Journey to the haunted house on the hill in Don't Go Alone. Your Grandfather went mad attempting to solve the mysteries of this enormous "fortress of fright." Now you, joined by an expert team of 16 polter-professionals, are destined to battle the 100 monsters that dwell inside the multi-level mansion.
Remember... don't go alone.
~ advertising blurb
I don't know why there aren't many horror-themed RPGs. Compared to the sheer number found in fantasy realms or sci-fi settings, there are relatively few. Back in 1989, Accolade published their own CRPG set in the maze-like halls of a haunted mansion. The game itself may not be the most engrossing or in-depth out there, but this setting does make it worth a try.
While hunting down The Ancient One, your grandfather went beserk and disappeared. Following in his footsteps, you hire a crackpot team of paranormal investigators to search the grounds of his last known location. This decaying manor is home to a number of ghosts and ghouls ready to strike fear into your team, so tread lightly.
Unlike what you may find in a traditional CRPG, your stats are not measured in health or magic, but fear and concentration. If each party member's fear gets too high, you thankfully won't die, but you're instead transported to a random location on the map. This isn't as good as it sounds as every hallway looks very similar, with little distinguishing features to mark your way. On top of this, the grounds are huge and randomised to you cannot rely on a hand-drawn map from a previous playthrough to find your way.
The spell system is one of the more unique mechanics, making use of 'formulas' with elements from the periodic table. There are around 30 formulas in all, though you'll need to gather science books to learn them all. What is a little disappointing is that there is no real complexity beyond this. You don't need to gather elements even though the formula directly mentions them (you have an unlimited supply of all them to start with anyway). You aren't required to pre-mix them or do other sciency things. The only limitation is your concentration. If it's too low, you can't use it.
Don't Go Alone is a very simple RPG that's easy to simply pick up and play. It has the same benefits and disadvantages that such a design implies. You may get into it quickly, but I doubt many will stick with it for any length of time.
To download the game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses DOSBox to bring the game to modern systems. Manual included. Tested on Windows 10.
File Size: 6.73 Mb. Install Size: 9.35 Mb. Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ
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Don't Go Alone is © Accolade
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me
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Interesting. It's so rare to see an RPG outside of fantasy, sci-fi or post-apocalyptica that it can be hard to believe they really exist. I suppose at their core RPGs are about empowerment, and making the numbers go up, which might not quite gel with a horror theme. Still this looks like a real novelty. Thanks for making it available!
ReplyDeleteI've not really thought of it in that way. Could make for an interesting game if someone reversed that dynamic.
DeleteVery neat looking game. Reminds me a bit of Laplace no Ma, specifically the PC-88 version, which is also a first-person dungeon crawl RPG that's primarily set in a spooky mansion.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you haven't seen it, I'd recommend checking out 90sgamer92's video on Horror RPGs. It features quite a few of interesting ones.
I haven't seen that video, but I'll check it out. From the ones I can think of, most horror RPGs hail from Japan and are mainly for consoles. Sweet Home, Shin Megami Tensei and the SNES version of Demon on Laplace come to mind.
DeleteIn the west, the closest is perhaps Vampire: The Masquerade or Legacy of Kain but they do have their fair share of fantasy tropes. I'd like to see a full-on haunting or flat-out slasher be the focus of an RPG. I think it could be interesting how developers marry those tropes with these mechanics.
This one I owned when it came out along with another RPG named "The Dark Heart of Uukrul" Both of which I remember fondly. Thanks for exposing more people to this game. And thanks for your resurrection of old games.
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