Planned Release Date: 2027

About This Game

Diablo, but with guns.

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.

Key Features

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mature Content Description

The developers describe the content like this:

Charnel is about fighting the undead with guns. Enemies bleed red, blood sprays onto walls and pools on the floor, corpses stay on the ground, and heavy hits knock bits off enemies. Enemies can also be set on fire. The game is drawn in text characters and seen from above, so no wound is shown in detail. There is no sexual content, no drug or alcohol use, and no self-harm.