Dungeon Master

Dungeon Master set some new standards for role-playing games and computer games in general. Dungeon Master was a real-time game instead of the traditional turn-based approach that had prevailed until then. Instead of using text-based commands to interact with the environment, players manipulated objects and the environment directly by clicking the mouse in a zoomed-in first-person perspective. Dungeons and Dragons-style abstract experience points and levels were dispensed with, and instead a system was introduced where characters' abilities were directly improved by their use. Also, some novel control methods were introduced, such as the system for casting spells, in which it is necessary to learn a sequence of runes that represent the form and function of a spell's effect. For example, a fireball spell was created by combining the fire symbol with the wing symbol. This attention to detail and focus on the user interface were typical of the game and helped to create an often compelling sense of craft and ingenuity. Other factors that contributed to immersion were the then-revolutionary use of sound effects that indicated when a creature was nearby and the (primitive) dynamic lighting.