Dead of Night

About

Dead of Night is a 2D platformer built for DOS that pulls from Ancient Greek mythology. You play as Heropheles, an Athenian who takes on a mission from Zeus. Your goal is to enter the Underworld, defeat the Hydra, and find a map before Hades can merge his realm with the living world. The game started life as an entry for the 1996 Enix International Entertainment Contest. Even though it is technically just a demo, it feels complete for what it covers in this single quest line. What stands out is how focused the experience remains despite its unfinished state. The story hints at a larger plot involving Hades and Heropheles' brother, but the released version stops after the first task. Community discussions often note the charming retro aesthetic and tight controls found in these early 90s DOS titles. It serves as a solid example of what a contest entry could achieve when developers prioritized gameplay over scope. Players who enjoy classic platformers from that era will find enough content here to last through the demo portion without feeling lost.

Storyline

The protagonist is a citizen of Athens called Heropheles who is tasked by Zeus and the other Olympian gods to help prevent Hades from merging the world of the living with the Underworld. Heropheles journeys into Hades' realm and must overcome various perils to complete his quest, restore order to the world, and save his brother.