# Brogue > Traditional roguelike dungeon crawler with strategic depth and ASCII graphics. (iPhone/iPad app by Seth Howard.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brogue/id613921309 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Seth Howard](https://appshunter.io/developer/613921315) - Category: Games, Adventure, Role Playing - Price: Free - Rating: 4.60/5 from 74 App Store ratings · 98 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 9+ - Requires: iOS 18.6 · 28 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2013-03-21 - Data updated: 2026-09-01 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brogue/id613921309/reviews.md ## What is Brogue? Countless adventurers before you have descended this torch-lit staircase, seeking the promised riches below. As you reach the bottom and step into the wide cavern, the doors behind you seal with a powerful magic... Welcome to the Dungeons of Doom! Brogue is a single-player strategy game set in the halls of a mysterious and randomly-generated dungeon. The objective is simple enough -- retrieve the fabled Amulet of Yendor from the 26th level -- but the dungeon is riddled with danger. Horrifying creatures and devious, trap-ridden terrain await. Yet it is also riddled with weapons, potions, and artifacts of forgotten power. Survival demands strength and cunning in equal measure as you descend, making the most of what the dungeon gives you. You will make sacrifices, narrow escapes, and maybe even some friends along the way -- but will you be one of the lucky few to return alive?" This app offers: Brogue Classic - Brian Walker's original vision and where it all started. Brogue CE - A community effort that fixes bugs and crashes and focuses on QoL. Brogue SE - A new variant by yours truly with original items, monsters, and mechanics "...on the iPad, Brogue is an even more incredible feat than it is on the Mac: there aren’t a lot of roguelikes that can jump from a keyboard to a touch-based interface without coming off worse for wear. It’s every bit as good on the iPad as it is on the Mac." - Cult of Mac "[...] it manages to make use of its ASCII visuals to create some truly impressive-looking environments [...] it’s high fantasy to the core; filled with kobolds, goblins, wands, spell scrolls, and more." - 148Apps "It's a bit weird and clunky, but yeah, it's still Brogue" - Roguelike Radio ## Key features - 26-level dungeon crawl - Strategic depth - Smooth learning curve - ASCII/Unicode display - High fantasy theme - Permadeath gameplay ## Recent user reviews (10 of 98) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brogue/id613921309/reviews.md ### 5/5 — I like this game, but *2026-07-09* The text is too hard to read; I hope you can support larger font size adjustments. Thank you very much. **Developer response:** Recent updates as of 1.7.6 have enlarged the text. There is also a way to make it bigger in the options. If it's not enough or you have other suggestions please let me know through the support link under the 'Information' button. Thanks! ### 5/5 — Best Roguelike Ever *2026-06-30* This is the best entry level into the classic roguelike genre. Huge props to the maintainer of this app version for being faithful to the original while providing touch screen support and a fun new variant! ### 5/5 — 97% Superb! *2026-06-27, version 1.7.2* First off: download it, play it, try it/die it, until you reach at least depth 5; by then you should know if you are hooked and love it forever, or nope it away because you can’t appreciate a game of gorgeous simplicity. Brogue was great, Brogue CE was tuned better, Brogue SE starts a path of addressing some of the stale issues that I didn’t imagine could be carved away at in these ways. Bravo! I’ve not yet played enough rounds to have clear feedback to give, to help sort out the balancing and issues. But seems like the developer is hot on the trail of the most troubling iOS interface things. Thank you kindly, it makes focusing on the nuanced gameplay evolution you’re noodling with, much easier. ### 5/5 — Impressive *2026-06-10, version 1.5.2* Love the ascii style graphics. Great to have this classic on iPhone ### 5/5 — Its great *2020-05-06, version 1.3.4* With this game, less is more. It relys on the players active imagination, which is exactly what D&D is all about. Having been a long fan of Moria (I was lloking for moria when I found this) I think this game play is better. Unlike moria, this game is all about 'building' a character, which depends on what you find and what you choose (a specialisation). Many players will choose a variety of skills, but I prefer to specialise. It is this random chance of what is made available by the game which seperates it from others (plus the colour visuals which is a major step forward from the originals). You don't realise until you die a few times 'how enjoyable it is to start again from scratch' since no two games play the same. Every character you play is different based on what you find and choose to keep. The replayability factor is amazing. I realise why it is better than Moria now. In Moria you could leave the maze and buy items in a store (something I missed at first), but here you buy nothing. Everything you have is provided in the game randomly, which makes different choices inevitable. In Moria thirty years ago, I probably tended to start over and buy the same things again, and therefore played the same game over and over without realising