Dungeons of Ba

Dungeons of Ba is a real-time top-down dungeon crawler, with graphics and game-play similar to the author's related release Castle of Jasoom . You play the role of Norman the warrior, who is in search of the Stone of Ba beneath the ruins of that ancient city. The subterranean paths are filled with guardians in the form of spiders, snakes and the servants of Ba. There are also traps, hidden passages, and occasionally supplies in the form of food, arrows, or mysterious potions having random arcane effects.

You can wander the levels using the joystick, while the action button may have different effects depending on your mode, which can be switched using the function keys. There are four modes. Shield mode allows you to block incoming arrows so that each hit does minimal damage. Arrow mode allows you to fire an arrow (if you have one) in the direction you are facing, killing any enemy it hits. Fight mode decreases the amount of damage you receive when in melee combat with an enemy. Combat will automatically happen if your path intersects with that of a monster. Take mode allows you to pick up and/or use an item on the ground. Take can be applied to supplies, mystery potions (which may speed you up, slow you down or blind you), treasures, or the stairs to move between levels.

There are four levels of the dungeon, each consisting of a 3x3 arrangement of screens interconnected by corridors. There are many rooms, and a lot of them are hidden. On each level, there are two treasures (crown and scepter) and a key which is necessary to pass a door leading to the next level. The key is always found in the temple on that level, and requires you to solve a puzzle involving coloured boxes. There are other puzzles as well, often involving invisible teleports. The game ends when you find the Stone of Ba on the last level, and escape from the dungeon. Unless of course your energy depletes from all of the traps and fights with monsters...