Editing Dungeon crawl

{{About|a scenario|the roguelike computer game|Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup}}
{{short description|Type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games}}
[[File:Warrek’s Nest.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|A dungeon map created for a tabletop role-playing game]]
A '''dungeon crawl''' is a type of scenario in [[fantasy]] [[role-playing game]]s (RPGs) in which heroes navigate a [[labyrinth]] environment (a "[[Dungeon#In fiction|dungeon]]"), battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find.<ref name="GoingKnogue">{{cite web |last1=Brewer |first1=Nathan |title=Going Rogue: A Brief History of the Computerized Dungeon Crawl |url=https://insight.ieeeusa.org/articles/going-rogue-a-brief-history-of-the-computerized-dungeon-crawl/ |website=IEEE-USA InSight |date=7 July 2016 |access-date=10 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110211406/https://insight.ieeeusa.org/articles/going-rogue-a-brief-history-of-the-computerized-dungeon-crawl/ |archive-date=10 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Video games]] and [[board games]] which predominantly feature dungeon crawl elements are considered to be a [[video game genre|genre]].<ref name="GoingKnogue" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Category: Dungeon Crawler {{!}} Family {{!}} BoardGameGeek|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamefamily/59218/category-dungeon-crawler|access-date=2021-10-25|website=boardgamegeek.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2020-06-22|title=10 best dungeon-crawler games you should delve into next|url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/mechanics/dungeon-crawling/best-games/best-dungeon-crawler-board-games|access-date=2021-10-25|website=Dicebreaker|language=en}}</ref>

== Board games ==
Dungeon crawling in board games dates to the 1975 release of ''[[Dungeon!]]''. Over the years, many games built on that concept.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chronological List of Dungeon Crawlers {{!}} BoardGameGeek|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/260737/chronological-list-dungeon-crawlers|access-date=2021-10-25|website=boardgamegeek.com|language=en-US}}</ref> One of the most acclaimed board games of the late 2010s, ''[[Gloomhaven]]'', is a dungeon crawler.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Theel|first=Charles|date=2021-10-13|title=Gloomhaven's digital adaptation is a marvelous turn-based dungeon crawler|url=https://www.polygon.com/reviews/22723403/gloomhaven-digital-review-pc-steam-mac-gog-adaptation|access-date=2021-10-25|website=Polygon|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Video games==
[[File:Crawl screenshot 6.png|thumb|''[[Crawl (video game)|Crawl]]'', a [[roguelite]] dungeon game]]
The first computer-based dungeon crawl was ''[[pedit5]]'', developed in 1975 by Rusty Rutherford on the [[PLATO (computer system)|PLATO interactive education system]] based in [[Urbana, Illinois]]. Although this game was quickly deleted from the system, several more like it appeared, including ''[[dnd (video game)|dnd]]'' and ''[[Moria (PLATO)|Moria]]''.<ref name="GoingKnogue" />

Computer games and series from the 1980s, such as ''[[Rogue (video game)|Rogue]]'', ''[[The Bard's Tale (1985 video game)|The Bard's Tale]]'', ''[[Cosmic Soldier (MSX)|Cosmic Soldier]]'', ''[[Dungeon Master (video game)|Dungeon Master]]'', ''[[Gauntlet (1985 video game)|Gauntlet]]'', ''[[Madō Monogatari]]'', ''[[Megami Tensei]]'', ''[[Might and Magic]]'', ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|Legend of Zelda]]'', ''[[Phantasy Star (video game)|Phantasy Star]]'',  ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]'', and ''[[Wizardry (video game series)|Wizardry]]'', helped set the standards of the genre. Their primitive graphics were conducive to this style, due to the need for repetitive tiles or similar-looking graphics to create effective mazes. ''[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]]''{{'}}s Matt Barton described ''[[Telengard]]'' (1982) as a "pure dungeon crawler" for its lack of diversions, and noted its expansive dungeons as a "key selling point".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-history-of-computer-role-playing-games-part-1-the-early-years-1980-1983- |access-date=August 30, 2014 |work=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] |publisher=[[UBM Tech]] |title=The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 1: The Early Years (1980-1983) |last=Barton |first=Matt |date=February 23, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827110647/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-history-of-computer-role-playing-games-part-1-the-early-years-1980-1983- |archive-date=2021-08-27 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Some dungeon crawlers from this era also employed [[action role-playing game]] combat, such as ''[[Dragon Slayer (series)|Dragon Slayer]]'',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kalata |first1=Kurt |title=Dragon Slayer |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dragon-slayer/ |access-date=10 January 2020}}</ref> and ''[[The Tower of Druaga]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Parish |first1=Jeremy |title=What Happened to the Action RPG? |url=http://www.1up.com/features/what-happened-action-rpg.html |website=[[1UP.com]] |access-date=10 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003182911/http://www.1up.com/features/what-happened-action-rpg.html |archive-date=3 October 2018 |date=30 July 2012}}</ref> Games that grew out of this style are also considered dungeon crawlers, in that the player is limited to the confines of the walls of the dungeon, but still allows for complex systems around combat, enemy behavior, and loot systems, as well as the potential for multiplayer and online play. ''[[Gauntlet (1985 video game)|Gauntlet]]'', ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]]'', ''[[The Binding of Isaac (video game)|The Binding of Isaac]]'' and ''[[Enter the Gungeon]]'' are examples of these dungeon crawlers.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/games/2021/oct/11/modern-video-game-genres-explained-metroidvania-dungeon-crawler |title = Dungeon crawler or looter shooter? Nine video game genres explained | first = Keith | last= Stuart | date = October 11, 2021 | accessdate = October 12, 2021 | work = [[The Guardian]] }}</ref>

