Dungeon Crawl is a free open-source role playing game I've been playing since the late 1990's. Back in those days Dungeon Crawl used ASCII graphics not the current tile-set model that it uses now so, for the majority of my childhood, me very favorite character in any RPG ever was an "@" symbol.
I've always been the kind of person who is attracted to complexity in gaming and Dungeon Crawl has that in droves. As soon as you show up to create a character you're met with a wall of options for races and then another for classes. For an oldschool low fantasy fan this is a smorgasbord of options to try out, which is good, because Dungeon Crawl is a brutal games in many ways.
Why? Perma-Death and graphics.
Let's start with graphics. Dungeon Crawl now technically has them! And that's about all you can say. This is in no way meant to be an attack on the amazing work the creators of the current tile-set have done. Dungeon Crawl is simply a gaming experience that harkens back to decades in the past and, if you are not used to that, you might have some trouble having as much fun as you could. I've always loved games that encourage you to use your imagination as much as possible and there is so much of that here!
Secondly, perma-death. Dungeon Crawl is a classic rogue-like where when you die, you are dead, that's it. You don't unlock anything. Your next character is in no way better. However, if you've been paying attention when you play, you've become better at playing the game. This makes the difficulty of Dungeon Crawl more like a rock climbing wall than a blockbuster movie. You show up to test yourself and, by the time you love the thing, "winning" looks like playing the game not reaching some end-point. That said, you CAN beat Dungeon Crawl! You just need to find the Legendary Orb of Zot and bring it back to the surface! In 20+ years of playing I've never even found the Orb but maybe you will. No pressure!
So, some tips, if you are just getting started in Dungeon Crawl work with simple characters who can crack skulls while you are learning the ropes. This will really in getting far enough into the game that you can get a run going that goes long enough to learn from. It can be hard to get better at the game when you are getting smashed before level 3 as a fragile spellcaster. Here are some race / class combinations I recommend for first timers:
Minotaur Gladiator - Minotaur are some of the heartiest races and they excel in hand to hand combat. Personally, I like to play them as a stripped down fighter using the Gladiator class to get access to things like throwing skills. Minotaur can be limited in which boot and helmet options due to their horns and hooves but the extra headbutt attacks they throw out there make them a fantastic pick for fighters approach problems directly!
Troll Monk - If you though playing as a minotaur was brutal welcome to the wonderful world of trolls. Trolls have amazing regen and their giant claws are potent weapons in themselves. Their enormous bodies are too large for most armor which can be a major issue for most classes. This can be sidestepped by playing Monk and wrapping yourself in a robe. Trolls used to only be able to eat rotten meat but food seems to have been removed from the game in it's modern version so chopping up your kills and letting them rot in your sac is no longer required.
Human Fighter - In a game with so much going on it can be helpful to remove variables where possible and that's what this build is all about. Get ready to be able to use damn near anything you find in your adventures. This can be extremely helpful, just find some glowing gear and identify it and use what you have. The option to wear any hats, boots, gloves, capes, ect you find means more and more armor and positive effects. Score!
I really hope this is helpful. Dungeon Crawl is one of my favorite games ever and I hope this encourages you to give it a shot! Thanks for reading! If you'd like more content like this please let me know and I'd be really happy to write it up@