Man, video games are so cool. Some of the most unique ideas in the world can only be done through the medium of interactive games, and Cryptmaster has officially taken my life by storm for that fact. Playing out like a typical dungeon crawler, I’m able to move. That’s about it. Everything else is done by typing and talking to the Cryptmaster themselves. They’ll chastise you for using naughty words. Yell at you if you want to take a nap. Refuse to Rap for your viewing pleasure. It’s such a unique concept, and it’s done so expertly that I can’t stop playing this. You’d think after typing all day, the last thing I would want to do is type some more. But Cryptmaster has its _ _ _ _ _ in me… But what could that be? LISTEN, LOOK, FEEL, TASTE, or LEAVE?
Riddles, Combat, Traversal. Nearly Everything in ‘Cryptmaster’ Is Done via Spelling Out Your Deepest Desires
I didn’t know what to expect when I first started Cryptmaster. I was unsure if it was going to be an on-rails adventure, akin to something like Typing of the Dead, or if it was going to have a bit more meat on its bones. Thankfully, for those adventurous types like myself, Cryptmaster gives you full control of your team of misfits. Joro, Syn, Maz, and Nix. Each member of the team brings unique skills to the battle, and everybody has a massive list of commands that they can do while fighting. But here’s the first thing that took me by surprise: they don’t remember any of their skills. By fighting enemies, I could slowly unlock small fragments of their skills, trying to guess them as I progressed further into dungeons.
Let’s say, for example, Nix has no skills. As a sorceress, she should be able to use magic, right? Well, I have a three-letter word that’s slowly filling up under her name. A blank space, and A & P. To solve this, I can begin typing anywhere in the overworld, hoping that I’ll eventually get it right. Nap. Rap. Pap. Lap. None of these are the right answer, and for some reason, my brain completely overlooks the more magical words like ZAP. Any time I type, the Cryptmaster itself has something snarky to say in return. It’s very humorous and makes the tone of the game feel much more meta than it has any right to.
Venturing Through the World of ‘Cryptmaster’ Is Incredibly Fun, and Combat Can Be Tricky To Master
Cryptmaster borrows a lot from classic dungeon crawlers like Wizardry, while forging its own path forward. It’s a game that doesn’t give you anything. You need to earn everything. If you come across something in the world, like a chest, you need to try and guess what’s inside it. Imagine an interactive version of Dungeons & Dragons, but the DM is a snarky, undead goblin. Then you’ve got the basic gist of what Cryptmaster has to offer. I can try to taste what’s in the chest. I can’t look at it, but I can sniff it. I can’t just… see exactly what it is, because that would ruin the fun. I have to try and piece together what may be waiting for me, based on a wild and weird description from an undead bastard that wants me to carry his Soulcube around.
I saw Cryptmaster last year and fell in love with the look of the game. It took me far too long to finally dive in, but I’m so glad that I did. That’s why I wanted to warn everybody else about potentially missing out on this game. It’s a very unique, interesting, and fun indie experience. One that could never be replicated by any AAA studio out there. Grab a notebook, jot down your stats and your prompts, and get to work by conquering the world in Cryptmaster. Pro tip? Tasting the stuff in the chest hardly helps. But it did help me discover when there was a Rat inside of one of them, so I guess that’s something, at least.
The post I’m Kicking Myself for Sleeping on ‘Cryptmaster’ for So Long. Don’t Be Like Me, Play This Typing Roguelike Right Now appeared first on VICE.
