Cryptmaster

The player controls a party of four members: Joro (a fighter), Syn (a rogue), Maz (a bard), and Nix (a wizard). The player is accompanied by the eponymous Cryptmaster, a necromancer who also acts on the player's behalf during some interactions. Additionally, the Cryptmaster provides assistance and guidance throughout the game, explaining the mechanics and offering guidance. Each party member's health is represented by the number of letters they have in their name. Additional letters can be added on to their names after leveling up to increase health.

The game's elements and mechanics are entirely reliant on typing. Players navigate, battle, and progress through the game by typing out a word describing an action or response. All four party members bear a sequence of letters below their name that, when discovered and typed, reward either a battle move or plot information, both unique to that party member. While in battle, learned moves are executed by whom they belong to.

Four heroes had battled a "great evil" but perished after. They awaken in a crypt, having been resurrected by the Cryptmaster, an eponymous necromancer. The Cryptmaster has the group ascend the crypt (which has since had multiple layers built atop it) so that he can break into the world of the living. As a result of being dead for so long, all four heroes have lost their memories and abilities; they regain their strength as the game progresses.

The game's development started when co-developer Lee Williams offered to write for free for a number of indie games. In 2014, Paul Hart accepted Williams's offer. Cryptmaster was created after many iterations of an idea in which words were the core gameplay mechanic. The duo state that the typing mechanic only became more of a focus because it was easier for players, and that originally, typing was not the intention.

After deciding on the controls early, Williams and Hart worked on merging combat with typing. Initially, the first version gave players all skills at the start and attributes were upgraded as they played. The duo cite Hangman, Wordle, and Wheel of Fortune, as examples of games they drew inspiration from.

Cryptmaster received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator website Metacritic, scoring a 77/100 on the site. Many critics praised its unique mechanics, humor, and art style. It has won the "Excellence in Design" award at the Independent Games Festival, and the "Jury Prix Award" at IndieCade.

The game's art style received particular praise. Alex McHugh of PCGamesN enjoyed the game art style and graphics, touting the monochrome graphics and weird enemies, saying players battle "with bizarre monsters, giant wobbling eyes peering at you out of doors, and much more to greet you on your journey."