Usurper Reborn

A Persistent Online Text RPG with a Living World

ALPHA v0.50.7 | FREE AND OPEN SOURCE | GPL v2

60+ autonomous NPCs wake up, go to work, visit taverns, fall in love, get married, have children, age, and eventually die of old age — all while you're offline. Log back in, read the news feed, and discover that the blacksmith married the barmaid, the king was assassinated, or a new generation just came of age. The world doesn't wait for you.

Play now: https://usurper-reborn.net (browser) or ssh usurper@play.usurper-reborn.net -p 4000 (password: play)

Download: Latest Release | Report bugs: Discord or GitHub Issues

The Living World

The core of Usurper Reborn is a 24/7 agent-based simulation. NPCs aren't quest dispensers standing in place — they're goal-driven agents with personalities, memories, and opinions about each other and about you.

Autonomous NPCs — Each NPC has 13 personality traits, a memory system (100 memories, 7-day decay), and a goal-based AI brain. They choose careers, form gangs, visit shops, train at the guild, and develop relationships with each other independently of player action.

Full Lifecycles — Married NPCs can become pregnant, have children, and raise them. Children grow up over real time and eventually join the realm as new adult NPCs. Adults age according to their race's lifespan (Human ~30 days, Elf ~80 days, Orc ~22 days) and die permanently when their time comes. The population turns over. No one is permanent.

Emergent Events — Marriages, divorces, affairs, births, coming-of-age ceremonies, natural deaths, gang wars, and political upheavals all happen organically and appear in the live news feed on the website and in-game.

Persistent Multiplayer — Connect via browser or SSH to a shared world backed by SQLite. Your actions affect other players. PvP arena, cross-player chat, leaderboards, and a news feed that captures everything happening in the realm.

The Game

Beyond the simulation, there's a deep RPG with 100+ hours of content.

Character Building

• 11 Classes + 5 Prestige — Warrior, Paladin, Assassin, Magician, Cleric, Ranger, Bard, Sage, Barbarian, Alchemist, Jester — plus 5 NG+ prestige classes (Tidesworn, Wavecaller, Cyclebreaker, Abysswarden, Voidreaver) unlocked by completing different endings
• 10 Races — Human, Elf, Dwarf, Hobbit, Half-Elf, Orc, Gnome, Troll, Gnoll, Mutant — with race-specific lifespans, stats, and lore
• 75 Spells across 3 caster classes, 44 class abilities, meaningful stat scaling

100-Floor Dungeon

• Deterministically generated floors with boss encounters, treasure rooms, traps, and hidden secrets
• 7 corrupted Old Gods sealed in the depths, each with multi-phase combat and meaningful dialogue choices
• 7 Ancient Seals to collect, unlocking the truth about who you are
• 5 endings based on your choices: Conqueror, Savior, Defiant, True, and a secret Dissolution ending

Story & Narrative

You wake with no memory. A letter in your own handwriting warns you: "The gods are broken. Collect the Seven Seals. Break the cycle. You are not what you think you are."

• Ocean Philosophy — A Buddhist-inspired awakening system with 7 levels: "You are not a wave fighting the ocean. You ARE the ocean, dreaming of being a wave."
• 4 Companions who can die permanently — Lyris, Aldric, Mira, Vex — each with personal quests and real grief consequences
• NG+ Cycle System — Each playthrough, you remember more. NPCs notice.
• 6 Town NPCs with story arcs, dream sequences, stranger encounters, and faction politics

Relationships & Politics

• Romance, marriage, children, divorce, affairs, polyamory
• Challenge the throne, recruit guards, manage treasury, navigate court factions
• 3 joinable factions: The Crown, The Shadows, The Faith
• PvP arena with daily limits, gold theft, and leaderboards

30+ Locations

Main Street, Inn, Bank, Weapon Shop, Armor Shop, Magic Shop, Healer, Temple, Church, Dark Alley, Level Master, Marketplace, Castle, Prison, Dungeons, Home, Arena, and more.

Origins

Originally inspired by Usurper (1993) by Jakob Dangarden, a classic BBS door game. The original Pascal source was preserved by Rick Parrish and Daniel Zingaro. Usurper Reborn maintains compatibility with the original formulas while building an entirely new simulation layer on top.

Building from Source

This is free and open source software - you can build it yourself!

