** FREE AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE - GPL v2 Licensed**
A faithful recreation of the classic 1993 BBS door game "Usurper" by Jakob Dangarden, enhanced with revolutionary NPC AI systems while maintaining 100% Pascal source compatibility.
Usurper Reloaded brings the brutal medieval world of the original BBS classic to modern platforms. Every formula, every stat, every quirk from the original Pascal source has been meticulously preserved, while adding sophisticated AI systems that make the world feel truly alive.
Original Creator: Jakob Dangarden (1993)
Source Preservation: Rick Parrish, Daniel Zingaro
Modern Recreation: Built with Godot 4.4+ and C#
License: GNU General Public License v2 (GPL v2)
Progress has moved from "bare foundations" to a play-testable alpha. Highlights:
- Godot 4.2 Mono build that launches a DOS-style 80×25 terminal.
- Full data layer –
Character,Player,NPC,Item,Monster,Questand a 1 100-lineGameConfigmirroring Pascal globals.
- Main Street, Inn, Bank, Magic Shop, Healer, Temple, Dungeon
- NEW: Church, Dark Alley, Level Master, Marketplace, Anchor Road hub, Hall of Recruitment, Dormitory – all feature-complete ports of the original Pascal logic.
- 30+ NPCs loaded from
Data/npcs.json(with stats, dialogue, starting locations). - Enhanced NPC AI: personality-driven brains, goal system, memory & emotions.
- WorldSimulator now runs every 60 s in a background task → NPCs wander, trade, fight and socialise. Enter a room and you'll meet living townsfolk.
- Hall of Recruitment supports hiring / bribing NPCs into your team.
- Dormitory provides full rest & daily reset.
- Trading board in Marketplace, shady services in Dark Alley, levelling with the Level Master, donations & blessings in Church – all with flavour text and original costs.
- Robust JSON loaders, test-suite (>300 cases) and CI builds.
- Deep dungeon crawl beyond basic monster fights, castle politics, child/marriage systems, etc.
- Spell casting, cursed item mechanics, full save persistence for new systems.
- Multiplayer / node support.
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/binary-knight/usurper-reloaded.git
cd usurper-reloaded
# Build the project
dotnet build
# Run tests
cd Tests && powershell ./run_tests.ps1
# Open in Godot
godot project.godotThe project includes automated GitHub Actions for building:
- Push to
mainfor development builds - Tag with
v*for release builds - Artifacts available in Actions tab
CRITICAL BLOCKERS - Must Complete Before Early Access:
- Church - Currently placeholder, needs healing/blessing mechanics
- Marketplace - Currently placeholder, needs trading system
- Level Master - Currently placeholder, needs level advancement
- Dark Alley - Currently placeholder, needs shady dealings/black market
- Anchor Road - Currently placeholder, needs challenge system (still need to implement challenge features when other subsystems are built)
- Hall of Recruitment - Currently placeholder, needs NPC hiring
- Dormitory - Currently placeholder, needs rest/recovery mechanics
- Your Home - Currently placeholder, needs personal dwelling features
- Outside Prison - Currently placeholder, needs prison break mechanics
- Mail System - "not yet implemented" throughout prison, main street
- Message System - Player-to-player communication missing
- Item Transfer - Player-to-player item trading missing
- Team Management - Many "not yet implemented" features in Team Corner
- Combat Spells - "Spell casting not yet implemented"
- Combat Items - "Item usage not yet implemented"
- Gossip System - Love Corner gossip features incomplete
- Child System - Child examination and interaction incomplete
- News Archive - News system has placeholder archive functionality
- Throne Challenge - "not yet implemented" combat system
- Prison Management - "not yet implemented" for royal functions
- Royal Mail - "not yet implemented"
- Court Magician - "not yet implemented"
- Royal Quests - "not yet implemented"
- Royal Orphanage - "not yet implemented" management
- Tax Policy - "not yet implemented"
- Guard Management - "not yet implemented"
- Rescue Mechanism - Prison rescue returns false stub
- Prison Break Combat - "not yet implemented"
- Prisoner Database - Currently returns empty placeholder lists
- Online Player Tracking - "not yet implemented"
- Magic Shop Class Restrictions - TODO: implement when needed
- Item Equipping System - TODO: implement in magic shop
- Cursed Item Removal - TODO: integrate with actual item system
- Item Identification - Placeholder 33% random chance logic
- NPC AI Loops – Enhanced brains & behaviour engine now live
- World Simulation –
