Story

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The beginning of a player's story is described in the Introduction: the player must give the Amulet of Yendor to their god or die trying. There are some points in the game that extend or even contradict the plot described in the Introduction. However even with those extra details the story is still simple, perhaps deliberately so.

Instead of an elaborate written plot, NetHack has a series of unique levels that the player must visit to gain certain items or perform certain actions necessary for ascension. The exact layout of NetHack's levels is described in the Mazes of Menace article.

Plot beyond the Introduction

Why the plot is simple

In NetHack, very few actions are mandatory, many features are randomized, and there are many ways to achieve almost anything. This adds to the strategic challenge and makes the game interesting to replay. As a side effect, there is almost no story in the sense of most other games. Indeed, a pre-written plot would hinder the random element of the gameplay. Without a script, the game is free to continue along any line the player wishes, with few actions having dramatic consequences.

See also