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Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM): The Roguelike RPG Explained

Ancient Domains of Mystery is a story-driven traditional roguelike with a free Classic edition and a paid Deluxe edition. Here’s how they differ, where they run and what’s known about a future update.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM) is a story-rich traditional roguelike RPG that pairs turn-based dungeon exploration with quests, character builds and a world-changing corruption system. You can play its Classic edition for free, or choose Deluxe for extra modes and customization. Both editions include the main story and an ASCII display option.

What is Ancient Domains of Mystery?

ADOM is a fantasy role-playing game whose development began in 1994. Its world includes towns, dungeons and other locations, with multiple races and classes, quests, branching stories, spells and crafting. Combat and exploration are strategic and turn-based, and character decisions shape how a run unfolds.

One distinctive system is corruption: exposure to it can bring power alongside physical transformation. The game’s official description characterizes ADOM as one of the first roguelikes to combine towns, NPC dialogue and quests; that is the developer’s description of the game’s place in genre history, rather than an independently established historical finding. Steam’s ADOM listing describes its RPG systems, exploration and strategic combat.

Classic vs. Deluxe: what is the difference?

Classic is the free way to play ADOM. Deluxe is the paid edition sold through Steam and GOG, and adds optional modes and customization. The official FAQ lists the main story, tutorial and ASCII presentation for both editions.

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Edition Cost model What the official FAQ lists
Classic Free Main story and content, graphics, sound, music, UI, tutorial and ASCII display.
Deluxe Paid; available through Steam and GOG according to the official FAQ. Includes the Classic-listed content, plus features such as achievements, challenge mode, exploration mode, player ghosts and optional difficulty settings.

Deluxe’s optional settings include choices such as removing permadeath, hunger or corruption. The official FAQ is the source for the edition comparison; check its current feature table for the latest details. If you want to try the game without paying, start with Classic. Choose Deluxe if its additional modes and settings matter to you.

Can you play ADOM in ASCII?

Yes. The official FAQ lists an ASCII display option in both Classic and Deluxe, alongside the graphical presentation. ASCII is a presentation choice, not a separate story edition.

Which platforms can run ADOM?

The official FAQ says the Steam and GOG editions support Windows, macOS and Linux/SteamOS. It describes the free version—especially ASCII mode—as compatible with a wider range of systems, naming Raspberry Pi, NetBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and AmigaOS.

The official downloads page lists graphical and text-only free builds, along with targets including older Windows and macOS releases, Ubuntu, Debian, Raspbian, NetBSD, OpenBSD, AmigaOS and DOS. Those are the page’s listed build targets; they are not a guarantee that every binary will run on a modern system without configuration.

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Which ADOM version is current?

The official version information differs by distribution. The changelog records ADOM 3.3.4 (release 102), dated November 6, 2020, for Steam and GOG. It records 3.3.3 (release 101), dated January 19, 2019, for Steam, GOG and public release. Separately, the downloads page identifies 3.3.3 (release 101) as the latest publicly available free release. These labels describe different distribution channels; they should not be collapsed into one version number.

Is a new ADOM version planned?

In a Steam Community announcement dated December 21, 2025, creator Thomas Biskup said ADOM’s rights, excluding those for Ultimate ADOM, had reverted to him. He said he intended to release a new ADOM version in late 2026 or sometime in 2027, with 2027 more likely. That is a stated target, not a confirmed release date. In the same announcement, he said there would be no further development of Ultimate ADOM for the foreseeable future; it is a separate game from the original ADOM discussed here.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still play ADOM for free?

Yes. ADOM Classic is free; ADOM Deluxe is the paid edition with additional modes and customization.

What platforms is ADOM available on?

The official FAQ lists Windows, macOS and Linux/SteamOS for the Steam and GOG editions. It describes the free version, especially ASCII mode, as supporting a broader range of systems, but older download targets are not modern compatibility guarantees.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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