erynwells.me/content/nethack/index.md

---
title: Nethack
description: In which I play way too much of a silly command line Roguelike game.
type: nethack
---

Every so often I get hooked on [this game][nethack]. It's a command line
[Roguelike][rl] adventure game with rules based on Dungeons & Dragons. As far as
I know, it is the oldest computer game in ongoing development.

You play a character on a mission to retrieve the Amulet of Yendor, held in the
deepest level of Gehennom by the evil god Moloch, and ascend to demigodhood by
offering it to your deity. You are taught nothing and given no training, and
worse: almost every monster, item, and dungeon feature can kill you if you
aren't careful. The more you play, the more you learn, and the more you begin to
understand the risks and consequences.

In short: it's very hard, you die a lot, and it's easy to lose hours delving
deeper and deeper into the Dungeons of Doom, dying, and starting again. It's
tons of fun.

Since I started keeping records, I've played {{< nethack/n >}} games, and
ascended {{< nethack/ascensions >}} of them.

Here are my top 10 best games:

{{< nethack/topn 10 >}}

[nethack]: https://www.nethack.org
[rl]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roguelike