The modern way to play NetHack
GnollHack transforms NetHack, one of the deepest turn-based dungeon crawlers ever made, into a modern roguelike RPG. It stays true to NetHack's legendary mechanics and emergent interactions while adding hand-drawn animated graphics, full voice acting, an original soundtrack, and an intuitive touch interface built for phones and tablets.
GnollHack is 100% free and open source, with no ads, paywalls, or microtransactions.
WHY PLAY GNOLLHACK?
• True Turn-Based Strategy: Every move waits for you. Victory comes from preparation and clever thinking, not reflexes.
• Unmatched Emergent Depth: Hundreds of items, monsters, and spells interact in countless ways. If a clever idea seems like it should work, it probably will.
• Knowledge Is Your Progression: Procedurally generated floors and unidentified items make every run unique. There is no meta-grinding or pay-to-win, only your growing mastery.
• 13 Roles & 5 Playable Races: Descend into the Dungeons of Doom as a Valkyrie, Wizard, Rogue, Priest, and more, including the Gnoll race with unique traits.
• Tailored to Your Playstyle: Choose from 7 difficulty levels (Standard to Grand Master). Play with classic permadeath, or in modes where death is not the end so you can learn at your own pace.
• Hand-Crafted Presentation: Over 23,000 hand-drawn tiles, 5,000+ voiced lines by 96 voice actors, and a 37-track soundtrack bring the dungeon to life.
BUILT FOR MOBILE
• Touch-First Interface: Play effortlessly with intuitive touch controls: No keyboard commands to memorize.
• Play Offline & on the Go: Runs offline and auto-saves your progress, so you never lose a run when interrupted.
• Cross-Platform Cloud Features: With a free GnollHack Account, transfer saves across Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, and Steam Deck, share bones files (fallen players' ghosts and loot), and compete on global leaderboards.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
• System-Mastery Fans: Made for players who love learning how complex systems work and bending them to their advantage, where one clever idea can save a doomed run.
• New to Roguelikes? Start on a forgiving difficulty where you can continue after death. Built-in item and monster inspections, hints, and the optional Gnoll Overseer game advisor help you learn as you play.
• NetHack Veterans: Most of what you know still applies, now expanded by over 11,000 commits since branching from NetHack 3.6.2.
WHAT'S NEW BEYOND NETHACK?
• Reimagined Magic System: Prepare over 200 spells across 12 schools with alchemical reagents. Spells use mana and cooldowns, and once learned, are never forgotten.
• Deeper Combat & Loot: Train weapon skills up to Grand Master, swap weapon sets instantly, dual-wield artifacts, and find gear with mythic and legendary properties.
• Fairer, Not Easier: Many classic instant deaths are delayed to give you crucial turns to react, and scaled encounters reduce unfair early ambushes.
• A Living Dungeon: Converse with NPCs, pay for identification and healing services, and recruit smarter companions.
• Expanded Late Game: Push all the way to experience level 50 across new dungeon branches, bosses, and artifacts.
HUMAN ARTISTRY
All artwork, animations, music, sound effects, and voice acting are 100% made by human artists.
THE GNOLL OVERSEER
To help you navigate deep mechanics without leaving the game, GnollHack includes the optional Gnoll Overseer, an in-game AI advisor that analyzes your live game state or postmortem dumplogs to offer advice.
COMMUNITY & LINKS
• Wiki & Guides: https://wiki.gnollhack.com/
• Discord: https://discord.gg/cQuExnzUQy
ABOUT THE DEVELOPER
GnollHack is developed by Sound Mind Games (Hyvän mielen pelit ry), a Finnish nonprofit offering flexible internships and work trials in game development, IT, and media for people navigating mental health challenges.
CONTENT RATINGS
• IGRS (Indonesia): 13+ (Violence)