Sentient Play
Take a sneak peek at our crowdfunding campaign on Fig and help us bring this to life! http://www.fig.co/deathtrap-dungeon
The early ’80s were a golden age for gamers: videogame arcades were on every corner, all your friends were playing Dungeons and Dragons, and every personal computer had Adventure or Zork on it. And you—and your imagination—were at the center of the story.
Even if you were lucky enough to be a kid then, getting that sweet fantasy roleplaying fix still wasn’t easy. You could beg siblings and neighbors to play D&D [Quest failed!]. Or, after your mom threw all your D&D books in a fire because they looked satanic [Quest failed!], maybe you could convince your dad to buy an Apple IIe for his business…so you could play Zork and Wizardry and Ultima II [Quest complete!]. Or maybe that’s just me. Regardless, there was a simpler way: gamebooks.
Gamebooks were a convenient (solo! portable!) way to get that old-school roleplaying experience. Among the best was Deathtrap Dungeon™—a fun but deadly tournament maze designed by Ian Livingstone (who later launched Warhammer, Tomb Raider, and Hitman games) and Iain McCaig (who later designed iconic characters Darth Maul, Rocket & Groot, and other concepts for Star Wars, Avengers, Harry Potter, and other films).
Sentient Play is teaming up with Ian and Iain and a superteam of both the usual suspects (game industry talent) and the unexpected (like Alex Gygax, son of D&D’s co-creator, Gary Gygax) on a group quest to bring you the most convenient way to experience the very best parts of old-school roleplaying.
Enter, if you dare, a vast tournament labyrinth for a game of high-stakes decisions, where your educated guesses could lead to grave peril or fantastic rewards. In this single player roleplaying game, explore, fight monsters, craft items, solve puzzles, outwit opponents, and skill up your hero to be the first to conquer Deathtrap Dungeon.
Ideal for both veteran roleplayers looking for convenient solo play and new players looking for an easy intro to the classic pen-and-paper RPG experience, The Hero of Deathtrap Dungeon uses the Storybook Hero RPG engine to bring the best parts of “old-school” roleplaying to life in a modern, cinematic way. With the convenience of a gamebook, replayability like a survival roguelike, and the wide wonder of pen and paper roleplaying, this is a revolutionary “Novel” RPG where your actions quite literally write the book as you play.
For those that don’t know, Deathtrap Dungeon is a deadly tournament maze in the world of Fighting Fantasy. But something has changed… “First, there was smoke…” Watch the video below to know more:
Once a year, hopeful contestants, spectators, and gamblers from near and far descend on the city when it opens the doors to Deathtrap Dungeon for the Trial of Champions. Competing for a fortune in gold, champions face monsters, traps, and eventually each other—for only one can exit the dungeon triumphant. But this year, the dungeon is twice as large and twice as deadly:
Train, craft, trade, explore, fight, and uncover secrets to become powerful and experienced enough to be the first to make it all the way through the new expanded Deathtrap Dungeon. You have one month to master the dungeon, so use your time wisely: decide when to train and craft items, and when to journey into the dungeon to fulfill quests or attempt a final run all the way through the dungeon.
Jump Right In
Jump into the game immediately as a “level 0” character with a classless skill system. Build your character over time as you play, making more important decisions about your character once you’re further in and you have a better idea how you want to play.
Venture Into The Dungeon
Adventure into the dungeon to solve myriad quests. There are more potential missions than you can solve in one play-through so choose which ones best fit your goals. On expedition, move from encounter to encounter, stopping only to camp and rest in between as needed.