Cryptmaster

Cryptmaster is a 2023 role-playing word game from developers Paul Hart and Lee Williams, published by Akupara Games. It launched on Steam, GOG, and Itch.io for Windows on May 9, 2023. The game revolves entirely around typing words on a keyboard to control every action.

Players lead a party of four resurrected heroes: Joro the fighter, Syn the rogue, Maz the bard, and Nix the wizard. They are guided by the Cryptmaster, a necromancer who also acts on their behalf in certain interactions and explains the game's mechanics. Each character's health equals the number of letters in their name, and leveling up adds more letters to increase that health.

Typing drives navigation, combat, and progression. Below each party member's name is a sequence of letters that, when discovered and typed, unlocks a unique battle move or piece of backstory. In combat, learned moves are executed by their owner. Winning a fight grants one letter from the enemy's name. Moves can also be used outside of battle.

Puzzles appear in chests, skulls, and story elements. Chests are opened by guessing their contents, revealing random letters that hint at a party member's moves or history. Living skulls pose riddles; correct answers yield souls stored in the Cryptmaster's Soulstone, which fuel magic moves like healing. The game also includes "Whatever," an optional card game where players spell card names to play them against NPCs.

For accessibility, a push-to-talk option replaces the keyboard with voice input on Windows 10 and above, though it disables some minor content. Combat pacing can switch from real-time to turn-based for controller support. Hints and easier puzzles are also optional.

The plot begins with four heroes who died battling a "great evil." They awaken in a crypt, resurrected by the Cryptmaster, who wants them to ascend the multi-layered crypt so he can break into the world of the living. Having been dead so long, the heroes have lost their memories and abilities, regaining them as the game progresses.

Development started when co-developer Lee Williams offered to write for free for indie games, and Paul Hart accepted in 2014. The idea evolved through many iterations centered on words as the core mechanic. Typing became the focus because it was easier for players, though it wasn't the original intention. The duo drew inspiration from Hangman, Wordle, and Wheel of Fortune. E