Traditional Roguelike
GnollHack is a traditional roguelike, being based on the game design of Rogue. Thus, GnollHack features:
- Turn-based gameplay
- Grid-based movement
- Procedural generation of dungeons and items
- Permadeath (classic mode only)
- A great number of different game mechanics
- High fantasy world
NetHack Variant
GnollHack is also a true NetHack variant that retains most of its mechanics, complexity, and spirit, while adding new features. GnollHack is aimed at making NetHack more beginner-friendly while at the same time trying to keep the game interesting for veterans, especially in the late game. In this regard, GnollHack introduces:
- Difficulty levels
- In-game item and monster information
- In-game hints and quest and gameplay guidance
- Removal of unnecessary instant-death situations
- Large number of new late-game monsters
- Interesting late-game items
NetHack Remaster
GnollHack can also be viewed as a NetHack remaster, adding the following modern features:
- Graphics
- Animations
- Sounds
- Music
- Voiceovers
- Cross-platform support: Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows
- macOS can run the iOS version (Macs with an M1 or later processor)
- Mobile touch-based UI on Android and iOS
- Modern UI for desktop, adapted from the mobile UI
- Windows supports touch, mouse, and keyboard
- macOS supports mouse only (keyboard support coming in the future)
As Modern Introduction to NetHack
GnollHack is best understood not as a modern RPG but as a modernized version of NetHack that makes the classic experience more approachable for today’s players. NetHack offers minimal guidance and leaves much for the player to learn through exploration, and its ASCII interface and keyboard controls can be challenging for modern players to adopt at first. GnollHack preserves the core mechanics and depth of NetHack while presenting them in a modern package, making it an ideal introduction to NetHack for modern gamers.
Open Source
GnollHack is an open-source game, based on NetHack's source code. This means that you can fork it.
- GnollHack's code is licensed under NetHack General Public License.
- GnollHack's graphics and sounds are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License.
GnollHack is developed by Sound Mind Games, a nonprofit organization based in Finland, working in the fields of gaming and mental health.