The 1995 post-apocalyptic mutant roguelike: a valley in the ruins of Central New York, castles and lairs.

AlphaMan (Jeffrey R. Olson, 1995) is set after a nuclear war, in the style of the Gamma World tabletop game. You are a mutant with two random mutations, one physical and one mental. The valley is an open outdoor map with plains, forest, hills and water; castles and underground lairs hold the stairs, the monsters and the loot. The goal is to stop the Grinch and his nerve toxin: five castles hold the items (a map, a space suit, blue suede shoes, an ID card, a serum) you need to enter his hidden castle. Old-world tech devices must be figured out before you can use them. Death is permanent.

About the game

AlphaMan is science fiction, not fantasy: mutants, robots and old-world technology instead of wizards and magic. The main map is one big outdoor valley you walk across freely. Castles (buildings) and lairs (underground) are the dungeons; enter with < when you stand on an entrance.

Keyboard controls

The keys to remember

?
In-game help and command list
x
Auto-explore: walk to unexplored places and unvisited items
Enter
Menu of all commands
i
Possessions with a cursor: Enter = everything you can do with the item
<
Go down (walks to the nearest known stairs or lair entrance; press again there)

Essential keys

Moving

numpad/arrow keys
Walk / attack
x
Auto-explore
<
Go down stairs or into a lair (walks to the nearest known one)
>
Go up stairs or out of a lair (walks to the nearest known one)
./numpad 5
Rest
s
Search
Z
Sleep

Fighting & mutations

t
Throw
m
Mental mutation
p
Physical mutation
a
Repeat command
F
Fast fight on/off

Items

i
Inventory with a cursor
u
Use / wear / wield
U
Stop using
e
Eat
d
Drop
f
Figure out a device
X
Examine

Screens & system

Enter
Command menu
F1-F7
Stats, possessions, knowledge, condition, maps, symbols
P
Previous messages
?
Help
S
Save
Q
Quit
Complete key list (34 commands)
F1Displays your character's statistics on the right side of the screen.
F2Displays your possessions on the right side of the screen.
F3Lists the berries whose effects you know, and the devices you understand.
F4Shows useful information about your physical and mental condition.
F5Displays the main map temporarily, showing the entire world.
F6Displays the local map, showing nearby terrain, creatures and objects.
F7Shows a list of relevant symbols and the objects they represent.
xExplore: walk to unexplored places until something happens. Key stops.
F9Displays important information about the creator of AlphaMan.
F10"Boss" key, which creates a fake DOS screen. F10 or Esc escapes.
?Shows help screen listing commands and character information.
EscEscapes from most commands, and clears text in the dialog box.
.Rest, which will reduce your fatigue and allow faster healing.
<Go down stairs, or down into a lair (walks to the nearest known one; press again there).
>Go up stairs, or up out of a lair (walks to the nearest known one; press again there).
aRepeat command. Useful for throwing or figuring out repeatedly.
dDrop an item. You must be standing on an empty square to drop something.
eEat food, berries or other items.
fFigure out an unknown device. Often must be repeated many times.
mUse your Mental Mutation. (Shortcut key)
pUse your Physical Mutation. (Shortcut key)
rRemove a trap, pit, or poison gas. Sometimes requires several attempts.
sSearch area nearby for traps, secret doors or invisible critters.
tThrow an item such as a weapon, grenade or berry.
uUse an item such as armor, weapon or device; use a mutation.
FFast fight switch. Fast fight on means spacebar not needed in combat.
PPrevious message. This will scan through the last 10 messages.
QQuit game. You have the option to save the game at this point.
SSave game at current position for later reloading.
UUnuse an item. Take off armor or suits, stop riding vehicles etc.
WCustomize the name, symbol and color of the wimpy critter.
XExamine a nearby object or a possession. Describes item condition.
ZTry to fall asleep. This won't always work at first.
Numeric KeypadMove, attack by moving into creatures. Enter: command menu.

Saving your game

Tips

New player's guide

Your first steps

  1. At the start, type a name and a difficulty. Answer n to skip the overview if you know it.
  2. Press F1 to see your mutations and F2 (or i) to see what you carry.
  3. Look around the local map, walk to a castle or lair entrance and go in with <.
  4. Inside, explore with x. Pick up what you find and use armour and weapons.
  5. Rest outside when you are hurt. Save with S before dangerous places.

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