One of the best computer games now available doesn't require a soundcard, a CD drive, or even a VGA monitor. It's called NetHack, and Internet users who have happened upon this deceptively simple, single-player adventure find themselves obsessively beating away at their terminals until 4 a.m. I'm drawn to this endearingly pokey game by its more abstracted pleasures of subtlety and endless possibility.
To be sure, NetHack looks absurdly austere: represented by a colorful @, you maneuver your alter ego through a multilevel dungeon toward the ultimate prize - the Amulet of Yendor. Under this scantiest of premises is a complex game that may take years to conquer.
Unsurprisingly, commercial gamers have made numerous attempts to imitate NetHack's flair. Diablo is an heir of sorts - but those who have played both agree that the commercial game pales in comparison.
##### NetHack 3.2.2: freeware. The Official Nethack FTP site: ftp://ftp.uu.net/pub/games/nethack/.
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