Telengard

Telengard

Released1982
Telengard is an earlier example of a "dungeon crawler" role-playing game--albeit with a top-down view- with either real time movement (DOS version) or turn-based movement and turn based combat. Telengard is also played in real time, which means that monsters can attack even when the player's character is not moving. The player controls a single adventurer, selecting randomly-rolled sets of attributes: Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, Dexterity, and Charisma. The vast Telengard dungeon consists of 50 levels down and 200 by 200 rooms each level. Experience is awarded not only for defeating enemies, but also for finding treasure. When the player character gains a level, their attributes increase, and they gain the ability to cast higher-leveled spells. Treasure chests appear randomly in the dungeon. There are also specific features such as altars, thrones, fountains, etc. that the adventurer can discover which may have various effects on the character, whether being either positive or negative. Some creatures will befriend the player, sometimes providing the player with an item and/or healing them, provided the player's Charisma is high enough.
73Wit Score

Details

DeveloperMicrocomputer Games, Inc., Orion Software, Inc.
PublisherThe Avalon Hill Game Company, Kiya Overseas Industry
ReleasedDecember 31, 1982
StatusReleased
GenresRole-playing (RPG)Adventure
ThemesFantasy
PlatformsDOS DOSCOM Commodore C64/128/MAXATA Atari 8-bitAPP Apple IICOM Commodore PETPC- PC-8800 SeriesTRS TRS-80PC- PC-9800 SeriesFM- FM-7
ModesSingle player

Wit-Index Intelligence

Community Score
Worth Playing73/100

About This Game

An ancient and mysterious dungeon known as Telengard sprawls beneath the world, its true origins lost to time and speculation. Adventurers descend into its labyrinthine depths driven by rumors of untold wealth and arcane power, though whispers suggest the dungeon itself may be cursed—some claim it feeds a malevolent entity lurking in its lowest reaches, while others believe it serves as a crucible for proving the mettle of warriors and mages alike. Few who venture to its deepest levels return unchanged, yet the lure of riches and magical artifacts proves irresistible, drawing even seasoned fighters back into its shadowy corridors again and again despite the mortal risks that await them there.