Welcome to Azthengar

The castle has learned to show its face.

Azthengar is a retro-inspired dark fantasy dungeon crawler built in the spirit of classic 16-bit era design, old computer RPGs, lost shareware adventures, and dungeon crawlers that trusted the player to survive by instinct, patience, and nerve.

This build focuses on combat identity, encounter presentation, and interface cleanup.

Monsters are no longer just names in the message box.

They stare back now.

Each encounter can now reveal a coded portrait card showing the enemy’s face, name, threat, health, and mood. The result is a stronger, darker, more personal combat experience. A skeleton feels like a skull in the torchlight. An orc feels like a brute from the lower halls. A golem feels like stone given hatred. The Archivist remains hidden beneath the hood.

Beneath the castle, something is watching.

Now you can see part of it watching you.

WHAT’S NEW IN BUILD 2026.05.20

This build represents a major encounter presentation pass focused on monster identity, portrait windows, text clarity, and immersion.

New Features

Encounter Portrait Card System

• New coded monster portrait window during combat.
• Enemy face appears in a dedicated portrait frame.
• Enemy name, HP, threat text, and flavor line displayed in one encounter card.
• Portraits are drawn directly in QB64.
• No external portrait image files required.
• Designed to feel like a lost DOS RPG or early console dungeon crawler.

Enemy Portrait Identity

• Skeletons now have skull-like combat portraits.
• Orcs now have heavier green faces and tusk details.
• Golems now appear as blocky stone guardians.
• Dragons carry a stronger red scale and fire presence.
• The Minotaur has a stronger horned brute identity.
• Azthengar has a darker royal boss presence.
• The Archivist of Azthengar now appears as a hooded figure with the face hidden in shadow.

Combat Mood States

• Enemies can appear in different portrait states.
• Normal encounter state.
• Cruel or laughing state when the player is in danger.
• Death state when the enemy collapses.
• Death portrait effect cleaned up to avoid ugly crossed guide lines.
• Combat now feels more theatrical without relying on heavy animation.

Gameplay & Combat Presentation Improvements

• Encounter portraits now stay inside their own locked portrait box.
• Monster faces no longer block combat text.
• Enemy teeth, tusks, jaws, and lower face details no longer cross the portrait border.
• Orc portrait adjusted so teeth and tusks stay contained.
• Skeleton and fairy-like skull portraits cleaned for better border control.
• Threat sentence can now continue onto a second line.
• HP text and HP meter moved down to give the threat description more space.
• Long threat text no longer crashes into the border.
• Combat card now reads cleaner during battle.

Visual & Presentation Updates

Archivist Portrait Cleanup

• Archivist portrait updated for stronger mystery.
• Brown robe presentation improved.
• Face remains hidden in darkness.
• Hooded shape made more intentional.
• Unwanted guide circles and square-like marks removed.
• Archivist window now feels more like a proper character record.

NPC Portrait Cleanup

• NPC portrait presentation cleaned.
• Unwanted face guide marks removed.
• Portraits now feel more finished and intentional.
• Dialogue windows retain stronger retro CRPG atmosphere.

Interface Fixes

• Threat text now wraps instead of being cut short.
• HP meter moved lower in the encounter panel.
• Right-side encounter panel spacing improved.
• Portrait borders reinforced after portrait drawing.
• Bottom encounter flavor text remains separated from the main combat log.
• Portrait window layout now better protects readability.
• UI no longer feels like it is fighting itself during encounters.

Codebase Cleanup

• Encounter portrait drawing logic cleaned.
• NPC portrait drawing logic adjusted.
• Combat card layout refined.
• Portrait details repositioned to stay within frame.
• Death-state portrait lines replaced with cleaner visual treatment.
• Repeated visual artifacts reduced.
• Release-facing presentation improved by removing test/debug-style labels from the combat card.

Stability Fixes

• Fixed portrait elements bleeding into borders.
• Fixed long threat sentence interference with the encounter frame.
• Fixed unwanted face construction marks in enemy and NPC portrait areas.
• Fixed HP meter spacing conflict with threat text.
• Fixed lower portrait details crossing outside the portrait window.
• General encounter UI consistency improvements.

CORE FEATURES

• Procedurally generated dungeon floors.
• Survival-based resource management.
• Food, hunger, and inventory pressure.
• Combat focused on timing, risk, and decision-making.
• New coded encounter portrait card system.
• Enemy portraits with mood states.
• Mini-boss encounters every 5 floors.
• Major boss encounters at key milestones.
• The Archivist of Azthengar as a major presence.
• True Azthengar and the deeper throne structure.
• Three dragon guardians in the deep throne path.
• Endless Mode beyond the main descent.
• Lore discovery through skeletons, civilians, and environmental storytelling.
• Music support with level rotation and special themes.
• Keyboard-driven retro CRPG interface.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Minimum:

• OS: Windows 7 or newer
• CPU: 1 GHz processor
• RAM: 512 MB
• Graphics: Basic integrated graphics
• Storage: Less than 50 MB free space
• Keyboard required

Recommended:

• OS: Windows 10 or newer
• CPU: 2 GHz processor or higher
• RAM: 1 GB or more
• Graphics: Any modern integrated GPU
• Sound: Windows-compatible sound device recommended
• Keyboard required

FINAL NOTE

Azthengar is designed to be challenging, deliberate, and atmospheric. It does not guide the player. It does not apologize for the dark. It does not soften the castle. Build 2026.05.20 gives the monsters a stronger presence and gives combat a sharper identity. The dungeon is still cruel. The halls are still hungry. The king still waits below.

But now, when the castle sends something after you, it has a face.

And it remembers yours.