Ziggurat
A first-person wizard's dungeon run, with one shared Endless dive each day.
Every day: A daily challenge: an Endless mode run on a fixed seed, with the same dungeon layout, enemies, character class and level-up perks offered to every player that day. One attempt, ranked on that day's leaderboard. New puzzle: Once a day; the game does not state the time.
Ziggurat is a first-person shooter with roguelike rules: you play an apprentice wizard fighting through randomly built dungeon floors with staves, wands and spellbooks. The daily challenge puts every player in the same seeded Endless dungeon with the same class, and you get one try at that day's leaderboard.
About Ziggurat
Ziggurat is by Milkstone Studios and left early access on Steam in October 2014. It was later released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U and Nintendo Switch. You are a young sorcerer sent into a labyrinth as a rite of passage, and the game plays like a fast old-school shooter, fighting through floor after floor and their bosses.
Floors, rooms, traps and treasures are generated for each run. Weapons include wands, spellbooks, staves and alchemy weapons, and there is no inventory to manage: the choices are about weapons, mana and health. Level-ups offer a choice of perks, many of which change how you play, such as trading health for speed.
The daily challenge is a run of the Endless mode on a fixed seed, so the dungeon layout, the enemies in each room, your character class and the perks offered at each level-up are the same for everyone that day; the class can even be one you have not unlocked yet. You get one attempt, quitting midway forfeits the day, and the score goes on a daily leaderboard. Your own choices, such as which perk you take, can still change a few things.
It suits players who like quick, skill-based shooting more than long-term character building, and who want a short daily score attempt.
How to play Ziggurat
- Buy Ziggurat on Steam and open the daily challenge from the main menu.
- Play the class the challenge gives you; it is the same for everyone that day.
- Clear each room, pick perks at level-up and work down through the Endless dungeon.
- Play the run to the end in one go; quitting forfeits the day's attempt.
- Check your rank on the day's leaderboard.
Screenshots
Tips
- Watch your mana: running dry with a strong weapon leaves you with only the wand.
- Perks that change the dungeon, such as Curiosity, can make your daily run differ from other players'.
- Learn the classes in normal games, since the daily can hand you one you have not unlocked.
Questions
Is the daily challenge the same for everyone?
The starting point is: same dungeon layout, enemies, class and perk offers. Different perk choices can change some things later in the run.
How many attempts do I get?
One a day. If you quit midgame, you lose that day's chance.
Which mode is the daily based on?
Endless mode, so there is no last floor; the score depends on how far and how well you get.
Is there a sequel?
Yes, Ziggurat 2 came out in 2021 and has its own daily challenge.
Games like Ziggurat
Nuclear Throne
A fast shooter roguelike with one daily run on a shared seed.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
A shooting roguelike whose daily gives everyone the same character, seed and items, with one scored attempt.
20XX
A seeded daily with the same levels and power-ups for everyone and one attempt.
Spelunky
The one-try daily seed that inspired many like Ziggurat's.
Crypt of the NecroDancer
One daily dungeon run, the same for every player, with a single try.
Dead Cells
An action roguelike with a fixed daily level and leaderboards.
Depths of Providence
A turn-based JRPG cave of 100 floors, with one seeded descent a day for everyone.
TumbleSeed
Roll a seed up the mountain on a tilting vine, one shared daily climb at a time.