it, even though it was still enjoyablr to do so. I realise after thirty years that these games are really problem-solving puzzle games. How to defeat a level and a foes and survive. The game rewards you for killing most creatures but you rapidly learn that you will be punished for killing others. Some you are best to avoid and run from. Knowing which is which is part of the fun. Can recommend this game. It is truly a game where the more you put in, the more you get out of it. Its not for people who want instant gratification. Its definitely a mind-game - a true strategy game where visuals are not as important. . ### 5/5 — Brogue, one of the elderitch gods of terminal descends upon IOS *2020-04-07* This is a great port of an amazing game. Unfortunately, the iOS d-pad disappears whenever I fall down a level ### 5/5 — Most In-depth roguelike I’ve played *2019-12-17* I’m not gonna say anything anyone else hasn’t already said, so I won’t. My only complaint is that the “suspend game” feature currently doesn’t work, so fixing that would pretty much make the game perfect in my mind. ### 4/5 — Great game. I will change to 5 stars if iPhone version is released. *2019-12-04* Please release for iPhone! ### 3/5 — Yeet *2019-11-06, version 1.3.3* The game concept is very interesting, however, i have found out that the bluetooth keyboard controls aren’t working anymore. This was a big part of why i enjoyed this game, the keyboard support. Please fix this ### 5/5 — Seriously Underlooked *2019-09-24, version 1.3.3* A great turn-based roguelike. If you’ve played games like Shattered Planet or Cardinal Quest 2 you will like this. + Large variety of enemies and items, each with unique abilities. + A lot of strategy involved. You need to think carefully before making certain moves or entering areas, or else you risk getting into a bad situation, or wasting a helpful scroll. + Good mechanics, from the most accurate ways to throw a dart to the stealth system. + Nice visuals. Brogue does not have any fancy sprites and uses characters on a keyboard to represent everything in the game, but they do a good job with the @‘s vision, water, everything. It’s very easy to forget you are just moving around letters and numbers. + It’s free. And that’s a great price! - Because of the small tiles it can sometimes be hard to throw a projectile or spell exactly where you want to, but it’s a very small nuisance. ## Frequently asked questions about Brogue ### What is the main goal in Brogue? The primary objective in Brogue is to descend through 26 levels of a dungeon to retrieve the Amulet of Yendor. Success requires careful strategy and execution, as there is only one way to win but countless ways to fail. ### How does Brogue handle its visual style? Brogue utilizes a traditional ASCII/Unicode display, which, despite its simplicity, is praised for creating impressive-looking environments and contributing to its high fantasy atmosphere. ### Is Brogue suitable for new players? Yes, the game design focuses on a smooth learning curve, allowing new players to gradually understand its strategic depth while still offering a significant challenge. ### What kind of content can players expect in Brogue? Players will encounter a variety of fantasy elements, including creatures like kobolds and goblins, as well as magical items such as wands and spell scrolls, all within a challenging dungeon environment. ### How often is Brogue updated? The latest version of Brogue is 1.5.0, which was last updated on June 5, 2026. This indicates a history of development and potential for future improvements. ### What platforms is Brogue available on? While the description specifically mentions its excellent performance on iPad, it also notes its origin on Mac, suggesting availability on both iOS and macOS devices. ### What is the age rating for Brogue? Brogue is rated '9+' by app stores, indicating it is suitable for players aged 9 and older. This rating is based on its fantasy themes and gameplay. ### Does Brogue have ads? The provided data does not indicate the presence of advertisements in Brogue. It is listed as free with no mention of ad support. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.7.9 — 2026-08-29 * Rest with one ear open: resting now wakes you the instant you hear a hostile creature closing in — but only once per creature, so pressing on is a gamble. * Distant fighting no longer jolts you awake every turn, and sound carries more distinctly through closed doors. * Curses sharpened: cursed runics now start at a clean +0 (no penalty tax), and purifying cursed armor costs one fewer scroll. * Smoother pinch-zoom camera on iPhone, plus quieter empty-bottle captures * Fixes issue where vault items might include a negative enchantment ### 1.7.8 — 2026-07-19 * Keyboard labels are back and mapped to your layout of choice. * Fixes explosion immunity timing. ### 1.7.7 — 2026-07-15 * Mud and bog slow you down — Slogging through the mire now costs extra movement, for you and monsters alike. Fighting is unaffected — you can swing at full speed, you just can't maneuver — and anything flying or levitating floats over it. Lure fast enemies in, but mind that you're slowed there too. A fleeing bog monster loses its home-turf advantage in the mire. * Poison, at a glance — Poisoned creatures — you included — now show a sickly green tint and a pulsing skull, so you can read the affliction across the room. * Traps hint at their surroundings — Confusion traps