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I’ve been fascinated by game narratives over the years, and when I hear the word “crypt,” it conjures up images quite different from its traditional meaning.
In real life, crypts are places where families or nobility were laid to rest. In my gaming mind, however, I envision skeletons wielding swords, goblins lurking in the shadows, and magical treasures waiting to be unearthed.
In Cryptmaster, all those things are true, but instead of relying solely on brawn and swords, words are key to this game. I’ll explain.
The story goes something like this: In a faraway land, four heroes, famous for their deeds, gave their lives to save the world. They lay entombed in this crypt, but the mysterious Cryptmaster, for reasons unknown at the start, has brought them back to life. They rise and make their way up through the crypt, back into the world…
I enjoyed the atmosphere and mystery of the story. It has a charming, old-school dungeon-crawler feel that works well. The Cryptmaster’s quips and commentary are entertaining, whilst we discover that the heroes have lost all their memories, which sets up the game’s main mechanic.
The gameplay is unique, a blend of turn-based dungeon crawling and word puzzles reminiscent of Hangman. You move through the dungeon screen by screen, which, to be honest, feels a bit disorienting. But from there, word puzzles are the core of the gameplay. For example, you might approach a chest and try to open it. To obtain the item inside, you must correctly guess the word that represents it. The Cryptmaster provides clues, such as a taste or smell associated with the item. As you progress and unlock new words, you recover memories or gain special attacks for use in combat.
Each of the four heroes has a unique set of attacks that require specific words to activate. Remembering the correct word for each attack can be challenging, so I ended up keeping a cheat sheet handy.
Interestingly, health bars are tied to the number of letters in each hero’s name, giving the wizard the smallest health pool. Each attack consumes souls, which are earned by solving puzzles and completing challenges, and I found this unique battle system to be surprisingly engrossing and fun.
The hand-drawn monochrome visuals are captivating too. The artistry and attention to detail are superb, and the animation is fluid and expressive. Further to that, the menus are well-designed, all while the soundtrack complements the action perfectly, shifting from upbeat to sombre as needed. The Cryptmaster’s voice acting is excellent, with a touch of Vincent Price about it.
Cryptmaster is a charming and unique game that isn’t afraid to experiment. While the gameplay loop can sometimes feel repetitive, for the most part, it’s an enjoyable experience.
If you’re looking for an indie game that challenges your vocabulary and dungeon-crawling skills, Cryptmaster is worth checking out.
Cryptmaster Rises! Award-Winning Word-Powered Dungeon Crawler Summons Players on Xbox and PlayStation – https://www.thexboxhub.com/cryptmaster-rises-award-winning-word-powered-dungeon-crawler-summons-players-on-xbox-and-playstation/
Cryptmaster is on the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/cryptmaster/9p40p39f8b39