Developer teedoubleuGAMES has released its roguelike game for PC, Door in the Woods. The game is unique in its throwback graphical design by using heavy themes of ASCII art and features little audio, making this look like something that could have appeared alongside Zork. While the game may seem simple in its initial presentation, Door in the Woods is an outstanding survival, turn-based roguelike that no player should miss.
Best Of Luck, You’ll Need It
Players begin on a random spot on the map with no instruction or tutorial. The thousands of deaths you’ll face will be more than enough to instruct you. Players begin in this unique-looking game by moving about the map using either the WASD keys or the mouse, foraging for all sorts of items needed to survive. Buildings are a great source of items, but usually require forcing a door open, which makes noise and, as a result, attracts dogs, zombies, vampires, and all other sorts of horrors that want only to murder you. Everything is turn-based, but the bottom line with enemies is to avoid confrontation wherever possible, at least at the beginning.
This should come as no surprise thanks to the claim of Lovecraftian themes incorporated into the game. Humans are at the bottom of the food chain, so to speak, when compared to the unspeakable horrors that lie in the shadows. Zombies are slow and can be outrun, but dogs and vampires are much faster. A close-range shot of your revolver might make short work of some opponents, but that precious bullet can also be saved for yourself.
Since the game is turn-based, there is no rush when dealing with an opponent. It is best to move slowly, as most creatures need you to be within a certain distance before they notice and pursue you. This is easy in the day, and deadly at night when your vision is limited. Although you can remain stationary to pass time in order for enemies to leave an area, it is often not advisable to wait around for too long. Hunger and thirst are conditions that need to be kept in check, and food and drink are always in short supply.
Experiences Matter Most
Death is not meant to be a finality in Door in the Woods, but more of a temporary setback. Experiences learned are important for the long-term story progression. Players will soon find that they need to go insane to start cranking out the experience, but dying with zero sanity points results in all of those experiences being lost for good. This means that players needs to plan to go insane, acquire experiences, and then regain at least some sanity before dying, which can be done by reading books.
No Saving, But Meaningful Progression From This Life To The Next
One feature that stands out is the lack of a save function in the game. There is no in-game menu either, as pressing the escape key makes clear. The only way out is to die by the hand of some horror, or suicide. The lack of a save option might be a turn off for some players, though thematically, it feels like a perfect fit when considering the nature of the game.
Individual runs vary in length and can largely be affected by the randomness of the map layouts, which often seem different in their creatures. While some attempts might be cut short by the unexpected appearance of enemies, one learns quickly how to survive, and most attempts can be quite long. Not being able to save feels like a purposeful design choice, but not one that most players will appreciate. If there were one thing to change with a future patch, it would be to add a save function, and maybe an achievement for those who play their games without using it if the creator wants to maintain the purity of the initial vision for the game.
Players should approach the game like a circle, with the goal of each run to gather as much experience as possible before dying and keeping it by watching their sanity. It is clear from the game menu that this is a game meant to be explored countless times, as the first episode is unlocked from the beginning, but the second and third require 100 experience. Although, with some practice, one can easily gather forty or fifty experience per run, this game is absolutely meant to be treated like a long-term adventure and not a quick run through the woods.
A Welcome Addition To All Things Lovecraftian
Door in the Woods thrusts a player headfirst into the unknown, keeping the graphics and audio as minimal as possible. Everything works in tandem to make players feel lost, confused, and without any sort of instruction. It succeeds wonderfully in its execution, and while it can be punishing, progression can often still be made at least in small steps through the experiences and sanity system.
Claiming to be a Lovecraftian-themed game in today’s market is a brave move, because attempting to translate the works of H.P. Lovecraft into the medium of video games is difficult to do and often misses the mark.
Players who are unfamiliar with the sub-genre of Cosmic Horror may be dissuaded from trying the game out, while hardcore fans might expect too much. The term "Lovecraftian" at its core demands that a player be weak and insignificant in the big picture of the world, and Door in the Woods executes this perfectly.
A PC copy of Door in the Woods was purchased by TheGamer for this review. Door in the Woods is available now for PC.
Door in the Woods