Variations on the dungeon crawl [[wikt:trope|trope]] can be found in other [[genre]]s. In the early 2010s there was a modest resurgence in their popularity, particularly in Japan, largely due to the success of the ''[[Etrian Odyssey]]'' series by [[Atlus]].<ref name="1up_labyrinth">{{cite web|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|title=TGS: Beyond the Labyrinth is Beautiful But Puts the "Crawl" in "Dungeon-Crawler." (Nintendo 3DS) - Konami's new 3DS RPG is probably too specific to Japanese tastes to come to the U.S.|url=http://www.1up.com/previews/tgs-labyrinth-beautiful-puts-crawl|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|access-date=16 September 2011|date=2011-09-15|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128151703/http://www.1up.com/previews/tgs-labyrinth-beautiful-puts-crawl|archive-date=28 November 2011}}</ref>

=== Instance dungeon ===
In [[massively multiplayer online game]]s, an [[Instance dungeon|instance]] is a special area, typically a dungeon or a restricted dungeon-like environment, that generates a new copy of the location for each group or certain number of players that enters the area.<ref name="Carless">{{cite book | title=Gaming hacks | author=Simon Carless | year=2004 | publisher=O'Reilly Media | isbn=978-0-596-00714-0 | page=112 | quote=A term used to describe a private portion of a gameworld created just for an individual or group of players.}}</ref>  Instancing, the general term for the use of this technique,<ref name="Carless" /> addresses several problems encountered by players in the shared spaces of [[virtual world]]s, but also sacrifices the social element of shared spaces and realistic immersion in that virtual world. They also tend to be a lot smaller and more linear.

===First-person party-based dungeon crawlers===
[[File:Legend of Grimrock screenshot 01.jpg|thumb|An in-game screenshot from ''[[Legend of Grimrock]]'', a first-person [[Tile-based video game|grid-based]] dungeon crawler in the style of ''[[Dungeon Master (video game)|Dungeon Master]]''.<ref name="edge2012">{{cite web|author=Edge Staff|date=2012-04-12|title=Legend Of Grimrock review|url=http://www.edge-online.com/reviews/legend-grimrock-review|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710085959/http://www.edge-online.com/reviews/legend-grimrock-review|archive-date=July 10, 2012|access-date=2012-05-09|publisher=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]}}</ref> In the center of the image is the view into the Dungeon. On the right is the open inventory of a party member.]]
This subgenre consists of RPGs where the player leads a party of adventurers in [[First-person (video games)|first-person perspective]], typically in a grid-based environment. Examples include the aforementioned ''Wizardry'', ''Might and Magic'' and ''Bard's Tale'' series; as well as the ''Etrian Odyssey'' and ''[[Elminage]]'' series. Games of this type are also known as "blobbers", since the player moves the entire party around the playing field as a single unit, or "blob".<ref>{{cite web|last=Cobbett|first=Richard|date=December 5, 2016|title=The RPGs of 2017|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/12/05/the-rpgs-of-2017/|access-date=2017-05-22|website=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Pepe |first=Felipe |date=June 25, 2015 |title=CRPG History Abridged - 21 RPGs that brought something new to the table |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/audio/crpg-history-abridged---21-rpgs-that-brought-something-new-to-the-table |access-date=2017-05-22 |website=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] |publisher=UBM}}</ref>

Many "blobbers" are turn-based, such as the [[play-by-mail]] game ''[[Heroic Fantasy]]'', but some games such as ''[[Dungeon Master (video game)|Dungeon Master]]'', ''[[Legend of Grimrock]]'' and ''[[Eye of the Beholder (video game)|Eye of the Beholder]]'' series are played in real-time. Early games in this genre lack an [[automap]] feature, forcing players to draw their own maps in order to keep track of their progress. Spatial puzzles are common, and players may have to, for instance, move a stone in one part of the level in order to open a gate in another part of the level.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Video games}}
*[[Play-by-mail game]]
*[[Role-playing game terms]]
*[[Roshia's Gauntlet (Code of the Rats)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{VideoGameGenre}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dungeon Crawl}}
[[Category:20th-century neologisms]]
[[Category:Dungeon crawler board games| ]]
[[Category:Dungeon crawler video games| ]]
[[Category:Role-playing game terminology]]
[[Category:Video game genres]]
[[Category:Video game terminology]]