Dene Carter, a developer and designer who was involved in the creation of Fable and Dungeon Keeper, has released a brand new roguelike RPG game on Steam. This game, called Moonring, draws inspiration from the classic PC game Ultima and is currently available for free on Valve’s platform. Moonring combines elements of dark fantasy, turn-based combat, retro mechanics, and a unique visual style.
If you’re not familiar with Dene Carter, you are definitely familiar with their work. Carter has played a significant role in the development and creation of popular PC games such as Dungeon Keeper, Syndicate Wars, Populous, and the Fable series. Working alongside Peter Molyneux at Bullfrog and later Lionhead, Carter contributed to the original Fable game as well as its sequels, Fable 2 and Fable 3. Now, this legendary game designer brings us Moonring, an RPG game with roguelike elements that can be downloaded for free on Steam.
Moonring offers a hand-crafted open world, dungeons that change and rearrange themselves every time you exit or die, a wide variety of enemy types, and a complete 50-song soundtrack. It follows the tile-based style of Ultima and places you in the role of a ‘Dreamless’ character exploring the mythical world of Caldera after it has been consumed by darkness.
“I’ve been a fan of RPGs since the early 1980s and have spent my childhood playing games like Lord British’s Ultima series and early roguelikes,” says Carter. “Moonring is my tribute to a style of gaming that has become less popular over time. It embraces vivid, bright sprites on stark black backgrounds, true open-world gameplay, and minimal handholding.
“When I played these games, I experienced a sense of joyous exploration and discovery. I ventured into the unknown darkness, actively participating in the gaming experience and filling in the gaps left by the simple graphics with my imagination. For those of you who had a similar experience, I hope Moonring captures the spirit of those days for you.”
Moonring has already received a ‘very positive’ rating on Steam based on more than 100 player reviews. You can download Moonring for the low price of $0 here.
Alternatively, if you miss the classic era of RPGs, you can explore some of the other top old games. You might also want to check out some of the best roguelike games available today.