Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw develops survival horror roguelike

Game critic Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw has developed a procedurally-generated roguelike called The Consuming Shadow, releasing its beta to the public for feedback.

The gameplay of the Lovecraftian-themed horror adventure is inspired by FTL: Faster Than Light, Eternal Darkness and a boardgame known as Arkham Horror.

Acording to Croshaw's description, The Consuming Shadow is set in a creature-infested country plunged into a mysterious darkness. The ominous turn of events a sign that an ancient god will appear at Stonehenge in 72 hours. Players must travel from town to town and explore dungeons in order to exterminate "minions of the shadow," and gather the four components of the Banishment Ritual.

"But it's not as simple as that. As well as the ritual, you must also determine which god, out of three possible candidates, is the invader, as banishing the wrong one will result in failure," Croshaw writes. "And even getting as far as the ritual will mean surviving countless trials with your body and mind intact. Try not to go mad and shoot yourself. This is important."

Those interested are invited to download the beta version 1.0.0.1 of The Consuming Shadow via Croshaw's blog. In releasing the freeware version, the developer aims to receive feedback from players, integrating it to flesh out the game's final release.