Wizardry on the NES is where it all started—this is the granddaddy of dungeon crawlers, and man, does it show its age (in the best way). You roll up a party of six, picking from classes like fighters, mages, and thieves, then dive headfirst into this brutal, maze-like dungeon. No hand-holding, no auto-maps—just you, graph paper, and a whole lot of wandering in circles.

Werdna’s the big bad, some wizard who’s holed up deep in the dungeon, and you’ve gotta snag his amulet for Trebor (who might not be much better, honestly). The combat’s turn-based, with spells that feel genuinely powerful when they finally land. Just don’t get too attached to your first party—permadeath is real, and those early levels are unforgiving.

It’s clunky by today’s standards, but there’s something weirdly satisfying about surviving long enough to watch your party actually get good. If you’ve got the patience for old-school RPGs, this one’s a must-play.