... – Sword of Fargoal - GameClub Review

Sword of Fargoal has long been missing from the App Store—an unfortunate casualty of not being updated as iOS advanced. Many games have disappeared like that, but none stung quite as much as Sword of Fargoal. I have spent so much time on this game over the years. BUT WE’RE BACK, BABY! Sword of Fargoal is finally returned to the App Store and I’m poised once again to sink uncomfortable amounts of time into dungeon exploration. At first Sword of Fargoal seems simple: Enter dungeon, explore, beat enemies, rinse, wash, repeat until you either win (which is really freakin’ hard) or die. But that initial impression gives way as you start discovering all the little details that make exploration so fun: hidden passageways, hidden doors, trap-laden labyrinths with treasure (or nothing?) at the center. Battles are dice rolls based on stats; once you initiate they unfold automatically—although you do have choices if it’s not going well: Attempt to disengage by running, or teleport away (if you have a teleport spell). That’s how I die—believing I can save that teleport for a better time, then all of a sudden my health is nil. The variety of settings and treasure make pushing through the foggy dungeons a true joy. Watching the map reveal while descending the various levels required to get to the bottom. Yes, this is a rogue-like, a genre that has had many entries, but none are as strong, as engaging, as compulsively replayable as Sword of Fargoal. I’ve played this game since its original iOS release and I still feel like I could turn up something new and incredible as I push forward in the randomly generated dungeons. It’s what makes Sword of Fargoal so incredibly compulsive.
Review by TheTheory on Sword of Fargoal - GameClub.