Crawl doesn't look very interesting at first glance: it's a randomly generated dungeon crawler with a retro aesthetic. Look deeper though, and you'll find a devious multiplayer twist. One player takes control of the hero, while up to three other players control monsters and traps. If one of the monster players manages to kill the hero, then they get a turn at being the nice guy.
In Early Access now for $10 , developers Powerhoof describe Crawl as "bullet-hell beat-em-up meets old-school RPG", which judging by the trailer below is an apt description. The 'hero' player's goal is to negotiate the dungeons in order to face the final boss, which is controlled by all monster players collaboratively. Along the way the hero will try to accrue as much XP and loot as possible, naturally.
Powerhoof plans to add more features and loot to the game during its Early Access period, including new weapons, spells, items, monsters, traps and bosses, as well as whole new environments. The studio is also mulling over whether to include online multiplayer, though the idea is in its infancy. If you don't have friends nearby, then you're probably not going to get much out of Crawl for the time being.
