The Curse Of Yendor

About

"The Curse of Yendor" is a classical rogue-like sword and sorcery adventure, where your magic shapes the world. Explore vast procedural biomes, engage in deep tactical combat, solve puzzles, and defeat hordes of powerful monsters to prevent your nemesis from ascending to godhood. With support for keyboard and mouse control, and an infinite play mode, the challenge is available right now.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 66 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The Curse of Yendor offers a streamlined and accessible roguelike experience, making it suitable for both newcomers and veterans of the genre.
The game features engaging tactical combat with a variety of spells and environmental interactions, enhancing the gameplay experience.
With procedurally generated levels and a good balance of challenge and fun, players are encouraged to jump back in for multiple runs.

The game suffers from a limited inventory system and a lack of diverse classes and spells, which may lead to repetitive gameplay.
Some players have reported bugs and crashes, which can hinder the overall experience and enjoyment of the game.
The user interface and controls may feel outdated or clunky for modern gaming standards, potentially frustrating new players.

gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The gameplay of "The Curse of Yendor" is characterized by its streamlined mechanics and fluid, fast-paced roguelike experience, reminiscent of classic titles like DCSS and Brogue. While it lacks complex strategic elements, it offers a satisfying core loop with a variety of fantasy monsters and clear mechanics that encourage risk vs. reward decisions. The game effectively balances simplicity with depth, providing an engaging experience for both new and seasoned players.
- “Makes me feel like I'm playing a tabletop game with plenty of modifiers and great game mechanics in a world of magic and supernatural horrors.”
- “The Curse of Yendor is a compact classic roguelike game that manages to streamline the typical processes and user input of the genre, allowing for faster gameplay than most titles on the market.”
- “Very smooth, easy to get into roguelike - and as other reviewers here pointed out, it's a true roguelike in the sense that you've got grid-based movement, a player-centric turn-based system, and true permadeath without metaprogression but quite a lot of depth regarding gameplay.”
- “I played as a warrior of light and I felt the core gameplay loop was not very satisfying; nothing I fought ever really made me think strategically.”
- “Coy also requires heavy use of the keyboard for fast gameplay, so mouse-only players will need to adapt to get up to speed.”
- “The game mechanics aren't complex; however, they synergize well together.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its eerie 1970s roleplaying vibe and ability to enhance the atmosphere, while others find it forgettable and mismatched with the vibrant graphics. Many players appreciate the dark ambient soundtrack, noting that it complements the gameplay well, even leading some to forgo their usual music preferences. However, a few critics feel that the grim tone of the soundtrack clashes with the game's colorful visuals.
- “I want to take a moment and give praise to whoever did the soundtrack.”
- “Even the music captures an eerie 1970's roleplaying vibe.”
- “Oh and the music is peaceful, but eerie, and there is so much stuff, worth hours and hours of fun.”
- “The soundtrack doesn’t fit the graphics and it’s totally forgettable.”
- “The only thing I am not specifically fond of is the soundtrack, which is very grim and dark, and seems quite opposed to the visual theme of the game.”
- “There’s also a soundtrack with some weird ambient noises and sounds, but they don’t fit the colorful tilesets.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The graphics are praised for their vibrant retro tabletop aesthetic, featuring rich environments filled with intricate details and a unique charm reminiscent of late 80s gaming. While some players find the visuals colorful and engaging, others note that the fast-paced action can be disorienting. Overall, the graphics effectively enhance the game's atmosphere and are a standout feature compared to other rogue-likes.
- “The graphics are alive with retro tabletop richness pulsing with unearthly vitality, featuring varied environments where blood-soaked walls sing a song of death and agonizing flesh-wounding traps of metal and magic abound, wrapped in occult sigils and arcane symbols.”
- “To me, the graphics serve the game well and are colorful and easily identifiable at a glance.”
- “That being said, the graphics here are colorful and meaningful, and they're growing on me!”
- “Every other rogue-like is limited in this aspect with the same old graphics, textures, and levels that might change occasionally.”
- “My only complaint is that the graphics make me a little dizzy if I go too fast.”
- “The soundtrack doesn’t fit the graphics and it’s totally forgettable.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players have mixed feelings about grinding; some find it tedious due to repetitive tasks, while others appreciate that the grind feels engaging and enjoyable, allowing for many hours of gameplay without feeling overly burdensome.
- “Because of this, I was skipping half of them by the third level. The fact that they're always the same made it even more tedious.”
- “The grind feels repetitive and monotonous, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
In "The Curse of Yendor," character development is largely autonomous, allowing players to progress without manual adjustments to attributes or skills upon leveling up. This approach fosters engagement through gameplay rather than extensive stat-tweaking or lore reading, offering a more streamlined experience.
- “The Curse of Yendor approaches character development differently, allowing for autonomous growth through gameplay, which means players don't need to manually adjust attributes or skills upon leveling up.”
- “I love how character development feels organic in this game; my character evolves naturally based on the choices I make during gameplay.”
- “The depth of character development is impressive, as each decision impacts the storyline and the growth of my character in meaningful ways.”
- “However, the Curse of Yendor (referred to as 'Coy' henceforth) approaches the genre a bit differently, as character development is autonomous through gameplay, requiring no user input to adjust attributes or skills upon leveling up.”
- “With the lack of fiddling with character development, stat-tweaking, and reading massive chapters of lore and legend, you'll find yourself engaged simply playing the game.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the game's unpredictability and balanced mechanics as key factors that significantly enhance its replayability, making each session feel fresh and engaging.
- “You honestly don't know what you'll get from one game to the next, which adds greatly to the replay value.”
- “Its balance and replayability are pretty much unmatched in games of its type.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
The story is characterized as a solid and persistent narrative featuring a relatable villain, though it lacks extensive lore and depth typical of dungeon crawlers. The focus remains primarily on tactical combat rather than a rich storytelling experience.
- “A solid, persistent story with a villain that you begin to feel a relationship with.”
- “The narrative is engaging and keeps you invested in the characters and their journeys.”
- “The story unfolds in a way that makes each playthrough feel unique and meaningful.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent flow, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “Character development is shallow, leaving the players unable to connect with the protagonists.”
- “The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real surprises or emotional impact.”