History Main / DungeonCrawling

** Common in FafhrdAndThe GrayMouser stories such as ''The Jewels in the Forest'' and ''Thieves House''

* ''OrderOfTheStick'' started off as this, before the CerebusSyndrome hit it. Hard.

The term comes from early {{RPG}}s such as the ''DungeonsAndDragons'' games, that often had the player characters exploring some wizard's dungeon, sometimes having to crawl to get around tight spaces.

* Similarly, ''BetrayalAtTheHouseOnTheHill'' is a modern-day, horror-based example of this genre.

* TheMaze

* {{Munchkin}} is nothing but this. Along with much backstabbing and stealing.

* [[Game/Munchkin Munchkin]] is nothing but this. Along with much backstabbing and stealing.

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* The Games Workshop boardgame ''Space Hulk'' is basically this genre RecycledInSpace liberally crossed with the JamesCameron film ''Aliens.''

* As mentioned above, the {{Roguelike}} DungeronCrawl is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.

This is basically what many {{Role Playing Game}}s (especially videogame ones) are all about - at least historically - but it is actually OlderThanDirt, since even old myths feature it (a trip into the underworld is part of TheHerosJourney, after all). However, it was the ''Film/CliffHanger'' film serials of the early 20th century that defined the trope, and the ''IndianaJones'' movies that made it popular again later.

Apparently the whole dungeon shtick originated from a skirmish wargame played by Gygax, Arneson and others that involved breaking into a castle through the cellars - this turned out to be so much fun that tunnel fighting became a regular theme. Stir in Professor Tolkein's Moria scenario for a little fantasy and the rest, as the say, is [[DungeonsAndDragons history]].

* The Games Workshop boardgame Space Hulk is basically this genre RecycledInSpace liberally crossed with the JamesCameron film ''Aliens.''

* ''EtrianOdyssey'' is a contemporary dungeon crawler that pays homage to games like ''Wizardry'' and introduces some spin of its own, most notably the F.O.E.s whish are visible [[BeefGate boss-like]] enemies that move with each step you take.

* ''MasterOfTheMonsterLair'' features this -- with a dungeon you make yourself -- along with a deconstruction of some of the assumptions usually implicit to this premise; having a dungeon near your town is considered ''desirable'', as it acts as a tourist attraction, lures monsters out of the wilderness where they pose more of a danger to ordinary people, and the items monsters hoard in dungeons can be quite valuable. In this game and ''My World, My Way'', which is an otherwise unconnected game that takes place in the same world, "Dungeon Maker" is a respected profession.

** The Baka Rangers' excursion to Library Island (and everything the Library Expedition Club did) definitely counts too. Nodoka even references it as the source of her [[http://www.onemanga.com/Mahou_Sensei_Negima!/205/17/ trap-spotting skills]].