Captive 3000 Demo

Captive 3000 is an old-school dungeon crawler in the style of Dungeon Master, Legend of Grimrock, Eye of the Beholder, Black Crypt and Hired Guns, with a dystopian science-fiction setting.

Inspired by the 1990 Amiga / Atari ST classic Captive, with tile-based movement, real-time combat, resource management, maze exploration, and handcrafted levels, rendered in first-person view using traditional sprites.

DEMO DETAILS

The demo offers full access to the first two levels of the game, plus restricted access to the third level.

Level 1 is essentially a tutorial with just one floor, and little chance of death. It will take about 10 minutes to complete.

Level 2 is a proper level with three interconnected floors and more dangerous enemies. It will take about an hour to clear, and you're likely to die on the first few attempts. But your character gets stronger with each attempt if you use the blockchain fragments you find to save your progress.

Level 3 is much larger than Level 2 and is restricted to 1000 actions, which will allow you to explore large parts of the level, but not clear the whole level. You can retry Level 3 as often as you wish, to explore different paths and level up your character. After a few playthroughs you'll hit an EXP cap to ensure you aren't overpowered for the full game.

The full game features 13 handcrafted levels in Mission 01, each level larger than the last, plus infinite deterministically generated missions after you complete Mission 01 (which will take 50+ hours).

Condemned to 1000 years in cryosleep...

You wake on a forgotten moon orbiting an unfamiliar singularity…

Memory wiped... cryogenic chamber smashed….

Alien shadows haunt the abandoned station…

Main power failing, an emergency console flickers to life… the alarm repeats…

EARTH HAS FALLEN...

The terminal reaches out to a decommissioned Optimus Mark I on a distant planet…

A glimmer of hope?

Guide the ancient automaton through the vast expanse... find your lonely prison…

And stage your own rescue...

But your identity, the tale of your incarceration, and the fate of humanity…

... is yet unknown ...

DESIGN

Many modern first-person dungeon crawlers use 3D engines to emulate the traditional sprite-based grid/tile movement used by the original 'blobber' games like Dungeon Master. As a result they often experience sluggish, slow movement.

Captive 3000 is built the old way, using traditional sprites (no 3D engines) and is lightning fast.

The game features 13 handcrafted levels with multiple floors per level. These 13 Levels form Mission 01.

Illustrated story chapters are hidden across the levels. Each mural reveals a fragment of the truth.

Explore every corridor. Search every corner. The story is gradually revealed as your memory returns, and you discover your true identity and the fate of humanity.

The first few levels of Mission 01 are small and introduce players gradually to the game mechanics.

Each level is larger than the last, with the final levels being vast and complex, taking several hours each to complete.

Finishing the entire first mission of 13 levels involves more than 50 hours of exploration and combat.

After that, the system generates infinite new and unique missions (sets of 13 levels) so you can continue playing Captive 3000 forever. In 'endless mode' the level generation is deterministic and seed-based (not random) so each unique level always looks and plays consistently for all players. 

Players won't max out their stats and equipment by the end of Mission 01, so there is something new to discover in later missions. You can also go back and replay a completed mission or level any time.

GAMEPLAY

Gameplay is fast. Shooting and stepping is instant. You'll need quick reactions to dodge enemy attacks and projectiles. Monsters get stronger and faster as the levels progress. It's usually best to attack enemies from behind or from the side, while they're turning, and then step out of range or behind cover, rather than trying to tank them.

Your early ranged and melee weapons are slow and weak, but soon you'll be zipping around the levels firing rapid lasers, ion pulse weapons, flamers and more. You'll need to watch your shield, health, and energy levels. Movement and action drain your droid's energy, and resource management is important.

You'll find power-ups hidden in cupboards, lying on the ground, or available to buy from merchants. You can also spend experience points to gain new skills and abilities to suit your play style.

The game features some roguelite elements. To save your progress, you must find blockchain fragments, which are well hidden. One enemy is immortal, and must be avoided. He moves slowly but if you run into him while your shield is down, it means instant death. Certain tiles are safe, and you can trap him with skill, taking him out of action for the rest of the level, and adding a strategic element to the gameplay. The minimap and radar will help you track his location. Keeping your shield charged is a priority, and certain power-ups also keep him at bay.

Running out of energy is always a risk. Getting lost in a distant part of the base, far from a recharge station... do you press on, hoping to find a new one, or backtrack and hope to reach the prior one before your power runs out?

If a section seems difficult, you can often use ladders and pits to traverse above or below harder zones, emerging on the other side in a distant part of the level. Exploring the connections between floors is an essential part of navigation.

CLOSING COMMENTS

The original 1990 Captive was my favorite childhood game. Created by Tony Crowther, inspired by Dungeon Master, and published by the now defunct Mindscape, it was decades ahead of its time, with infinite procedurally generated missions and a unique sci-fi setting. Captive 3000 continues what Tony Crowther started. I hope you enjoy it!

DISCLAIMER: Captive 3000 is inspired by the 1990 classic. It is not affiliated with the original and is not a copy or a remake or a sequel. It is built from scratch, and does not copy or reuse any code, art, music, or level designs from the original. It is a completely new and independent "Dungeon Master in Space" project. The complex logistics and inventory management of the original Captive are deliberately not included. Captive 3000 plays more like a fast-paced action-RPG roguelite, with a focus on exploration and combat. The streamlined design allows the game to be fully controlled using gamepads or touchscreen devices (not just keyboard and mouse).