SanctuaryRPG

Developer(s)	Black Shell Games
Engine	C++
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Genre(s)	RPG, roguelike, strategy, adventure

SanctuaryRPG is a roguelike adventure video game developed by Black Shell Games. In the game, players create a character and travel throughout the game in search of The Matron.

Gameplay

SanctuaryRPG is a strategic turn-based monster slaying and dungeon crawling adventure set in a retro ASCII-art world. The game puts players in control of an adventurer in search of The Matron. The game does have a linear storyline, but players are free to adventure in the game as they wish. After customizing their character and choosing from several game modes, the player is thrust in the game world. While traveling, the player must defeat many different types of enemies, ranging from slimes, to skeletons and robots. The game has permadeath in Classic mode, so when the player dies in the game, there isn't an option to respawn.

To explore the game world, the player can select destinations via context menu. Players will engage in battle with various beasts in these areas via a combo-based combat system. Winning battles grants the player gold, experience points, and sometimes, various items. In addition to the combat, players can also explore the world and talk to various non-player characters throughout the game. There is a crafting system in the game as well, which allows players to create their own weapons and armors. The game also contains humorous dialogue, and continually reminds players of it's light-hearted nature.

Reception

PC Gamer's Tom Sykes describes the game as, "a streamlined and grind-free take on Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest and early Ultima and Things Like That". He goes on further to elaborate that the game is, "an expansive firstpersonish fantasy world you interact with by typing numbers on your keyboard." With regard to the game world itself, he noted that, "Narration and dialogue is playful and pretty funny, while the lack of painstakingly drawn art has allowed the team to imagine outlandish creatures and scenarios to their heart's content." Pearson concluded, "Despite appearances – and despite the whole permadeath thing in Classic mode – Sanctuary is actually fairly streamlined and forgiving, downplaying timesinky stuff like inventory management to ensure that you're always moving forward."

Rock Paper Shotgun's Konstantinos Dimopoulos review of the game states, "Describing SanctuaryRPG as a huge, hilarious and most honorable devourer of free time would be an understatement. Also, a rather vague statement too, as this freeware beauty also happens to be a proper, full-fledged text-based RPG with some terrific ASCII illustrations and outrageous bosses, that lets you fantasize about being anything from a burly barbarian or a pious paladin to a roaming ranger or a wicked wizard."

Destructoid's Patrick Hancock praised the game, stating that "It's got a very old-school vibe thanks to the ASCII graphics and UI, but the combat feels modern and intelligent. It caters to a wide variety of players, even if you don't have any sort of nostalgia for games like Nethack or Zork."

External Links

• Official Wiki
• Official Forum
• Store