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Play NetHack in the Terminal

Delve into the classic roguelike dungeon crawler that runs entirely in text.

LinuxTerminalTerminal gamesLow risk
Run nethack to start a game; follow the on-screen prompts to choose a role.

01Command

Command
$ nethack

02What it does

NetHack is one of the deepest and longest-lived roguelikes, using letters and symbols for the map, monsters and items. It rewards experimentation and punishes carelessness, and the full game runs in any terminal. Save and resume with the S and other in-game commands.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
Requirementssudo apt install nethack-console
!Warning: Progress is saved only at specific points and death is permanent; read the in-game help before descending.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

  • Debian package: nethack-console
    Debian · vendor-doc · 2026-09-20
    Evidence: Installs the console build of NetHack.
  • NetHack
    The NetHack DevTeam · vendor-doc · 2026-09-20
    Evidence: Official NetHack site with the current release and guidebook.

Last verified: 2026-09-20 · Category: Developer

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