Cryptmaster

Last updated
Cryptmaster
Cryptmaster cover.jpg
Developer(s) Paul Hart, Lee Williams
Publisher(s) Akupara Games
Composer(s) surasshu, Stemage, Catton Arthur [1]
Engine Unity [2]
Platform(s) Windows, XBox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5,
Release
  • WW: May 9, 2024
Genre(s) Puzzle, RPG, dungeon crawler, word game [3]
Mode(s) Single-player

Cryptmaster is a 2024 role-playing word game developed by Paul Hart and Lee Williams, and published by Akupara Games. It was released on Steam, GOG, and Itch.io on May 9, 2024 for Windows. The game is played by typing words on a keyboard.

Contents

It has received positive reviews for its gameplay and visual design. It has won awards from Independent Games Festival, BIG Festival, and IndieCade.

Gameplay

The player controls a party of four members: Joro (a fighter), Syn (a rogue), Maz (a bard), and Nix (a wizard). [4] [5] The player is accompanied by the eponymous Cryptmaster, a necromancer who also acts on the player's behalf during some interactions. Additionally, the Cryptmaster provides assistance and guidance throughout the game, explaining the mechanics and offering guidance. Each party member's health is represented by the number of letters they have in their name. Additional letters can be added on to their names after leveling up to increase health.

The game's elements and mechanics are entirely reliant on typing. Players navigate, battle, and progress through the game by typing out a word describing an action or response. 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, both unique to that party member. [6] While in battle, learned moves are executed by whom they belong to. Winning a battle will yield one letter from the enemy's name. Moves may also be used outside of battle. [5]

Puzzles are present throughout the environment in chests, skulls, and in other plot elements. Chests are opened by guessing their contents, and they provide multiple random letters that act as hints for what a party member's potential move or backstory may be. [7] Living skulls pose riddles to the player – a correct answer will yield souls. Souls are stored inside of a "Soulstone" that belongs to the Cryptmaster. Souls are used as magic energy for certain moves such as healing.

The game also features "Whatever", an optional card game that can be played with any NPC. [8] The turn-based game Whatever has players spell the names of cards to execute them. [6]

Accessibility

Optionally, a push-to-talk option can be enabled, replacing the keyboard with voice input. [9] This option is only on Windows 10 and greater and it requires a system setting to be enabled. Using voice control disables some minor gameplay elements and encounters. The combat pacing can also be changed from real-time to turn-based, to accommodate for controllers. [8] [10]

An option to show hints and make the puzzles easier is also available.

Plot

Four heroes had battled a "great evil" but perished after. They awaken in a crypt, having been resurrected by the Cryptmaster, an eponymous necromancer. The Cryptmaster has the group ascend the crypt (which has since had multiple layers built atop it) so that he can break into the world of the living. [6] As a result of being dead for so long, all four heroes have lost their memories and abilities; they regain their strength as the game progresses.

Development

Conception

The game's development started when co-developer Lee Williams offered to write for free for a number of indie games. In 2014, Paul Hart accepted Williams's offer. Cryptmaster was created after many iterations of an idea in which words were the core gameplay mechanic. The duo state that the typing mechanic only became more of a focus because it was easier for players, and that originally, typing was not the intention. [2]

Design

After deciding on the controls early, Williams and Hart worked on merging combat with typing. Initially, the first version gave players all skills at the start and attributes were upgraded as they played. The duo cite Hangman, Wordle, and Wheel of Fortune as examples of games they drew inspiration from. [2]

Dialogue

Cryptmaster features an extensive voice-recorded dictionary of words and phrases that are used to respond to the wide variety of words that players may enter. [4] It also has a system for putting together and determining which lines to use. First, it checks for a unique response made for a specific word. Second, it checks in "pools" of word categories (verb, item, expletive). Lastly, it plays a default response. Williams says that he "recorded more or less a whole dictionary's worth of words". [2]

Reception

Cryptmaster received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator website Metacritic, scoring a 77/100 on the site. [11] Many critics praised its unique mechanics, humor, and art style. It has won the "Excellence in Design" award at the Independent Games Festival, [15] and the "Jury Prix Award" at IndieCade. [17]

The game's art style received particular praise. [18] [13] [6] Alex McHugh of PCGamesN enjoyed the game art style and graphics, touting the monochrome graphics and weird enemies, saying players battle "with bizarre monsters, giant wobbling eyes peering at you out of doors, and much more to greet you on your journey." [19] [9]

Others noted the game's humor and jokes. Ars Technica 's Kevin Purdy praised the game's humor and commented that "Cryptmaster ... seems like the worst possible game for people like me, and yet I dig it." Purdy and Mollie Taylor of PC Gamer noted how the Cryptmaster particularly responds to profanity. [4] [10] Jerry Williams of RPGFan praised the pacing and Cryptmaster character's humor and personality. [6]

Mikhail Madnani, writing for TouchArcade , reviewed the game on a Steam Deck. He noted how despite the game's reliance on the keyboard, it does support using a controller. [14] Noah Cochrane, in a review for GameTyrant, complimented the game's voice acting and sound design, noting the ambient music contributed to the atmosphere. [5]

Slant was more negative, criticizing the repetition and lore. Aaron Riccolo said that, "Above all, Cryptmaster suffers from you having too many words to learn and there being far too few chapters in which to do so." [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dungeon crawl</span> Type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games

A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) in which heroes navigate a labyrinth environment, battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find. Video games and board games which predominantly feature dungeon crawl elements are considered to be a genre.

