Charnel

Diablo, but with guns.

wishlist on steam

coming 2027 · windows · mac · linux

Descend into the crypts, where darkness reigns, the dead linger, and your light only reaches so far. In this real-time ASCII roguelike, you'll uncover an arsenal of weapons, battle hordes of the damned, and navigate an ever-changing labyrinth, with one life to reach the bottom.

A packed arsenal

From pistols and shotguns to sniper rifles and belt-fed machine guns, you'll find no shortage of firepower as you plumb the depths. Just keep an eye on your ammo count.

Modified weapons

With varying quality and attachments, every gun you'll come across is unique. Silencers, extended magazines, and full-auto conversions are just a few of the modifications you'll find while scavenging for upgrades.

A sawn-off, semi-auto shotgun on the floor of the ossuary beside a lit shrine, with its card open.

Battle in the dark

The crypts are poorly lit and occasionally devoid of light entirely. Your flashlight is the only guaranteed source of light and only reveals where you aim. The sound of gunfire draws enemies closer, so you'll often hear what's coming before you see it.

Explore an ever-changing labyrinth

Every crypt is home to unique dead, and every run takes a different path through them as you descend. The deeper you go, the deadlier and more numerous the enemies become, but so do the rewards.

A drowned rises out of a pool in the flooded cistern, caught in the flashlight's beam.

Challenging bosses, unique rewards

Each crypt is guarded by a keeper: an enemy far more threatening than anything else you'll encounter. Conquer them to claim their cache and a chance at a unique weapon you won't find anywhere else.

An elite pack charges down the flashlight's beam in the catacombs.

No levels, one life

Your skill and knowledge of the enemy are your primary sources of progression. The guns you find and occasional shrines that grant bonuses will aid you along the way, but death is almost certain, and final.

An incendiary burns across the path of two elite mourners in the charnel, and the player stands back at the edge of the fire.

Retro by design

An immersive isometric experience made entirely in ASCII, illuminated by torches and the flashlight on your gun. The CRT filter is optional, but encouraged.

A host swells with spores at the end of the flashlight's beam in the spore warrens.
Charnel wishlist on steam

coming 2027 · windows · mac · linux