Legerdemain is an epic adventure within the hallucinogenic realm of Phenomedom. You assume the role of an imprisoned dissenter seeking to learn the nature of your captivity. In doing so you shall uncover a vast conspiracy full of morbid secrets and ancient puzzles. Only by enlisting the aid of allies past and unearthing the remains of ancient cultures can you hope to solve the mystery of Legerdemain.

The primary emphasis in Legerdemain is on story and depth of play. The game is played using a top-down two-dimensional perspective and is intended for one player only. The storyline draws inspiration from mythology and literature to produce an environment populated by beings and characters peculiar to Phenomedom. For those who like quick and dirty characterizations, Legerdemain borrows heavily from the genres of Roguelike games as well as interactive fiction. Unicode symbols are used in preference of fancy graphics, though support for tile-based graphics will be considered. This simplification allows for a greater focus on depth, with not only hundreds of different monsters and items but vast dungeons that descend into the very bowels of the earth.

Gameplay is distilled in the sense that nothing happens until a key is pressed by the user. This allows for cautious play emphasizing strategy and planning rather than reflexes and timing. However, due to the intuitive combat system, the player may often find himself joined in frenetic battles against enemy hordes rather than engaged in careful tactics. Though combat is central to Legerdemain, the player must also learn to interact effectively with citizens, solve puzzles, and explore new and hidden areas. Considerable attention is lavished on character development as well, with twelve different skills, numerous special abilities and resistances, and a novel spellcasting system known as Manipulation. Motivation for further play is provided for via character advancement, exploration of new areas, and the unraveling of new plots. [Official site]

There are no files, game is playable online only.