Caves of Qud

About

Caves of Qud is a turn-based RPG with roguelike roots that lets you build a character from 70+ mutations, 24 castes, and kits before diving into a world of salt dunes, toxic jungles, and ancient cities. You navigate procedurally generated regions spanning nearly a million maps, interacting with sentient plants, deciphering lore from in-game history books, and choosing between roles as a desert mutant or eco-dome heir. Combat and exploration blend strategy with simulation, letting you scavenge, trade, or terraform your way through a crumbling world. The game’s strength lies in its dense, handcrafted lore interwoven with procedural storytelling. Every playthrough features a unique history shaped by over 100,000 lines of written narrative, including tales from plant scribes and relics tied to forgotten civilizations. A standout faction, Barathrum’s tinker sect, led by a sentient cave bear, offers a tech-focused arc in a setting where biology and machinery often clash. Players praise its depth, with some logging dozens of hours just to scratch the surface of its worldbuilding.

Storyline

Come inhabit an exotic world and chisel through layers of thousand-year-old civilizations. Decide: is it a dying earth, or is it on the verge of rebirth? Play the role of a mutant indigenous to the salt-spangled dunes and jungles of Qud, or play a pure-strain descendant from one of the few remaining eco-domes - the toxic arboreta of Ekuemekiyye, the Holy City; the ice-sheathed arcology of Ibul; or the crustal mortars of Yawningmoon. Follow the plot to Barathrum the Old, a sentient cave bear who leads a sect of tinkers intent on restoring technological splendor to Qud. There’s a story in every nook, from legendary items with fabled pasts to in-game history books written by plant historians. A novel’s worth of handwritten lore is knit into a procedurally-generated history that’s unique each game.