The 8 Bit Theory YouTube channel has been experimenting with something you don’t often see — a first-person grid-based dungeon crawler engine built entirely in Commodore BASIC 2.0. No assembly routines, no hardware tricks — just the stock drawing commands most people associate with simple graphics or charts.
What makes this project even more ambitious is its flexibility. The engine isn’t tied to one machine. It works on the Commodore 128 using BASIC 7.0 and the VIC-II graphics chip, but it also runs on the C128’s 80-column VDC display thanks to Walrus Basic 8. Beyond that, the Plus/4 with its TED chip is supported, as are modern retro systems like the Commander X16 and the MEGA65.
This multi-platform approach is possible because the rendering system sticks to BASIC commands common across these machines. That includes simple line drawing, box fills, and other fundamental graphics functions. The result is a portable engine that produces a wireframe dungeon view reminiscent of classic RPGs — slow, sure, but charming in its own right.
For anyone curious about how this engine works, the source code is openly available on GitHub:
https://github.com/The8BitTheory/dungeonrender
There’s also an active Dungeon Crawler developer community that brings together enthusiasts of old-school RPG engines, game design, and retro programming:
Website: https://www.dungeoncrawlers.org
Discord: https://discord.dungeoncrawlers.org
As this article was completed, The 8 Bit Theory released an update showcasing dungeon tile rendering on the Commodore 128’s VDC display. A bonus clip is included below.
