Doom - The Roguelike

Doom, the Roguelike (usually abbreviated DoomRL, and later renamed DRL for legal reasons) is a fan-made 2005 game that mashes together two beloved things: id Software's Doom and the classic roguelike genre. Instead of first-person 3D corridors, you get a top-down, turn-based, grid-based dungeon crawl with procedurally generated levels, permadeath and the tile-and-stat sensibility of traditional roguelikes, all dressed in Doom's arsenal, monsters and Mars-base atmosphere.

The clever part is how faithfully it translates Doom's feel into a completely different form. The chainsaw, shotgun, rocket launcher and BFG are all there, imps and cacodemons and barons of Hell stalk the randomized maps, and exploding barrels remain as dangerous to you as to the enemies. Its trait and character-build system, plus a generous helping of challenge modes and unlockables, gave it real depth and long-term replay value, and it became one of the most respected and accessible entries in the whole roguelike scene.

It holds up very well because roguelikes age gracefully; the tactics, risk management and "one more run" pull are timeless. If you like Doom, or like roguelikes, DoomRL is a smart, lovingly crafted crossover that's still genuinely fun to play today.