Desktop Survivors 98: the 2D roguelite dungeon crawler set in an old Windows desktop

A solo indie developer is releasing Desktop Survivors 98, a chaotic roguelite dungeon crawler that takes place on a late '90s Windows desktop.

Desktop Survivors 98: the 2D roguelite dungeon crawler set in an old Windows desktop
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Tech Reporter
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TL;DR: Desktop Survivors 98, an indie action roguelike by Brandon Hesslau, blends ’90s Windows 98 nostalgia with wave-based gameplay on your actual desktop.

Fans of '90s nostalgia, roguelikes, and Windows 98 will be pleased to see these elements mashed together in Desktop Survivors 98, the latest indie title from solo developer Brandon Hesslau.

Desktop Survivors 98, developed by solo indie dev Brandon Hesslau, delivers players to the tranquil meadows of the default Windows 98 homescreen, where you'll utilize solitaire cards, recycle bins, and your trusty cursor to defeat aggressive waves of 2D enemies.

The project draws heavily on late '90s nostalgia, with elements from the old operating system creatively repurposed for wave-based action gameplay. Your cursor is the sole protagonist of the title, and you'll be testing your reflexes, precision, and decision-making through Desktop Survivors 98's many rooms and weapons.

Credit: Brandon Hesslau
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Credit: Brandon Hesslau

The result is somewhat reminiscent of Animator vs. Animation, a viral YouTube video from 2008 that pits a sentient stick figure against its cursor-based operator. It's qlwo not the first indie title to be set on an old Windows OS, with indie games like Emily is Away, drawing on nostalgic elements of Windows XP as a core aspect of its setting.

However, Desktop Survivors 98 is seemingly the first action game set in old-school Windows. According to Hesslau, it's designed with accessibility in mind - becoming the ideal game to "fit into your routine" and jump in and out of to your heart's content.

Instead of a conventional window, the game runs over your desktop, where "enemies, upgrades, and chaos unfold across your real screen." This creative touch is just the beginning of your late '90s clash. To jump into the title, you can download the demo or wishlist the game ahead of its May 21 release.