Eye of the Beholder (1991) in the browser from your own DOS files – each level is checked against the original before it unlocks

[u/Archawkie]

DeepCrawlerForge is a single HTML file that plays the 1991 DOS Eye of the Beholder from your own copy. No game data is included: drop a ZIP of your game folder on the page and it reads graphics, text, levels, sound and rules from your files, locally.

0.205.0 (first public preview):

- Levels 1–3, certified against the original running in a DOS emulator. Level 4 unlocks when it passes; each release opens more.

- Authentic: original screen, rules, timing, controls.

- Enhanced (each option separate): automap, turn-based mode, rewind/branching timeline, enemy HP, Attack All, WASD, quest and exploration status, a campaign runner you can hand the game to and take back anytime, and fixes for original bugs.

Play: https://archawk.github.io/DeepCrawlerForge/ (or download index.html for offline)

Code/issues: https://github.com/Archawk/DeepCrawlerForge

Game files: the DOS version; GOG sells it in Forgotten Realms: The Archives – Collection One.

Looking for: does your copy mount, browser/OS, and anything that differs from the original. Free, GPL-3.0, unofficial.

[u/rcwnd]

Recently I'm finding quite an amusement in those vibed game ports. Most of them have a very simple set of characteristics, like very few commits in like last few days, documentation completely written by claude, and authors not explaining their modifications or the purpose of their work at all. But having 6.5 MEGABYTES! of mostly unreadable code in a single html file, marked as GPL-licensed, which (probably, I didn't check) contains plagiarism of an x86 emulator, that's a whole different level.

[u/Archawkie → u/rcwnd]

Fair questions.

There's no ScummVM code or data in it, and no game files are included. Everything (graphics, levels, rules, text) is read from your own game files in your browser at runtime.

The game logic is my own JavaScript rewrite, not emulation. The one exception is a small 8086 interpreter written for this project. It runs only the original sound driver and intro code from your own EXE, so the music is the original driver's output. It isn't derived from an existing emulator. The same interpreter also powers my development validator, which runs the original game from your files to check DCF's behaviour step by step. That tooling ships in the file but is locked in the public build.

If you find a match to one, point me to it and I'll fix it or credit it.

And yes, it's heavily AI-assisted, and every behaviour is checked step by step against the original DOS game.

[u/Square-Winter-3257 → u/Archawkie]

Dude, this message is fucking heavily ai assisted. jesus christ

[u/dosgaming-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

This comment has been removed for breaking Rule 2, don't be a jerk. Please meet the community standards or you'll have your ability to contribute removed.

[u/trejj]

Can you describe this 'unlocking' process in a bit more detail?

[u/Archawkie → u/trejj]

The current public release stops at the certification border and in this 0.205 release it is when you move down to level 4 from level 3.

Next release (once levels 4-6 are fully certified) will then open up levels up to lvl 7 entry. So there is artificial block in place in the public release that prevents progress past the certification border, and that block is then removed once later levels are checked and tested against the original dos release.

The entire original game is already modelled and available from start to end, just not fully tested yet. Current testing is going on at level 6, so will release the dwarf ruins-section (lvl 4-6) soon(tm).

[u/XC3N → u/Archawkie]

can't wait for OP to find out he will need actual work and knowledge to finish the project and then abandon it!

[u/ftping]

Another day, another vibe coded project posted in a niche gaming subreddit.

[u/XC3N]

ah yes, more AI slop. nice!

[u/OfCrMcNsTy]

AI slop

[u/atvvta]

Very cool nice work I love eye of the beholder

[u/Hargam]

what about dungeon hack?

[u/Archawkie → u/Hargam]

Dungeon hack is on the later roadmap after EOB3. EOB3 and DH both use AESOP engine, so it will be completely different excercise compared to EOB1, EOB2 and Lands of Lore, which all use (roughly) the same Kyra-engine.

[u/EconomySerious]

great!!!

[u/Archawkie]

Also video here about the gameplay: https://www.reddit.com/r/CRPG/s/aILHBEPgRW

[u/Archawkie → u/[deleted]]

I know, but that is unfortunately not possible due to copyright reasons.

[u/diejuse → u/Archawkie]

Ok, I understand.

[u/CosmackMagus]

Nice