Cryptmaster

Lore & Background

The game follows four heroes—Joro (a fighter), Syn (a rogue), Maz (a bard), and Nix (a wizard)—who had battled a 'great evil' but perished. They awaken in a crypt, resurrected by the eponymous Cryptmaster, a necromancer who guides them. The Cryptmaster has the group ascend the crypt, which has had multiple layers built atop it, so he can break into the world of the living. Having been dead for so long, the heroes have lost their memories and abilities, regaining them as the game progresses. The Cryptmaster acts on the player's behalf during some interactions and provides assistance and guidance throughout the game, explaining mechanics and offering guidance. Each party member's health is represented by the number of letters in their name; additional letters can be added after leveling up to increase health. All four party members bear a sequence of letters below their name that, when discovered and typed, reward either a battle move or plot information unique to that member. In battle, learned moves are executed by the member they belong to. Winning a battle yields one letter from the enemy's name. Moves may also be used outside of battle. Puzzles appear in chests, skulls, and other plot elements. Chests are opened by guessing their contents and provide random letters that hint at a party member's potential move or backstory. Living skulls pose riddles; a correct answer yields souls stored in a Soulstone belonging to the Cryptmaster, used as magic energy for moves such as healing. The game also features 'Whatever', an optional card game played with any NPC where players spell the names of cards to execute them.

Reader's Guide

Cryptmaster is notable for its complete reliance on typing as the sole input method, a design choice that emerged after many iterations of a word-based core mechanic. Co-developer Lee Williams offered to write for free for indie games in 2014, and Paul Hart accepted, leading to the game's creation. The duo initially did not intend typing to be the focus, but it became easier for players and was adopted. They drew inspiration from Hangman, Wordle, and Wheel of Fortune. The game features an extensive voice-recorded dictionary of words and phrases that respond to player input, with a system that first checks for a unique response, then checks word category pools (verb, item, expletive), and finally plays a default response. Williams recorded 'more or less a whole dictionary's worth of words.' The game's art style received particular praise, with critics noting the monochrome graphics and bizarre enemies. The humor and the Cryptmaster's responses to profanity were also highlighted. The game won the 'Excellence in Design' award at the Independent Games Festival and the 'Jury Prix Award' at IndieCade. Accessibility options include push-to-talk voice input (Windows 10 and greater, requiring a system setting), which replaces the keyboard but disables some gameplay elements and encounters. Combat pacing can be changed from real-time to turn-based to accommodate controllers, and an option to show hints and make puzzles easier is available.

Did You Know?

• The game's health system ties each party member's hit points to the number of letters in their name.
• The Cryptmaster responds to profanity with specific voice-recorded lines.
• Players can optionally use voice input instead of typing on Windows 10 and later.
• The game includes an optional card game called 'Whatever' played by spelling card names.