Brogue 1.7.5

Ironically, it seems that lately, the less intense the graphics, the more complex and deep the gameplay is to compensate. You can see this in Dwarf Fortress, and various indie titles. Unfortunately, too many people dismiss them completely because of their primitive graphics. One of many is Brogue, a roguelike RPG with incredible depth.

To install Brogue, simply unzip the archive and run the executable.

The first thing to note about this game is its learning curve, which is definitely not helped by its primitive graphics. The main gameplay loop is much like other roguelikes, with a couple of different changes. There are unidentified potions and scrolls, but in this game, they're less lethal and more fun. Effects can vary, from allies turning into enemies, the ground below you collapsing, the entire map being revealed by light, or high level enemies spawning in every corner.

The controls are also incredibly intuitive, as unlike many other ASCII games, this game has mouse controls. This is actually greatly supported - hovering over things will tell you their description and you can click on almost everything. Moving diagonally is incredibly intuitive unlike many other ASCII games, and you'll miss it by the time you move on to other ASCII games.

There are also some fun NPCs in this game such as the monkeys, which steal your things and run away, and sometimes they can become your ally if you rescue one. If any of this sounds appealing to you, then you should definitely give Brogue a download.