WorldSimulatorticks every minute, moves NPCs & processes social/combat events - Relationship Persistence – Save/load friendships, marriages, enmities
- Quest Completion – Resolve quests and save progress across sessions
- Tournament System – Automated combat events with rankings
ESTIMATED WORK REMAINING: 1-2 months of core development
- Core game systems (combat, locations, NPCs) - Basic framework
- Save/load functionality - Comprehensive system implemented
- Terminal emulator and UI framework
- Character creation and basic progression
- Basic location navigation
- Fundamental combat engine (needs spell/item integration)
- Bank, Inn, Healer, Temple, Weapon Shop, Magic Shop basics
- Prison system framework (needs completion)
- Steam integration and achievements
- Initial balancing based on player feedback
- Bug fixes and stability improvements
- Audio and enhanced ANSI art
- Nemesis System: NPCs who defeat you become legendary
- Seasonal Events: Weather and holidays affect gameplay
- Legendary Artifacts: Unique items with rich histories
- Expanded Dungeon: Levels 51-100 with new challenges
- Prestige Classes: Post-level 100 advancement paths
- NPC Journal: Track your history with every character
- Achievement System: Steam achievements for epic feats
- Mod Support: Allow custom content creation
- Multiple Save Slots: Manage different characters
- Difficulty Options: From "Classic Brutal" to "Modern Casual"
- Private Servers: Host games for 5-10 friends
- Asynchronous Play: Classic BBS-style daily turns
- Official Servers: Persistent worlds with 20-50 players
- Spectator Mode: Watch epic battles unfold
- Cross-platform Play: Steam, mobile, and web
- New Locations: Thieves Guild, Wizard Tower, Harbor District
- Sea Travel: Ships, pirates, and island exploration
- Political System: Elections, coups, and diplomacy
- Crafting System: Create unique items and potions
- Pet System: Companions that fight alongside you
- Mobile Version: Full game on iOS/Android
- Steam Workshop: Share characters, stories, and mods
- Usurper 2: Sequel with expanded world and graphics
- VR Mode: Experience the dungeon in virtual reality
usurper-reloaded/
├── Scripts/ # C# game logic
│ ├── Core/ # Game engine and systems
│ ├── Locations/ # All 23 game locations
│ ├── AI/ # NPC AI systems
│ └── UI/ # Terminal and interface
├── Scenes/ # Godot scene files
├── Data/ # Game data (items, NPCs, etc.)
├── Tests/ # Comprehensive test suite
└── .github/ # CI/CD workflows
The project includes extensive testing to ensure Pascal compatibility:
# Run all tests
cd Tests && powershell ./run_tests.ps1
# Run specific test suite
dotnet test Tests/CombatTests.csWe welcome contributions! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
- Balance testing and feedback
- ANSI art creation
- Sound effects and music
- Localization to other languages
- Documentation improvements
- Engine: Godot 4.2+ with C#
- Lines of Code: 50,000+ across 100+ files
- Pascal Compatibility: 100% formula accuracy
- Test Coverage: 300+ test cases
- Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS (Steam Deck verified)
Usurper Reloaded is FREE SOFTWARE licensed under GPL v2
- ✅ Use - Run the game for any purpose (personal, commercial, educational)
- ✅ Study - Examine and learn from the complete source code
- ✅ Share - Distribute copies to anyone, anywhere
- ✅ Modify - Change the game and distribute your improvements
- ✅ Commercial Use - Even sell your own versions (under GPL v2)
- Complete source code included with every download
- GitHub Repository: https://github.com/binary-knight/usurper-reloaded
- Build Scripts: All tools and build processes included
- No Hidden Code: Everything needed to build and modify the game
This distribution includes:
LICENSE- Complete GPL v2 license textGPL_NOTICE.txt- Your rights and freedomsusurper-reloaded-source.zip- Complete source code archiveGPL_COMPLIANCE.md- Detailed compliance information
This is truly FREE software - you own it completely!
Original Game: © 1993 Jakob Dangarden
Pascal Preservation: Rick Parrish, Daniel Zingaro (GPL License)
This Remake: GPL v2 Licensed - Free for all to use and modify
See LICENSE file for complete GPL v2 terms and conditions.
- Jakob Dangarden: For creating the original masterpiece
- Rick Parrish: For preserving the Pascal source code
- Daniel Zingaro: For tremendous help with the Paspal source code
- BBS Community: For keeping the spirit alive
- Contributors: Everyone who has helped test and improve
"In the realm of Usurper, death is not the end—it's just another beginning. Will you rise to claim the throne, or will your bones join the countless others in the dungeon depths?"
Status: Preparing for Steam Early Access