now sometimes sit amid a soft patch of glowing fungus, joining fire-traps-in-grass and caustic-traps-in-bones. * A color-coded star bursts over you the moment a passive item event lands, and its log line shares the color so you learn the cue: gold for something identified, red for a curse revealed on equip, green for a cursed runic purified, cyan for a spent staff or charm coming back to life. Fixes: * High-end protection works again — Protection charms and staffs above +18 no longer overflow and behave erratically. * Beached sea monsters let go — A kraken or eel knocked onto dry land now releases its grip and stops attacking instead of pinning you from the shore * Bloodwort clouds soothe faster — Standing in a bloodwort healing cloud now drains soft afflictions twice as fast (it never fully cures them — the cloud fades quickly). * Altars of Divination, reliable — The divination room now always places all four altars, the altar reveals hidden runics exactly like a scroll of identify, and frost-shoved creatures slide along their path instead of teleporting. ### 1.7.6 — 2026-07-10 Brogue SE • Divination shrines now always offer all four altars, and — like a scroll of identify — reveal a weapon or armor's runic. • Frozen creatures now animate their slide across the floor when shoved instead of teleporting. • Bloodwort's healing vapors clear (most) ailments twice as fast. • Fixed krakens and eels attacking while beached out of water. • Fixed protection charms and staffs above +18 losing their shield. iPhone • Description and info panels are now fully opaque when zoomed, for cleaner reading. • Fixed the on-screen magnifier occasionally showing the wrong rows. ### 1.7.5 — 2026-07-07 iOS additions: * Options now has a zoom scaling stepper for menus. By default it's set at 1.3x. This should improve readability and taps. All platforms: * Hand off. Have a good game going on your phone but want get comfortable on a bigger screen? Hand off to your iPad or Mac. Good game going on your Mac but need to run? Hand off to your phone and continue the adventure. -- Previous update Continuing with our Alphabet(a) theme - "C is for Curses", this release turns cursed gear from a dead end into a decision — a cursed runic now pairs a real, always-on power with its bite — and adds a shrine that will identify your pack, if you dare wake what guards it. Here's what's new: Cursed Runics, Reworked * A curse is a bargain, not a trap — A cursed runic now grants a genuine, always-on power alongside its drawback, welded to you until you deal with it. Every downside has a counter you can lean into, so keeping a cursed item can be the smart play. * Two ways to break the weld — Pour enchant scrolls in to the purify threshold and the drawback burns away while the power stays (weapons at +6, armor at +4); or read remove-curse to pry it off early, drawback and all. * Maddening, reckless, and clumsy blades — Delirium confounds what you strike but leaves you hallucinating; Recklessness trades the damage you take for the damage you deal; a Clumsy blade fumbles and stuns you — until you purify it into a true executioner's blade. * Anchor, Smoky, and Acrophobia armor — Anchor steels your defense but drags your step (purify to stand immovable); Smoky armor wraps you in concealing haze at the cost of your own sight (purify for a quiet stealth aura); Acrophobia makes you fearless of pits but dizzy at their edge. Altars of Divination * Reveal your unknowns — A new shrine replaces the Altar of Insight, watched over by a looming statue, fully identifies any unidentified item you set on one of its altars — and the first one is always safe. * Press your luck — Each further item you reveal risks waking the statue's guardian, and the greedier you get the deadlier it is: Take what you dare. Cleaner Distractions * Thrown lures buy real time — A monster that goes to investigate a thrown item now lingers over it for a few turns before losing interest, opening a genuine window to slip past. Quality of Life * Fire no longer rattles you — Catching fire used to throw you into a brief panic; now that disorientation strikes only monsters. It still burns — but your wits, and your next move, stay yours. * Study a scroll even while hunted — Sitting down to a meal always lets you puzzle out an unidentified scroll now, even with something on your trail; the old "only when nothing's hunting you" restriction is gone This release also includes iOS changes: * Have you ever carefully selected a route to travel only to be interrupted by spotting a rat? A new shortcut lets you continue your journey without plotting the path all over again. By default it's now in the center of the d-pad. When you have no path it acts as a Wait/Rest instead. * Feeling boxed in? When zoomed in the dungeon is no longer confined to 2/3rds screen. This view now blends into other UI elements giving you better vision. * d-pad gets out of the way when you're scrubbing through items in the sidebar. Find something you want to engage in, lift your finger for the description. Bonus: Use the new continue route button to run over and engage! ## More apps by Seth Howard - [Infinity Dimensions](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/infinity-dimensions/id6761505601) All apps by Seth Howard: https://appshunter.io/developer/613921315 ## Related topics [seth howard](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/seth-howard) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-01.*