''Tales of Maj'Eyal'' is an

open-source Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use and view the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open source model is a decentrali ...

roguelike Roguelike (or rogue-like) is a style of role-playing game traditionally characterized by a dungeon crawl through procedurally generated levels, turn-based gameplay, grid-based movement, and permanent death of the player character. Most ro ...

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

released for

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

macOS macOS, previously OS X and originally Mac OS X, is a Unix, Unix-based operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. With ...

, and

Linux Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...

in 2012. ''Tales of Maj'Eyal'' is available as

freeware Freeware is software, often proprietary, that is distributed at no monetary cost to the end user. There is no agreed-upon set of rights, license, or EULA that defines ''freeware'' unambiguously; every publisher defines its own rules for the free ...

( donationware) from the developers on a donation-supported basis; donations unlock exclusive online features as part of a

freemium Freemium, a portmanteau of the words "free" and "premium", is a pricing strategy by which a basic product or service is provided free of charge, but money (a premium) is charged for additional features, services, or virtual (online) or physical ( ...

model. The game can also be purchased through digital distribution platforms such as

Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...

and GOG. The game's TE4

game engine A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games which generally includes relevant libraries and support programs such as a level editor. The "engine" terminology is akin to the term " software engine" u ...

source code In computing, source code, or simply code or source, is a plain text computer program written in a programming language. A programmer writes the human readable source code to control the behavior of a computer. Since a computer, at base, only ...

is licensed under GNU GPLv3, while the game's assets are licensed for use exclusively within ''Tales of Maj'Eyal''.

Gameplay

''Tales of Maj'Eyal'' is a

dungeon crawl A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) in which heroes navigate a labyrinth environment (a "dungeon"), battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find. Video g ...

game featuring a customizable graphical interface that combines classic roguelike keyboard commands with a mouse-driven interface. Unlike many older roguelike games, ''Tales of Maj'Eyal'' includes full-color graphics and can be played almost entirely with the mouse. Although it features

permadeath Permadeath or permanent death is a game mechanic in both tabletop games and video games in which player characters who lose all of their health are considered dead and cannot be used anymore. Depending on the situation, this could require the p ...

, players can earn extra lives through various means, such as in-game achievements and leveling up. ''Tales of Maj'Eyal'' emphasizes tactical turn-based combat and offers flexible character development controlled by the player. Gameplay relies heavily on the player’s strategic decisions and their ability to plan and execute a combat strategy. Players begin by selecting one of nine races and one of 25 classes, with additional options available through expansions. Not all races and classes are accessible at the start; some must be unlocked through in-game achievements or by making a monetary donation or purchase. Players explore the lore-rich world of Eyal, which features numerous dungeons and diverse adversaries. The plot is non-linear, with success depending on a balance of character planning, storyline choices, and the player's skill in combat.

Online support

Players can register with an optional online game server, which allows them to view their characters, achievements, and high scores. The server also compiles game statistics, such as top player killers, the most common race/class selections, and the number of successful completions. Additionally, the game server includes an online chat system that enables players to communicate with each other in real time.

Development

''Tales of Maj'Eyal'' was developed by Nicolas Casalini ("DarkGod"), with graphics by Assen Kanev ("Rexorcorum") and Raymond Gaustadnes ("Shockbolt"). It is based on Casalini's earlier game, ''Tales of Middle Earth'' (''ToME''), which itself was based on his ''PernAngband'' variant, originally derived from ''Zangband'', which in turn was based on ''

Angband Angband may refer to: * Angband (Middle-earth), the fortress of Morgoth in Tolkien's fiction * ''Angband'' (video game), a roguelike game named after the fortress *Angband (band) Angband is a Persian-American power metal group, formed in 2004 i ...

''. Development of ''ToME 4'' began in 2009, and the first official release took place in 2012. The T-Engine game engine is written in C, providing a development framework for grid-based game modules written in Lua. It supports various

OpenGL OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a Language-independent specification, cross-language, cross-platform application programming interface (API) for rendering 2D computer graphics, 2D and 3D computer graphics, 3D vector graphics. The API is typic ...

features, including

particle effects In the Outline of physical science, physical sciences, a particle (or corpuscle in older texts) is a small wikt:local, localized physical body, object which can be described by several physical property, physical or chemical property, chemical p ...

and

shader In computer graphics, a shader is a computer program that calculates the appropriate levels of light, darkness, and color during the rendering of a 3D scene—a process known as '' shading''. Shaders have evolved to perform a variety of s ...

s. The T-Engine has been used to create games for the annual Seven Day Roguelike Challenge in 2011 and 2012. Several expansions have been released: ''Ashes of Urh'Rok'' on 27 October 2014, ''Embers of Rage'' on 23 February 2016, and ''Forbidden Cults'' on 16 May 2018. Players can modify the ''Tales of Maj'Eyal'' game module through an add-on system, which allows for customization of graphics, interface, content, and gameplay balance, as well as additions of new features.

Reception

''Tales of Maj'Eyal'' won the "ASCII Dreams Roguelike of the Year" award in 2010, 2011, and 2012, with over 5,000 roguelike players voting in 2012. It was also added to Valve's

store and is available on gog.com, a

DRM-free Digital rights management (DRM) is the management of legal access to digital content. Various tools or technological protection measures, such as access control technologies, can restrict the use of proprietary hardware and copyrighted works. DR ...

platform. In 2016,

Steamspy Steam Spy is a website created by Sergey Galyonkin and launched in April 2015. The site uses an application programming interface (API) to the Steam (service), Steam software distribution service owned by Valve Corporation, Valve to estimate the ...

reported over 150,000 owners on Steam, with around 2,000 active players over a two-week period. Reviews for ''Tales of Maj'Eyal'' have been largely positive. Critics have praised its accessibility, graphics, user interface, backstory, and varied gameplay. '' US Gamer'' called it "one of the very best roguelikes out there".

Linux Journal ''Linux Journal'' (''LJ'') is an American monthly technology magazine originally published by Specialized System Consultants, Inc. (SSC) in Seattle, Washington since 1994. In December 2006 the publisher changed to Belltown Media, Inc. in Hous ...

remarked that ''Tales of Maj'Eyal'' offers a complex gaming experience with an approachable learning curve, in contrast to the "crushing candy" simplicity of some other games. On Steam, it maintains a 95% positive rating, ranked as "Overwhelmingly Positive".

References

External links