FREE AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE - GPL v2 Licensed
A faithful recreation of the classic 1993 BBS door game "Usurper" by Jakob Dangarden, transformed with revolutionary AI systems, deep narrative systems, and philosophical storytelling while maintaining 100% Pascal source compatibility.
Download the latest build for your platform:
Run the game:
- Windows: Run
UsurperReborn.batorUsurperRemake.exe - Linux: Run
./usurper-reborn.shor./UsurperRemake - macOS: Run
usurper-reborn-mac.commandor the app bundle
Report bugs: https://discord.gg/BqY66QkPGE (or GitHub Issues)
Usurper Reborn brings the brutal medieval world of the original BBS classic to modern platforms. Every formula, every stat, every quirk from the original Pascal source has been meticulously preserved—and then we added layers upon layers of new content.
What began as a faithful port has evolved into something more: a game that explores themes of memory, identity, loss, and transcendence through the lens of a Buddhist-inspired philosophy: "You are not a wave fighting the ocean. You ARE the ocean, dreaming of being a wave."
Original Creator: Jakob Dangarden (1993) Source Preservation: Rick Parrish, Daniel Zingaro Modern Recreation: Built with C# and .NET 8.0 License: GNU General Public License v2 (GPL v2)
You wake in a dormitory with no memory of who you are. A letter in your own handwriting warns you:
"The gods are broken. Corrupted. There are SEVEN SEALS hidden in the dungeons below. Collect them. Break the cycle. End the suffering. Trust no one. Especially not the Stranger. And remember this: You are not what you think you are. You never were."
The letter crumbles to dust. But the words burn in your mind.
Your Journey:
- Explore the town of Dorashire and its many locations
- Descend into dungeons that grow darker and more dangerous
- Encounter the Old Gods—some imprisoned, some corrupted, all remembering
- Collect the Seven Seals to unlock the truth
- Discover what you really are... and what the "cycle" truly means
- Classic BBS Dungeon Crawler - 50+ dungeon levels with original Pascal combat formulas
- 10 Races, 11 Classes - All original options preserved (Human, Elf, Dwarf, Hobbit, Half-Elf, Orc, Gnome, Troll, Gnoll, Mutant + Warrior, Magician, Assassin, Paladin, Ranger, Cleric, Barbarian, Bard, Jester, Alchemist, Sage)
- Turn-Based Combat - Attack, Defend, Power Attack, Precise Strike, Rage, Smite
- 37 Combat Spells - Complete magic system across Cleric, Magician, and Sage classes
- Persistent World - NPCs act, trade, fight, and die even when you're not playing
Resource management for special abilities:
- Stamina Bar - Combat resource separate from HP/Mana
- Per-Round Regeneration - Stamina recovers each combat round
- Ability Costs - All 44 class abilities require stamina (prevents spam)
- Stat-Based Scaling - Stamina stat affects max pool and regen rate
Every stat now has real mechanical effects like a modern RPG:
- Strength - Bonus melee damage (+STR/4)
- Dexterity - Hit chance bonus, critical hit chance (5%+), ranged damage
- Constitution - Bonus HP, poison/disease resistance (up to 75%)
- Intelligence - Bonus mana, spell damage multiplier, spell critical chance, XP bonus
- Wisdom - Mana cost reduction (up to 50%), magic resistance, healing power
- Charisma - Shop discounts, team size limit, NPC reactions
- Stamina - Combat stamina pool and regeneration rate
- Agility - Dodge chance (up to 35%), extra attack chance, initiative bonus
A subtle narrative layer that tracks your awakening to deeper truths:
- 7 Awakening Levels - From ignorance to full enlightenment
- Wave Fragments - Cryptic lore pieces scattered throughout dungeons
- Ocean Insights - Revelations triggered by key story events
- Memory Flashes - Dreams that hint at your forgotten past
Your forgotten past holds the key to everything:
- Memory Fragments - Recovered through dreams, dungeon exploration, and god encounters
- The Truth - You are more than you appear... but what?
- NG+ Integration - Each cycle, you remember a little more
Recruit allies who travel, fight, and can die permanently:
- 4 Unique Companions - Lyris (tragic love interest), Aldric (loyal shield), Mira (broken healer), Vex (doomed trickster)
- Relationship Building - Trust, loyalty, and romance levels
- Personal Quests - Each companion has their own story
- Permanent Death - When they die, they stay dead. This makes grief real.
