Games Windows
NetHack for Windows
Explore changing dungeons in NetHack, a free single-player roguelike with text and graphical interfaces. This download is the Windows 10/11 x64 ZIP package.
- Operating system
- Windows 10 and Windows 11
- Architecture
- x64 (Intel/AMD); separate ARM64 package available
- Download package
- ZIP archive containing console and graphical executables
Selected file: nethack-500-win-x64-4.zip. Extract all contents into a new folder and keep the executables with their supporting files.
Link checked · Download guidance
What is NetHack?
NetHack is a single-player dungeon exploration game built around discovering how its world works, rather than simply defeating every monster. Choose a character's race, role and gender, then explore a dungeon whose layout and inhabitants vary between games. It suits players who want to examine unfamiliar situations and take time over their decisions.
The Windows package includes two ways to play the same game: nethack.exe for the text console and nethackw.exe for the graphical interface. The linked archive is the Intel/AMD x64 package for Windows 10 and 11; the publisher provides a separate ARM64 download for Snapdragon machines. Extract the entire ZIP into a new folder before starting either executable. Running from inside the archive, or moving the executable away from its accompanying files, will not work.
Version 5.0.0 cannot use saved games or bones files from previous versions. The Windows x64 and ARM64 packages also cannot exchange those files. The accompanying image is the publisher's undated ASCII gameplay illustration, not a verified capture of the current Windows build.
What it offers
- Explore randomized dungeon layouts and encounters that change between games.
- Choose a character's race, role and gender.
- Use either the text console or graphical interface included in the Windows package.
- Play a single-player game with time to consider your next action.
Good to know
- No multiplayer mode: NetHack is a single-player game.
- Extract the complete ZIP before playing; do not run inside the archive or separate an executable from its supporting files.
- Saved games and bones files from earlier versions do not work in 5.0.0; the Windows x64 and ARM64 packages are also incompatible with each other's files.
Product images
Sources
References used for this listing. Retrieval dates do not indicate hands-on testing.
- NetHack 5.0.0: Information ↗Retrieved
- NetHack 5.0.0: Download for Microsoft Windows 10/11 ↗Retrieved
- NetHack General Public License ↗Retrieved
- NetHack 5.0.0: Release Notes ↗Retrieved
- NetHack 5.0.0: Main Page — publisher screenshot ↗Retrieved
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