Welcome to Azthengar

Most people don’t realize when a game stops being something you play… and starts becoming something you survive.

Well, it’s that time of year again.

The weather is getting warmer, and a guy like me starts thinking about the simple things…

Well, it’s that time of year again.

The weather’s getting warmer, and a guy like me starts thinking about the simple things. A good turkey dinner. Time with the kids. It’s honestly one of the three days a year I get turkey, so yeah, I’m pretty pumped. Throw in some stovetop stuffing, corn, gravy, and dinner rolls, and I’m set.

Do I dread going to work tomorrow?

Of course I do.

I hate it with every ounce of my being. But that’s life right now. The upside is I’m putting in applications, looking for another warehouse gig, something a little better, something that doesn’t drain the soul quite as much. We’ll get there.

Yesterday, I dusted off my Steam account and jumped back into some old games. The kind that remind you why you fell in love with gaming in the first place. That sense of adventure. That feeling that anything could be waiting around the next corner.

I found myself back in The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, and yeah… that feeling still hits.

But more than anything, I’ve been deep in Azthengar.

And something’s changing.

The castle feels alive now. Bigger. Meaner. More unpredictable.

I expanded the floor system so that what the player sees on screen stays tight and focused, but the actual map behind it has grown to over three times the size. It’s no longer just a space you move through. It’s something you explore.

Then came the enemies.

Not just more of them, but better ones.

Mini-bosses.

Now you’re not just fighting to survive. You’re dealing with consequences.

You take on something like the Giant Spider on Floor 7, and it’s not just a win or lose moment. You walk away poisoned. That venom sticks with you. It changes how you play. Every step after that fight matters more.

And that’s where the game really starts to open up.

Poison. Burning. Freezing. Curses.

These aren’t just effects. They’re problems.

And the only way out is preparation. The right potion, the right decision, or you’re done.

That’s the shift.

That’s the moment where the game stops being something you play and starts becoming something you survive.

And I love it.

I’ve also brought in ghosts. Not just enemies, but remnants. Failed adventurers who made it this far and never made it out. Now they wander the halls, twisted, controlled, lost. They’re not just obstacles. They’re warnings.

And of course… vampires.

Because let’s be honest, every great game needs vampires.

What really gets me though is the growth behind the scenes.

I remember sitting there not too long ago, staring at this project sitting at around 54KB, thinking it was massive. Thinking I had built something real.

Now it’s pushing 300KB.

And all I can think about is how this would’ve filled up floppy disks back in the day.

That realization hits differently. Makes you feel time a little bit.

But this morning was quiet.

Peaceful.

Just me, the day ahead, and a trip to the laundromat to dry some clothes. And even in that, there’s a kind of calm. Because I know what’s waiting on the other side of it.

Good food.

A clear head.

Maybe getting a little too high and diving into games like Dark Castle or Fatal Labyrinth.

Maybe throwing on Code Monkeys and just letting the night roll.

Simple things.

And honestly, that’s enough.

Until next time, take care… and have the quest of a lifetime.