Welcome to Azthengar

Greetings, fellow Azthengarians.

The Archivist is here, and I have been working away like a lunatic, patching in code and reworking ideas so they fit within my abilities. I program in BASIC while balancing a soul-crushing day job, but today feels like a high holy day for lovers of the fantasy genre. For those who dream of rescuing distant souls, slaying dragons, defeating the undead, and standing face to face with a great evil, this world means something deeper. I have been a fan of this kind of storytelling for as long as I can remember.

It all began on a third-hand computer pulled from the trash. I still remember it running Windows 3.1, and to me, it felt like the greatest machine ever built. It was an IBM PS/2, and even though the hard drive was only around 50 MB, it felt infinite at the time. I was just a kid, checking system properties and realizing how small it was compared to what people dreamed of owning. A single gigabyte felt like something from the future. My dad found that machine and gave it to me, and in that moment, it became the greatest gift I had ever received.

I explored everything. I was fascinated by how simple and intuitive the system felt. That is why Windows 3.1 remains my favorite operating system, followed closely by Windows 95 and then XP. Those systems felt alive, approachable, and honest in a way that modern systems often do not.

I think back to the nights I stayed up late playing shareware games, discovering strange little worlds that felt like they belonged entirely to me. Games like Pac-Guy and Jetpack left a lasting impression. There was something magical about downloading a game and being completely blown away by it. That sense of discovery shaped everything I love about games today.

I think that is why I make the games I do. I build for bare-bones systems, for people who do not have access to high-end hardware. I understand that feeling. I lived it. I still carry it with me. I would love to have a powerful machine and play something like Double Dragon in all its glory, but there is something special about creating experiences that can run anywhere, on almost anything.

That is what Azthengar means to me. It is more than a game. It is a way to bring gaming back to its roots, to make something that feels accessible, grounded, and real. It is also, in its own strange way, a reflection of everything I have loved about this medium.

The so-called golden era of computer gaming will always stand above the rest in my mind. It was a time filled with brilliance and absolute nonsense, sometimes in equal measure. But that was part of the charm. You never knew what you were going to find. Sometimes you discovered something incredible. Other times, you stumbled into something like Isle of the Dead, which, despite its ambition, felt rushed and uneven. It is not that the visuals were terrible or the gameplay completely broken. It just felt… off. Like buying a cheaper soda to save a few cents, only to realize the flavor was not worth it.

And yet, even that has its place in memory.

These days, I find myself lost in the process. Coding, playing, thinking, and building Azthengar into something that continues to grow with each update. The world is expanding. The ideas are getting stranger. Bloodthirsty fairies, skeletons, and even a Minotaur now roam its depths. Every addition feels like another piece of something larger than I originally imagined.

Maybe no one is reading these posts. Maybe it is just me, sitting here, reflecting and talking into the void. But there is something comforting about that. About sharing thoughts, telling stories, and connecting with anyone out there who might stumble across this world.

Because at the end of the day, this is not just about making a game. It is about remembering where it all started, and holding onto that feeling.

So wherever you are in the world, take a moment to reflect on the past. There is something powerful in it.

Have a wonderful day. Two posts in a single day… now that feels like a miracle.

May your journey through life be a good one, and may you go in peace.