The Dungeons Of Moria, or more simply Moria, was one of the first roguelike games after the eponymous Rogue. Moria took the basic Rogue structure of random dungeons and hoards of monsters and added some notable improvements.

The first obvious upgrade is that there is an actual town over the dungeon. You can shop, rest, and wander the town freely, recuperating and restocking before you return to the depths.

There is also great variety in player types. You can choose from different fantasy races, unlike Rogue's human-only player world, as well as selecting your gender. You'll also be given a random history and appearance upon your "birth", which helps you get closer to your character.

Finally, there's the (now standard) introduction of the Big Quest. In this case, it's what you'd expect from a game called Moria - you have to reach the deepest pit and defeat the Balrog. Much of this game would later inspire and influence the game Diablo, right down to its Balrog-like title character.

Many games, including other roguelikes, descend from the innovations Moria introduced to the genre. Yet for all that, the original itself still remains a rewarding play on its own.