Death has consequences. When companions fall:
- 5 Grief Stages - Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance
- Mechanical Effects - Stats change based on grief stage
- World Reactions - NPCs respond to your mourning
- Bargaining Failures - No resurrection. No tricks. Death is final.
Hidden throughout the dungeon depths:
- 7 Ancient Seals - Each reveals part of the truth
- Old God Connections - Finding seals awakens imprisoned deities
- Multiple Endings - Your choices and seals determine your fate
Six forgotten deities, each with their own tragedy:
- Veloura - Goddess of sorrow, trapped in eternal grief
- Thorgrim - God of war, broken by endless battle
- Maelketh - God of shadows, consumed by darkness
- Noctura - The Stranger, mysterious and dangerous
- Aurelion - God of light, blinded by his own radiance
- Terravok - God of earth, sleeping in stone
- Manwe - The Creator, and the key to everything
- 15-25 Rooms Per Floor - Expanded from original 6-16
- Secret Rooms - Hidden chambers with rare treasures
- Puzzle Rooms - Logic, riddles, and environmental challenges
- Lore Libraries - Discover Wave/Ocean philosophy fragments
- Meditation Chambers - Rest and gain Ocean insights
- Secret Bosses - The First Wave, The Forgotten Eighth, Echo of Self, The Ocean Speaks
Your journey can end in many ways:
- Conqueror Ending - Embrace darkness and rule
- Savior Ending - Choose light and sacrifice
- Defiant Ending - Reject all gods
- True Ending - Achieve balance and remember what you are
- Secret Ending - For those who truly understand... dissolution
- Classic Usurper NPCs - Warriors, Mages, Thieves, Paladins, and more
- AI-Driven Behavior - Personality, goals, memories, emotions
- World Simulation - NPCs wander, trade, fight, form relationships
- Talk System - Chat, ask for rumors, learn about dungeons, challenge to duels
Main Street, Inn, Bank, Weapon Shop, Armor Shop, Magic Shop, Healer, Temple, Church, Dark Alley, Level Master, Marketplace, Anchor Road, Hall of Recruitment, Dormitory, Castle, Prison, Love Corner, Team Corner, News, Quest Hall, God World, Dungeons, Home, Gym, Prison Walk, and more.
- .NET SDK 8.0+
- Git
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/binary-knight/usurper-reloaded.git
cd usurper-remake
# Build the project
dotnet build usurper-reloaded.csproj --configuration Release
# Publish and run
dotnet publish usurper-reloaded.csproj --configuration Release --output ./publish
./publish/UsurperRemake.exedotnet publish usurper-reloaded.csproj -c Release -o publishdotnet publish usurper-reloaded.csproj -c Release -r linux-x64 -o publish/linux \
-p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:SelfContained=truedotnet publish usurper-reloaded.csproj -c Release -r osx-x64 -o publish/mac \
-p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:SelfContained=true- Runtime: .NET 8.0 (LTS)
- Lines of Code: 100,000+ across 150+ C# files
- Pascal Compatibility: 100% formula accuracy from original source
- New Systems: 20+ major systems added (Companions, Grief, Ocean Philosophy, Seals, Old Gods, etc.)
- Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS
- Architecture: Single-player with persistent turn-based world simulation
- Save System: JSON-based with autosave rotation and manual saves
usurper-reborn/
├── Scripts/
│ ├── Core/ # Character, NPC, Item, Monster, GameEngine
│ ├── Systems/ # 40+ game systems
│ │ ├── OceanPhilosophySystem.cs
│ │ ├── AmnesiaSystem.cs
│ │ ├── CompanionSystem.cs
│ │ ├── GriefSystem.cs
│ │ ├── SevenSealsSystem.cs
│ │ ├── StoryProgressionSystem.cs
│ │ ├── PuzzleSystem.cs
│ │ ├── EndingsSystem.cs
│ │ └── ... (many more)
│ ├── Locations/ # 30+ game locations
│ ├── AI/ # NPC AI systems (Brain, Memory, Goals, Emotions)
│ ├── Data/ # Game data (NPCs, Equipment, Monsters, Old Gods)
│ └── UI/ # Terminal emulator interface
├── Console/ # Console bootstrap and terminal
├── Data/ # JSON game data
└── .github/ # CI/CD workflows
Dynamic quest content for single-player progression:
- Quest Hall - Central hub for viewing quests and bounties
- Starter Quests - 11 pre-made quests spanning levels 1-100
- Open Contract Bounties - Kill any NPC with a bounty and get paid immediately (no claiming required)
- King's Bounties - The NPC King posts bounties on criminals and NPCs
- Auto-Refresh - Completed bounties automatically replaced with new targets
- Difficulty Scaling - Easy, Medium, Hard, Extreme quest tiers
Track your progress with 50+ achievements:
