Rogue and Temple of Apshai Trilogy Available on Steam

If you’re looking for some hassle-free old-school roleplaying, thanks to the efforts of Pixel Games UK, you can now purchase a couple of ancient Epyx titles on Steam.

First is Rogue, the rogue in roguelike, a game that started its own subgenre that’s still alive and kicking to this day. ASCII visuals, procedural generation, permadeath, you know the drill. Including the launch week discount, you can purchase the game for $2.54 or your regional equivalent.

Then, there’s the Temple of Apshai Trilogy, a remastered collection of three Dunjonquest games. Priced at $3.99 or your regional equivalent, this title is a classic dungeon crawler inspired by tabletop gaming. You can learn more about if you watch Matt Barton’s video on the Bronze Age of RPGs.

Here’s the official description for Rogue:

In the early 1980s, a computer game emerged that changed the world of fantasy gaming forever. Randomly generated rooms meant that each journey into the infamous Dungeons of Doom was unique. The potent combination of random generation with perma-death proved to be intoxicating, and the game was so influential it spawned an entire genre: “Rogue-likes”.

Now you too can experience the thrill of dungeon crawling for the fabled Amulet of Yendor in the original ASCII adventure.

• Battle dozens of unique and powerful enemies.
• Gather armor, weapons, food and other items to help you on your quest.
• Scour rooms for secret hidden doors and traps.
• Discover strange magical spells and potions, which have different wonderous effects every time you play the game.
• Survive through 26 randomly generated levels, each more tricky and dangerous than the last, to find the Amulet, then escape… if you can!

How long has it been?

How many lifetimes have passed since I began my sojourn through this maze of underground passageways, of damp, dimly lit chambers? How long have I been alone, the only human among a menacing crew of hideous subterranean beasts, stumbling over forlorn reminders that others have passed this way before me… never to return!

Long before I forgot the warmth of the noonday sun or the refreshing coolness of the evening breeze, I forgot my name. Call me what you will. I am the Rogue.

For Rogue aficionados, you may wish to know that this particular version is Epyx Rogue v1.49 for the IBM PC.

And one for the Temple of Apshai Trilogy:

Relive the classic fantasy role play experience that spellbound players in 1985. This game was a remastered combination of the three games from the Dunjonquest series (Temple of Apshai, Upper Reaches of Apshai, and Curse of Ra).

Create a character, buy equipment, enter the dungeon and prepare for adventure. Explore and fight your way to hidden treasure and magical items. Gain experience, cure your wounds, recover from fatigue and survive to reach the next level.

All that lies before you cannot be foretold, even by the Oracle. I can tell you that the greatest adventure lies not in the din of sword or shield, or in the rapacious hoard of silver and diamond. Nor in the gleam of distant sunsets, or the firm visage of mailed warriors who guard ancient kingdoms. It lies within. Within Apshai. Within you.