Prerequisites

• .NET SDK 8.0+
• Git

Quick Build

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/binary-knight/usurper-reborn.git
cd usurper-reborn

# Build and run (framework-dependent, requires .NET runtime)
dotnet build usurper-reloaded.csproj -c Release
dotnet run --project usurper-reloaded.csproj -c Release

Self-Contained Builds (No .NET Runtime Required)

Build a standalone executable that includes the .NET runtime:

Windows (64-bit)

dotnet publish usurper-reloaded.csproj -c Release -r win-x64 -o publish/win-x64 \
  -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:SelfContained=true
# Run: publish/win-x64/UsurperReborn.exe

Windows (32-bit)

dotnet publish usurper-reloaded.csproj -c Release -r win-x86 -o publish/win-x86 \
  -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:SelfContained=true

Linux (x64)

dotnet publish usurper-reloaded.csproj -c Release -r linux-x64 -o publish/linux-x64 \
  -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:SelfContained=true
chmod +x publish/linux-x64/UsurperReborn
# Run: ./publish/linux-x64/UsurperReborn

Linux (ARM64 - Raspberry Pi, etc.)

dotnet publish usurper-reloaded.csproj -c Release -r linux-arm64 -o publish/linux-arm64 \
  -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:SelfContained=true
chmod +x publish/linux-arm64/UsurperReborn

macOS (Intel)

dotnet publish usurper-reloaded.csproj -c Release -r osx-x64 -o publish/osx-x64 \
  -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:SelfContained=true
chmod +x publish/osx-x64/UsurperReborn

macOS (Apple Silicon)

dotnet publish usurper-reloaded.csproj -c Release -r osx-arm64 -o publish/osx-arm64 \
  -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:SelfContained=true
chmod +x publish/osx-arm64/UsurperReborn

Technical Details

• Runtime: .NET 8.0 (LTS) | Language: C# 12
• Codebase: 100,000+ lines across 150+ files, 68+ game systems
• NPC Simulation: Goal-based AI with 13 personality traits, memory system, lifecycle aging
• Platforms: Windows (x64/x86), Linux (x64/ARM64), macOS (Intel/Apple Silicon)
• Multiplayer: SQLite shared backend, SSH gateway, WebSocket browser terminal
• Save System: JSON (local) / SQLite (online) with autosave
• Website: Live stats API, SSE event feed, xterm.js terminal

Project Structure

usurper-reborn/
├── Scripts/
│   ├── Core/           # Character, NPC, Item, Monster, GameEngine
│   ├── Systems/        # 40+ game systems
│   │   ├── OceanPhilosophySystem.cs
│   │   ├── AmnesiaSystem.cs
│   │   ├── CompanionSystem.cs
│   │   ├── GriefSystem.cs
│   │   ├── SevenSealsSystem.cs
│   │   ├── StoryProgressionSystem.cs
│   │   ├── PuzzleSystem.cs
│   │   ├── EndingsSystem.cs
│   │   └── ... (many more)
│   ├── BBS/            # BBS door mode support
│   │   ├── DoorMode.cs
│   │   ├── DropFileParser.cs
│   │   ├── SocketTerminal.cs
│   │   └── BBSTerminalAdapter.cs
│   ├── Locations/      # 30+ game locations
│   ├── AI/             # NPC AI systems (Brain, Memory, Goals, Emotions)
│   ├── Data/           # Game data (NPCs, Equipment, Monsters, Old Gods)
│   └── UI/             # Terminal emulator interface
├── Console/            # Console bootstrap and terminal
├── Data/               # JSON game data
├── DOCS/               # Documentation and examples
└── .github/            # CI/CD workflows

Quest & Bounty SystemDynamic quest content for single-player progression:

• Quest Hall - Central hub for viewing quests and bounties
• Starter Quests - 11 pre-made quests spanning levels 1-100
• Open Contract Bounties - Kill any NPC with a bounty and get paid immediately (no claiming required)
• King's Bounties - The NPC King posts bounties on criminals and NPCs
• Auto-Refresh - Completed bounties automatically replaced with new targets
• Difficulty Scaling - Easy, Medium, Hard, Extreme quest tiers

Achievement SystemTrack your progress with 50+ achievements:

• Combat - Monster kills, boss defeats, combat milestones
• Progression - Level milestones, stat achievements
• Economy - Gold earned, items purchased
• Exploration - Dungeon depths, locations visited
• Social - NPC interactions, relationships formed
• Challenge - Special accomplishments

Statistics TrackingComprehensive gameplay statistics:

• Total monsters killed, gold earned, time played
• Deepest dungeon floor reached
• Quests completed, achievements unlocked
• Combat statistics and records

Difficulty ModesChoose your challenge level:

• Easy - 150% XP, 50% monster damage, 150% gold
• Normal - Standard balanced experience
• Hard - 75% XP, 150% monster damage, 75% gold
• Nightmare - 50% XP, 200% monster damage, 50% gold