- Combat - Monster kills, boss defeats, combat milestones
- Progression - Level milestones, stat achievements
- Economy - Gold earned, items purchased
- Exploration - Dungeon depths, locations visited
- Social - NPC interactions, relationships formed
- Challenge - Special accomplishments
Comprehensive gameplay statistics:
- Total monsters killed, gold earned, time played
- Deepest dungeon floor reached
- Quests completed, achievements unlocked
- Combat statistics and records
Choose your challenge level:
- Easy - 150% XP, 50% monster damage, 150% gold
- Normal - Standard balanced experience
- Hard - 75% XP, 150% monster damage, 75% gold
- Nightmare - 50% XP, 200% monster damage, 50% gold
Marriage and children with real consequences:
- Marriage - Court NPCs through the relationship system, marry at the Church
- Polyamory Support - Multiple marriages allowed for those who prefer it
- Children - Have children who inherit traits from both parents
- Child Bonuses - Children under 18 provide stat boosts to parents:
- +2% XP per child (up to +10% for 5+ children)
- +50 Max HP, +5 Strength, +3 Charisma per child
- +100 Gold/day per child
- Alignment bonuses based on children's behavior
- Aging System - Children grow up over time (1 week real time = 1 year in-game)
- Coming of Age - At 18, children become adult NPCs who join the world
- Custody & Divorce - Family drama with real mechanical effects
Quick settings accessible from anywhere via [~]Prefs:
- Combat Speed - Normal, Fast, or Instant text display
- Auto-heal - Toggle automatic healing potion use in combat
- Skip Intimate Scenes - "Fade to black" option for romantic content
How long to complete Usurper Reborn:
| Playstyle | Hours | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | 40-60 | Main story, reach level 50-60, see one ending |
| Full Playthrough | 100-150 | All seals, all gods defeated, multiple endings |
| Completionist | 200-400 | All achievements, all companions, all quests, level 100 |
Note: Playtime varies based on difficulty mode and exploration style.
- Castle politics (some throne challenges implemented, royal functions pending)
- Multiplayer/BBS-style node support (single-player only)
- Audio and enhanced ANSI art
- Additional companion personal quest storylines
- Team System - Full team management with Team Corner location
- Tournament System - Tug-of-war, single elimination, round robin competitions
- Betrayal System - Hidden betrayal tracking with organic NPC betrayals
- Moral Paradox System - Complex moral choices with no clear answers
- Companion Personal Quests - Auto-trigger at loyalty 50
- New Game+ / Cycle System - Carry bonuses forward, scaling difficulty, artifact knowledge
Usurper Reborn is FREE SOFTWARE licensed under GPL v2
- Use - Run the game for any purpose
- Study - Examine the complete source code
- Share - Distribute copies to anyone
- Modify - Change the game and distribute improvements
- Commercial Use - Even sell your versions (under GPL v2)
- Complete source included with every download
- GitHub: https://github.com/binary-knight/usurper-reloaded
- All build tools and scripts included
Join our Discord server for discussions, feedback, and updates: https://discord.gg/BqY66QkPGE
- Jakob Dangarden: For creating the original 1993 masterpiece
- Rick Parrish: For preserving the Pascal source code
- Daniel Zingaro: For tremendous help with the Pascal source
- The BBS Community: For keeping the spirit of door games alive
- All Contributors: Everyone who has tested, improved, and believed
"You are not a wave fighting the ocean. You ARE the ocean, dreaming of being a wave."
In the realm of Usurper, death is not the end—it's just another beginning. The cycle continues until you remember. Will you find the Seven Seals? Will you discover what you truly are? Will you finally... wake up?
- Character creation and early game flow
- Combat balance across difficulty modes
- Dungeon exploration (floors 1-100)
- NPC interactions and relationships
- Quest system and achievements
- Romance/marriage/family systems
- Story progression and endings
- Some edge cases in combat may cause unexpected behavior
- NPC AI occasionally makes suboptimal decisions
- Save files from pre-alpha may not be compatible
- Join Discord: https://discord.gg/BqY66QkPGE
- Describe what you were doing
- Include any error messages
- Note your platform (Windows/Linux/Mac)
Status: ALPHA v0.1 - Actively seeking testers!