The Crypt of Gallowmere is a single-player story with fixed scenes, branching choices and dice checks. It does not ask a live AI to invent the next scene. A choice may lead to a different passage, change an allegiance, cost an item, start a fight or end the descent. The aim is to discover a fate through those decisions, not to visit all 172 scenes in one run.
The game contains fictional horror, death and combat. You can mute its sound from the tale log, and it follows your device's reduced-motion preference. It needs JavaScript and an initial connection to load the story.
1. Choose a hero and read the preview
On a fresh browser, Warrior, Rogue, Mage and Priest are available. The other five classes unlock through recorded play; the class selector shows each requirement. Reroll stats rolls four six-sided dice for each ability and drops the lowest die. The starting-HP preview changes with class and Constitution, so compare it before entering. A Mage has less room for mistakes than a sturdier class with the same Constitution.
Give the hero a name, choose a class and select Enter Gallowmere. Starting another hero uses the same save slot. If you already have a run, use Continue your tale to resume it instead.
2. Read choices before rolling
A choice marked with an ability and DC calls for a d20 check. The game adds the relevant ability modifier and compares the total with the displayed DC; a natural 20 succeeds. Items and conditions can change the effective ability or DC. For an unchanged DC 14 check with a +2 modifier, a die result of 12 or higher succeeds: nine faces out of twenty, or 45%.
A padlock shows that the current hero lacks a requirement, such as an item, companion or class. Those choices hint at routes for another descent. Some conditional choices, including irrelevant shop offers, disappear entirely. Check the inventory and read an offer before accepting its cost. The outcome of a rolled check is saved before its animation finishes, so refreshing does not provide a fresh attempt.
3. Watch the enemy's intended move
During combat, the enemy panel previews its next move. The ordinary attack uses d20 + Might against 6; a heavy attack uses the same bonus against 11. Heavy attacks roll an extra damage die, but missing leaves you vulnerable to the enemy's next hit. A natural 20 is a critical hit. Armor helps defend against the enemy; it does not increase your own attack roll.
Defend sacrifices the attack to reduce an incoming hit. Against a telegraphed heavy blow it can block the direct damage entirely; ongoing status damage still matters. Your class skill usually has one use per fight, with extra uses available through level-up choices. Read its label and use it when its effect matters, rather than assuming every class skill is an attack.
A consumable used in combat spends the round, so the enemy can still act afterward. Fleeing appears only when that encounter has an escape route, and the escape check can fail. Watch your current HP, not just the apparent strength of the enemy.
4. Treat relics as trades
Relics can improve Might, Armor or a particular ability while imposing a cost elsewhere. Inspect the item's modifiers when deciding whether it supports your route. A stronger attack is less useful if its cost makes the checks you are pursuing harder. Experience and level-up choices apply to the current hero; a new descent does not carry the previous hero's combat level or equipment forward.
5. Understand endings and the Daily Descent
The Crypt Codex records ending titles, defeated monsters and achievements in this browser. The story includes fixed ending passages and also composes epilogues from the crypt's state and the hero's fate. A different epilogue combination does not necessarily mean an entirely separate story route. The ending screen offers a link you can share without uploading your whole save.
Daily Descent chooses the day's class, abilities and random seed for you. The date changes at midnight UTC. Players making the same choices use the same seeded rolls; different paths can consume randomness differently. A completed daily run is recorded locally, so this is a personal challenge rather than an online leaderboard or an account-enforced competition.
Saves, controls and troubleshooting
Your hero and Codex are stored in the current browser on this site. They do not sync to another device, browser profile, or private-browsing session. Clearing site data can erase them. The game currently has no save-file export or account recovery. Keep the same browser if you want to continue a run.
- Use the visible buttons, or press 1–9 for story choices.
- In combat, A attacks, H uses a heavy attack, D defends, F attempts an available escape and S uses an available class skill.
- At a roll prompt, R, Enter or Space rolls the die.
- If the story cannot load, reload when your connection returns. The setup screen displays a loading error instead of starting an empty game.
If you find a broken choice or a rule that differs from this guide, report the scene and what happened. You do not need to send private journal text or personal details.
Rules checked against the site's game implementation on September 5, 2026. This guide explains Crypt Table's own game; it is not an official guide to another publisher's rules.