Family SystemMarriage and children with real consequences:

• Marriage - Court NPCs through the relationship system, marry at the Church
• Polyamory Support - Multiple marriages allowed for those who prefer it
• Children - Have children who inherit traits from both parents
• Child Bonuses - Children under 18 provide stat boosts to parents:
  • +2% XP per child (up to +10% for 5+ children)
  • +50 Max HP, +5 Strength, +3 Charisma per child
  • +100 Gold/day per child
  • Alignment bonuses based on children's behavior
• Aging System - Children grow up over time (1 week real time = 1 year in-game)
• Coming of Age - At 18, children become adult NPCs who join the world
• Custody & Divorce - Family drama with real mechanical effects

Game PreferencesQuick settings accessible from anywhere via [~]Prefs:

• Combat Speed - Normal, Fast, or Instant text display
• Auto-heal - Toggle automatic healing potion use in combat
• Skip Intimate Scenes - "Fade to black" option for romantic content

Estimated Playtime

How long to complete Usurper Reborn:

Note: Playtime varies based on difficulty mode and exploration style.

How to Connect

• Browser — Play instantly at usurper-reborn.net with an embedded web terminal
• SSH — ssh usurper@play.usurper-reborn.net -p 4000 (password: play)
• In-Game Client — Select [O]nline Play from the main menu (uses built-in SSH.NET)
• Self-hosted — Host your own server (see SERVER_DEPLOYMENT.md)

BBS Door Mode

Run Usurper Reborn as a door game on modern BBS software:

• Auto-Detection - Game reads DOOR32.SYS and auto-configures for your BBS. No special flags needed.
• Fully Tested - Synchronet (Standard I/O), EleBBS (Socket), Mystic BBS (Socket + SSH)
• Should Work - WWIV, GameSrv, ENiGMA (auto-detected by name)
• SSH Support - Auto-detects encrypted transports and switches to Standard I/O mode
• DOOR32.SYS & DOOR.SYS - Both drop file formats supported
• Multi-Node Support - Each node gets isolated session handling
• BBS-Isolated Saves - Saves stored per-BBS to prevent user conflicts
• SysOp Console - In-game admin console for player management, difficulty settings, MOTD, and auto-updates
• In-Game Bug Reports - Players can press ! to submit bug reports directly from a BBS session
• Cross-Platform - Works on Windows x64/x86, Linux x64/ARM64, and macOS

Quick Setup for Sysops:

UsurperReborn --door32 <path>      # Just point it to your DOOR32.SYS - that's it!
UsurperReborn --verbose            # Enable verbose debug output for troubleshooting

For detailed BBS setup instructions, see DOCS/BBS_DOOR_SETUP.md.

What's Still In Development

Future Enhancements

• Audio and enhanced ANSI art
• Additional companion personal quest storylines
• Expanded faction recruitment ceremonies

v0.50.7 - Loot Variety, Prestige Fixes & Ally Combat Buffs

Prestige classes bypass all equipment restrictions. Loot template expansion for all classes (6 new "All" weapons, 5 body armor, 20+ per-slot armor, 3 shields). Buff spells (Time Stop, protection) now apply to NPC allies in combat. God worship persistence fix for online mode. Font selection on main menu for WezTerm users. Prestige classes added to website.

v0.50.6 - Gear Inspector & TLS Fixes

New /gear (/eq) command shows detailed per-item equipment breakdown with all stats, enchantments, proc effects, and totals. Windows 7 TLS 1.2 fixes for auto-updater download, telemetry, and bug reports.

v0.50.5 - Class Reworks & Equipment Stat Overhaul

Alchemist (INT-scaling bombs, Potion Mastery +50% healing), Bard (songs buff entire party), Jester (CHA-scaling attacks, Trickster's Luck passive, 2 new early abilities), and Magician (Arcane Mastery +15% spell damage, spell cap removed, spellcasters can equip universal abilities) class reworks. Protection spell scaling fix: all 20 protection bonuses now scale with level and INT (Prismatic Shield ~200 AC at level 50 instead of 57). Equipment stat overhaul: Constitution/Intelligence replace raw HP/Mana. 267-template name-stat audit. NPC teammate level-up persistence fix. Dashboard race name fix.

v0.50.4 - Mana Potions, Gold Audit & World Boss Fix

Teammates can share mana potions in combat via [H] Aid Ally. Companions and NPC spellcasters auto-use mana potions at low MP. Comprehensive gold audit logging across all gold sources for exploit detection. World boss double-reward race condition fixed.

v0.50.0-v0.50.2 - Open Doors (Accessibility)

