Moraff’s Dungeons of the Unforgiven (1993) — Retro DOS Dungeon Crawler Spotlight
For this week’s Vintage Windows feature, we’re shining a light on Moraff’s Dungeons of the Unforgiven, a colorful and quirky MS-DOS dungeon crawler released in 1993 by MoraffWare, the one-man studio of Steve Moraff. It’s one of the more unusual first-person RPGs of the era, and a perfect example of the experimental, personality-driven PC shareware scene of the early ’90s.
Quick Facts
- Title: Moraff’s Dungeons of the Unforgiven
- Developer / Publisher: MoraffWare (Steve Moraff)
- Release Year: 1993
- Platform: MS-DOS
- Distribution: Shareware, commonly found on BBSes and shareware compilation CDs
A Dungeon Crawler Full of Color and Personality
Unlike many dungeon crawlers that aimed for dark, brooding visuals, Dungeons of the Unforgiven stands out with its brightly colored, highly patterned wall textures. Every corridor takes on a vivid look, making navigation surprisingly intuitive despite the maze-like structure of each level.
Gameplay is classic dungeon-crawling at its core:
- First-person, grid-based movement
- Turn-based exploration
- Spell preparation and magic use
- Detailed character stats
- Inventory management and item upgrades
- Level-by-level descent into increasingly dangerous dungeons
The UI is packed with information—HP, stats, maps, spells, and battle effects—reflecting the era’s love for giving players deep mechanical insight.
A True MoraffWare Experience
Steve Moraff became known in the early DOS era for his unique visual style and ambitious RPG mechanics. Dungeons of the Unforgiven continues that tradition with:
- Improved 3D-style walls and SVGA-like visuals for 1993
- Roughly 25 dungeon levels depending on version
- A mixture of serious RPG challenges and humorous or oddball enemies
- A light-hearted tone woven into monster descriptions and encounters
This mix of charm and challenge helped the game gain a cult following among shareware RPG fans.
Final Thoughts
Moraff’s Dungeons of the Unforgiven is a wonderful time capsule from the early days of PC dungeon crawling. Its vibrant visuals, deep stat system, and quirky charm make it an entertaining game to rediscover—especially for fans of vintage DOS RPGs who want something a little off the beaten path.
Stay tuned for more retro software explorations here on Retro Gaming Life – Vintage Windows!
