for sale. You can haggle, if you're lucky. Push your luck and he takes offence.
- An errand: a wizard in the tavern wants something from the Glowcaves, and pays when you bring it back.
- Old-school magic: a new dial for anyone who's won. Ready your spells as you arrive on each level, and each one is used up when you cast it.
- The music follows you: it goes quiet when you tiptoe past sleepers, and thins out as your torch runs low.
- Seasons: type a date as the dungeon number (DDMM) and the monsters dress for it. If your Next has a clock, the season comes by itself.
- The friend book lists every friend you've made, by name. More kinds can now join you as companions, and they come down the stairs with you.
- Torn diary pages: a past hero's story turns up about once a run.
- New pictures for a few familiar faces, and item names read better.
- A new front menu: a picture, with title music.
- Music for every region, and for the climb back up.
- Saving to the SD card: the hall of fame, unlocks, and your past heroes.
- Past heroes leave their mark on later runs.
- Relay mode for two players.
- H for help in the middle of a game.
- Name your favourite weapon after ten kills.
- Bouncy boots, wobbly bridges and rooms that don't quite add up.
- The game writes
lastrun.txt: the story of your last run.
- How to play, What's what and tips, all on the front menu.
- The map (M).
- The depth dial: a short run of six levels.
- A loading screen.
- Food, cooking at campfires, and feeding hungry animals.
- Fourteen more spells, and pets that learn a trick.
- Friendly folk to talk to.
- Secret doors, and the tavern's rumours.
- Faster drawing all round.
- The first playable dungeon: random levels, d20 fights, items, torchlight and line of sight.
- Four regions with their own monsters and bosses.
- The Sunstone, the dragon and the climb back up.
- Traps, shrines and special rooms.
- Classes, races, spells and pets.
- Easy mode, numbered dungeons and the hall of fame.
- Sound effects and music.
Coming next
On the list
- Clouds that drift: steam, spores and worse
- Vaults, and keys to open them
- Making camp between fights
- Harder modes for those who've won