Screen reader accessibility pass across 30+ files. --screen-reader CLI flag. Grief system visibility improvements. Companion/NPC stat display overhaul. Bug fixes: dungeon crash, dual god worship exploit, pit fighting gold farming, settlement deserialization.

v0.49.3 - Player Experience: Onboarding, Power & Hooks

First combat class tips, weaker floor 1 monsters, God Slayer buff (+20% damage/+10% defense after Old Gods), straggler encounters, next god breadcrumb, NPC story notifications, active buff display, wake-at-sleep-location, Reinforced Door home upgrade, quit menu overhaul, idle timeout warning. Bug fixes: AI Echo equipment/messages, splash screen clipping, /tell display names, news feed caps.

v0.49.1 - Fatigue, Equipment & Combat

Fatigue system (single-player), sleep/rest separation, /time command, Power Strike stamina cost, dual-wield off-hand for abilities, weapon handedness fixes, Sell All in shops.

v0.49.0 - Swords and Lutes

Music Shop with Melodia companion, Compact Mode for small screens, weapon/armor shop procedural overhaul, Bow and Instrument weapon types, weapon requirements for abilities/spells.

v0.48.x

v0.48.5 — Power Strike rework, 2H damage buff, shield block overhaul, time-of-day system, herb garden with 5 herb types, 20 new dreams. v0.48.4 — Per-slot XP distribution, dungeon event splitting, lightning enchant fix. v0.48.2 — World Boss raid system (8 bosses, 3 phases, shared HP pool, contribution rewards). v0.48.0 — Bundled WezTerm terminal for desktop/Steam play.

v0.47.x — Prestige & MUD Polish

5 NG+ prestige classes (55 abilities), MUD client support (Mudlet, TinTin++), enchantments on abilities, combat balance overhaul (+45% monster HP), progressive onboarding, all-slot dungeon loot (93 templates), BBS online bridge, cooperative group dungeons, spectator mode.

v0.44.x-v0.45.0

Home upgrade system (5 systems × 5 levels), ending/NG+ pipeline fix, ANSI art portraits (all 10 races), cooperative group dungeons for MUD mode, spectator mode.

v0.40.0-v0.43.x

Rare crafting materials, 5 new enchantment tiers, boss difficulty tuning, stat training, Gambling Den, NPC permadeath, Blood Price murder consequences, Kings and Queens castle overhaul, relationship/quest fixes, BBS compatibility.

v0.28.0-v0.30.x

PvP Combat Arena, NPC lifecycle (pregnancies, aging, natural death), player teams, mail, trading, bounties, auction house, team wars, castle siege, NPC analytics dashboard, spell/ability effects overhaul, quest system rebuilt, server optimization.

v0.25.x-v0.27.x

Online multiplayer via SSH, website with browser play and stats dashboard, Magic Shop overhaul (enchanting, accessories, love/death spells), quest system overhaul, BBS door mode, SysOp console, Steam integration with achievements.

v0.5-v0.21

BBS door mode foundation, Steam integration, dream/stranger/faction systems, NPC relationships, screen reader accessibility, NPC combat AI, resurrection system, team/tournament/betrayal systems, companion quests, New Game+.

Full release notes for each version in DOCS/RELEASE_NOTES_*.md.

License & Your Rights

Usurper Reborn is FREE SOFTWARE licensed under GPL v2

Your Rights

• Use - Run the game for any purpose
• Study - Examine the complete source code
• Share - Distribute copies to anyone
• Modify - Change the game and distribute improvements
• Commercial Use - Even sell your versions (under GPL v2)

Source Code

• Complete source included with every download
• GitHub: https://github.com/binary-knight/usurper-reborn
• All build tools and scripts included

Community

Join our Discord server for discussions, feedback, and updates:
https://discord.gg/EZhwgDT6Ta

Acknowledgments

• Jakob Dangarden — Created the original Usurper (1993), the seed this grew from
• Rick Parrish — Preserved the Pascal source code
• Daniel Zingaro — Tremendous help with the Pascal source
• The BBS Community — For keeping the spirit alive
• All Contributors — Everyone who has tested, reported bugs, and believed

"You are not a wave fighting the ocean. You ARE the ocean, dreaming of being a wave."

Known Issues (Alpha v0.50.7)

• Save files from earlier alpha versions may not be fully compatible
• BBS FOSSIL mode not supported (use --stdio flag for FOSSIL-based BBSes)
• Steam features only work when game is launched through Steam client

Report bugs: Press ! in-game, Discord, or GitHub Issues

Status: ALPHA v0.50.7 — The world is running. Watch it live.