<i>Retro/Grade</i> 2012 video game

Retro/Grade is a video game developed by 24 Caret Games. The game is about ace pilot Rick Rocket, who must repeat his last space battle in reverse in order to protect the space time continuum. The game play is rhythm-based and timed to original music by Skyler McGlothlin. In January 2009, it was nominated for two Independent Games Festival awards: Excellence in Audio and Excellence in Design. In October 2010, it won the Audience Choice Award at IndieCade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IndieCade</span> Independent game festival

IndieCade is an international juried festival of independent games. Game types include video games, live-action games, and tabletop games. Independent game developers are selected to demo, screen, and promote their work at the annual IndieCade festival and showcase events. IndieCade also includes a conference track featuring classes, panels, workshops, and keynotes. Since 2020, the annual festival has taken place online under the name IndieCade Anywhere & Everywhere.

<i>Recettear: An Item Shops Tale</i> 2007 video game

Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale is a role-playing game developed by Japanese dōjin maker EasyGameStation for the Windows operating system. The game follows a young girl named Recette, who is charged by the fairy Tear to run an item shop out of her house to pay off the considerable debt her father had accumulated before his mysterious disappearance; the eponymous shop is a portmanteau of the lead characters' names. In the game, the player controls Recette in several areas of gameplay, including bargaining and haggling with clients for goods, and accompanying an adventurer into randomly generated dungeons to acquire goods to sell, with the goal of paying back the debt within a fixed deadline.

<i>Dungeon Defenders</i> 2010 video game

Dungeon Defenders is a hybrid multiplayer video game developed by Trendy Entertainment that combines the genres of tower defense and action role-playing game. It is based on a showcase of Unreal Engine 3 named Dungeon Defense. The game takes place in a fantasy setting where players control the young apprentices of wizards and warriors and defend against hordes of monsters. A sequel titled Dungeon Defenders II was released in 2015.

<i>Dungeons of Dredmor</i> 2011 video game

Dungeons of Dredmor is a roguelike indie video game released on July 13, 2011, by Gaslamp Games. A downloadable content (DLC) pack, "Realm of the Diggle Gods", was released later that year. A second DLC, "You Have To Name The Expansion Pack", was released on June 5, 2012, and a third, "Conquest of the Wizardlands", was released on August 1, 2012. The game has extensive support for user-created modifications.

<i>Mind Zero</i> 2013 video game

Mind Zero, stylized MIND≒0, is a dungeon crawler role-playing video game developed for the PlayStation Vita. It was developed jointly by Acquire and Class of Heroes developer ZeroDiv, and published by GungHo Online Entertainment. It was released in Japan on August 1, 2013, and in May 2014 in Europe and North America by Aksys Games.

Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release development cycles, such as pre-alpha, alpha, and/or beta, while the developer is able to use those funds to continue further development on the game. Those that pay to participate typically help to debug the game, provide feedback and suggestions, may have access to special materials in the game. The early-access approach is a common way to obtain funding for indie games, and may also be used along with other funding mechanisms, including crowdfunding. Many crowdfunding projects promise to offer access to alpha and/or beta versions of the game as development progresses; however, unlike some of these projects which solicit funds but do not yet have a playable game, all early access games offer an immediately playable version of the unfinished game to players.

<i>Dicey Dungeons</i> 2019 video game

Dicey Dungeons is a roguelike deck-building game developed by Irish game designer Terry Cavanagh. It was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux in August 2019, for Nintendo Switch in December 2020, for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in November 2021, and for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in February 2023. Ports for iOS and Android were released in July 2022.

<i>Torchlight III</i> 2020 video game

Torchlight III is an action role-playing game and the third game in the Torchlight series. It is developed by American studio Echtra Games and published by Perfect World Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in October 2020.

<i>Minecraft Dungeons</i> 2020 video game

Minecraft Dungeons is a 2020 dungeon crawler video game developed by Mojang Studios and Double Eleven and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is a spin-off of the sandbox video game Minecraft and was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2020. It was also adapted into an arcade video game by Raw Thrills. The arcade version released in May 2021. The game would later cease development on September 28, 2023.

<i>Boyfriend Dungeon</i> 2021 video game

Boyfriend Dungeon is a dungeon crawler-dating sim developed and published by Kitfox Games. Taking place in an urban fantasy setting, the player character must fight through dungeons with the help of a human partner who can transform into a sentient weapon. Outside of dungeons, the player can date their partner in visual novel-style sequences that increase their power in combat. It was released for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows on August 11, 2021, followed by a PlayStation 5 version on February 14, 2023.

