nlarn

NLARN, or New Larn, is a free, open-source roguelike game inspired by the classic Larn series. It originated as a community-driven fork intended to keep Larn-style gameplay alive on modern systems while adding new content and portability. The project is maintained by volunteers and released under a free software license.

Gameplay follows the roguelike tradition: players explore procedurally generated dungeons, combat a variety of monsters, collect treasure, and manage an inventory and equipment. The game emphasizes turn-based exploration, permadeath, and depth-oriented progression. Graphics are traditionally ASCII-based, with optional tile sets in some ports, and the game runs on Unix-like platforms with ports to other systems through community efforts.

Development history is characterized by incremental improvements, patches, and occasional forks. NLARN has experienced periods of renewed activity alongside broader interest in open-source roguelikes, and is regarded as part of the early wave of community-driven recreations that extended the legacy of Larn beyond its original release. While not as widely played as some contemporaries, NLARN remains of interest to roguelike historians and players who value the lineage of early open-source dungeon crawlers.

See also: Larn, roguelike.