Ludus Mortis (v1.0.9)

Ancient Rome becomes a haunted battlefield where political ambition has unleashed demons, corpses, and terror beneath the Empire’s crumbling grandeur. Ludus Mortis is a first-person, grid-based dungeon crawler that trades high fantasy taverns for cursed catacombs, ruined streets, and gladiatorial training grounds. The Senate’s attempt to weaponize necromancy has spiraled beyond its control, leaving ordinary citizens enslaved and the city overrun by the dead. Players command a band of gladiators trained not for spectacle, but for a brutal campaign to reclaim Rome from its supernatural occupiers.

Dungeon expeditions unfold from a classic party-based perspective, with the group moving square by square through maze-like underground spaces and hostile ruins. You create fighters from 14 available classes, then shape a balanced team by adjusting formations, assigning equipment, and selecting skills suited to each dangerous excursion. Combat is turn-based and governed by Action Points, so positioning, ability timing, and target priority matter far more than fast reflexes; a careless round can leave vulnerable allies exposed. Between delves, the gladiator school acts as a strategic hub where facilities improve, recruits join the roster, and new gear is crafted to keep pace with increasingly deadly threats.

Its strongest appeal lies in the unusual marriage of Roman history, gladiatorial culture, and old-school dungeon-crawling structure. Rather than focusing on a single chosen hero, the game emphasizes roster management and party experimentation, allowing different class combinations to answer the challenges of each dungeon. The deliberate movement, tactical encounters, and claustrophobic first-person exploration evoke classic RPGs such as Dungeon Master, Might and Magic, and Wizardry, while the Roman necromancy setting gives the formula a darker identity. Ludus Mortis suits veterans who enjoy methodical “blobber” RPGs, but its clear loop of build, delve, upgrade, and adapt also gives patient newcomers a solid entry point.