New dungeon crawler Monomyth is like Arx Fatalis by way of immersive sim Skyrim

Unless you count extraction games, old-school dungeon crawlers have gone the way of the dodo. Back in the day, we were blessed with the likes of King’s Field, Arx Fatalis, Wizardry, Might and Magic, and many more. Harkening back to that golden era is Monomyth, with a completely reactive world, immersive sim tendencies, and an emphasis on freedom. If, like me, you’re a recovering Skyrim dungeon diver, you’ll even find something to love. Monomyth is out now in Steam Early Access, and there’s even a demo you can try first.

From Rat Tower solo developer Michael Alexander Tröls, Monomyth is a dungeon crawler in the vein of the classics. It’s just you, an underworld of labyrinthian structures, and enough skeletons to take you down easy. Your goal is simple: find a primordial seed to stop the eternal storms from raging above ground. Scripted sequences don’t hold you back, there’s no grid-based movement, and every problem has multiple solutions. It’s old-school RPGs like Might and Magic by way of an immersive sim Skyrim.

My favorite thing about Monomyth is just how open it is. You’ve got all your fantasy cornerstones like medieval weapons, spells, and spooky creatures as you delve deeper into the underworld. Still, the set dressing makes way for some truly emergent gameplay. Douse torches to creep through the shadows. Get through a door with a key, lockpick, or simply blow it to splinters. In true immersive sim fashion, you can even fight every single neutral NPC you meet and still finish the game – although maybe you shouldn’t.

So while the non-linear opportunities of Arx Fatalis are present, there’s also a fair bit of old-school FromSoftware. Before Dark Souls rewired fantasy RPGs, FromSoftware made King’s Field. Monomyth’s combat is heavy, considered, and follows a similar mold to those early From designs. Rat Tower’s dungeon crawler even has five zones, the same as the dungeon of the first King’s Field.

Of course, I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention Skyrim. The wealth of opportunities in Bethesda’s magnum opus is clearly mirrored in Monomyth. Skyrim isn’t a pure immersive sim as such, but if you enjoyed spelunking into the draugr-infested dungeons with a wealth of swords and spells, or preferred sneaking around with a bow in hand, there’s more than enough of that DNA in Monomyth.

“From a game design perspective, Monomyth is structured as openly as possible, while still providing a sense of direction for the players,” Rat Tower writes. “Those who wish to go out and explore the underworld on their own will be able to do this, while those that try to follow the flow of regular progression are lead through implicative level designs.”

Rat Tower has launched Monomyth in Steam Early Access with a 10% discount until Sunday October 13, so expect to pay $17.99 / £15.07. There’s also a free demo you can try if you’re on the fence. You can check out Monomyth right here.

If Monomyth has you looking for more immersive experiences we’ve got all the best single-player games you can try today, alongside some story games if you’d rather get invested in the characters and world.

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