<i>Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem</i> 2020 video game

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem is an action role-playing dungeon crawler video game developed and published by Wolcen Studios and released for Windows in February 2020 and for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in March 2023. The dark fantasy-themed game progresses across a three-act storyline in which players explore procedurally-generated maps to battle hordes of monsters and collect valuable loot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adult Swim Games</span> Video game publishing division of Adult Swim

Adult Swim Games is the video game publishing division of Adult Swim, a brand of The Cartoon Network, Inc..

<i>RPG Time: The Legend of Wright</i> 2022 video game

RPG Time: The Legend of Wright is a 2022 adventure video game developed by DeskWorks and published by Aniplex. Described as a "handwritten role-playing game", the visuals of RPG Time are depicted as a hand-drawn series of paper-and-pencil games on a notebook presented to the player as a role-playing adventure. Development of the game was led by Japanese designer Tom Fuji, who had worked on the game for over ten years, and cited his childhood experiences with hand-made games from craft materials as the inspiration for the game's visual design and theme.

<i>Dungeons of Dreadrock</i> 2022 video game

Dungeons of Dreadrock is a puzzle video game created by German indie developer Christoph Minnameier. It is set in a Nordic fantasy world, where the player assumes the role of a young woman who rescues her brother from the eponymous cave system. The game was released in 2022 for Android, iOS, Windows, and Nintendo Switch.

<i>Videoverse</i> 2023 video game

Videoverse is a 2023 narrative adventure game developed and published by Kinmoku. Players control a teenage gamer in 2003 and help him navigate relationships on a fictional social network dedicated to his favorite video game. Upon release, Videoverse received acclaim from critics, with reviewers highlighting the game's nostalgic imitation of early online communities and the strength of its writing, dialogue and themes.

Plug In Digital is a French video game publisher and distributor. They were founded in 2012 and established two subsidiaries since then: Dear Villagers, who publish mid-market games for personal computers and consoles, and PID Games, who publish games of all varieties.

Dungeonborne is an upcoming multiplayer dark fantasy video game developed by Mithril Interactive. The developers describe the game as a combination of player versus environment and player versus player with extraction and battle royale features.

<i>Sun Haven</i> (video game) 2023 video game

Sun Haven is a 2023 farm life sim action role-playing game developed and published by American indie studio Pixel Sprout Studios. The video game was released on March 11, 2023 for Windows. The game was also ported to the Nintendo Switch in North and South America on November 29, 2024 and in Europe on December 16, 2024. It has often been compared with similar games such as Stardew Valley and Dungeons & Dragons.

References

  1. ↑ @thecryptmaster (June 2, 2024). "I've received a number of lovely comments about the music in my game just recently. I'd love to say I composed it all myself but in truth our wonderful bard @surasshu was responsible, with guitar and bass from @Stemage and @CattonArthur" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Couture, Joel. "How dungeon crawler Cryptmaster responds to anything you type into its word-based systems". www.gamedeveloper.com. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  3. ↑ Carpenter, Nicole (22 July 2024). "You need to play Cryptmaster — but dear god, don't use a compact keyboard". Polygon . Vox Media. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Purdy, Kevin (2024-05-11). "Cryptmaster is a dark, ridiculous RPG test of your typing and guessing skills". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  5. 1 2 3 Cochrane, Noah (2024-05-09). "CRYPTMASTER Review: A New TYPE Of Game". GameTyrant. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Williams, Jerry (2024-05-09). "Cryptmaster Review | RPGFan". www.rpgfan.com. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  7. ↑ Watts, Rachel (2023-05-16). "Cryptmaster is a bizarre fill-in-the-blank dungeon crawler where words are your weapons". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  8. 1 2 Gibbons, Brodie (2024-05-09). "Cryptmaster Review – Words Are Weapons". Press Start. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  9. 1 2 "Cryptmaster is a sublime, sinister blend of word puzzles and dungeon crawling, and you can try it now for free". PCGamesN. 2023-12-06. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  10. 1 2 Taylor, Mollie (2024-05-14). "My penchant for yapping keeps getting me into trouble when the words I type could accidentally kill me". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  11. 1 2 "Cryptmaster". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  12. ↑ "Cryptmaster Reviews". OpenCritic. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  13. 1 2 M, Marley (2024-05-09). "Cryptmaster Review: An Innovative Indie Game Blending Language and Dungeon Crawling". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  14. 1 2 Madnani, Mikhail (2024-05-17). "Steam Deck Weekly: New Steam Deck Verified Games, Trailers, and Reviews Including Cryptmaster, Samurai Warriors 4 DX, PO'ed, and More – TouchArcade" . Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  15. 1 2 "2024 Finalists | Independent Games Festival". Independent Games Festival. 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  16. ↑ "Cryptmaster | 2024 Entry | Independent Games Festival". Independent Games Festival. 2023-12-06. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  17. 1 2 "Festival 2023 Award Winners – IndieCade" . Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  18. ↑ Tury, Jord. "Cryptmaster Review (PC) - Gaming.net". www.gaming.net. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  19. ↑ "This bizarre but beautiful word-based dungeon crawler is out now on Steam". PCGamesN. 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  20. ↑ Riccio, Aaron (2024-05-09). "'Cryptmaster' Review: Words Fail". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.