Classic Games

Dungeon Master

Real-time revolution

FTL's 1987 RPG abandoned turn-based combat for real-time dungeon crawling, creating the template for action-RPGs.

AmigaSpectrum rpgdungeon-crawleressential 1987–2024

Overview

Dungeon Master transformed role-playing games. FTL Games’ 1987 dungeon crawler abandoned the turn-based conventions of Wizardry and Bard’s Tale for real-time combat, where clicking on weapons actually swung them. The Atari ST original became the platform’s best-selling game; ports followed. Modern action-RPGs trace lineage here.

Fast facts

  • Developer: FTL Games (Doug Bell, Andy Jaros, Wayne Holder).
  • Release: December 1987 (Atari ST).
  • Innovation: real-time combat, skill-based advancement.
  • Platforms: Atari ST (original), Amiga, PC, SNES.
  • Interface: mouse-driven, iconic click-to-act system.
  • Sequel: Chaos Strikes Back (1989), Dungeon Master II (1993).

The real-time revolution

Previous dungeon crawlers were turn-based:

  • Wizardry: enter commands, watch results.
  • Bard’s Tale: menu-driven combat.

Dungeon Master changed everything:

  • Click weapon to swing—now.
  • Monsters attack in real-time.
  • Movement unrestricted by turns.
  • Time pressure creates tension.

The interface

The mouse-driven system was elegant:

  • Movement: click edges of view to move.
  • Combat: click weapon icons to attack.
  • Magic: click rune combinations to cast.
  • Inventory: drag-and-drop item management.

Everything visual, minimal text menus.

The magic system

Spells combined runes:

  • Four power levels (Lo, Um, On, Ee).
  • Six elemental symbols.
  • Combinations created different effects.
  • Experimentation rewarded.

Players discovered spells through trial.

The dungeon

Fourteen levels of increasing difficulty:

  • Puzzles requiring item manipulation.
  • Traps demanding quick reactions.
  • Boss encounters testing all skills.
  • Non-linear exploration within structure.

Skill-based advancement

Characters improved through use:

  • Swing swords to improve fighter skills.
  • Cast spells to improve magic.
  • No experience points distributed manually.
  • Natural progression through play.

Legacy

Dungeon Master created the action-RPG template. Eye of the Beholder, Ultima Underworld, and eventually Dark Souls owe debt to its real-time decisions. The interface innovations influenced game design broadly. When dungeon crawlers evolved, this was the mutation point.

See also