Item: Mines of Moria
Rating: 92
Author: Dinsun

Dinsun Review

Now this is more like it—at least it’s a real game. Mines of Moria tries to capture that unforgiving, turn-based spirit of the 80s and 90s. It doesn't hold your hand, which I appreciate. The combat requires you to actually think a few steps ahead, and the resource management is tight enough to be stressful.

However, it’s held back by a UI that feels like it was designed for a mouse and keyboard and then crammed onto a touch screen. Navigating menus and inventory is a chore. The procedural generation also tends to produce very similar-looking stone corridors far too often. It’s got a solid foundation, but it lacks the polish and variety of the modern roguelike greats. It’s for the patient gamer who misses the days when games didn't care if you won or lost.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Challenging tactical combat
Solid roguelike fundamentals
Atmospheric setting

Clunky UI/UX
Repetitive environments
Steep learning curve

Technical Report

Performance: Occasional crashes on older iOS versions; UI elements can be small on phones.

Accessibility:

Audience Fit

Buy if: You enjoy high-difficulty, turn-based dungeon crawlers.

Skip if: You get frustrated by complex UIs or permadeath mechanics.

Similar Games:

Pixel Dungeon
Cardinal Quest 2

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun
Hardware: iPad Air
Playtime: 25 hours
Status: Cleared several depth levels

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

6448195864

$4.99 13+★4 17 reviews

Author : Rufe.org LLC

Pubish Date : Tue Nov 14 2023

Last Update Date : Mon Nov 17 2025

Support Languages : English

Genres :

Version 0003.0000.0448Mon Nov 17 2025

* Player may vow to restore original umoria rules (0 XP characters may perform vows in shop "9" of town)
* color palette gamma updates to adjust for human perception preferences and sRGB displays
* Fil-C verification for core gameplay
* Replay system uses mmap() for memory; save files are portable across devices+systems
https://rufe.org/moria/patch2025_q4.html
You are tasked with slaying the Balrog deep within the Mines of Moria. A translation of Robert Alan Koeneke's (1957-2022) Moria into a touchscreen first experience.
Six classes and up to eight races create a unique play experience in your battle with randomized dungeon depths. Start your game in town with rags or riches based on a custom character backstory. Warrior class is recommended for players who are new to the game.
Koeneke paints a world of entropy where even artifacts of incredible power may fall apart. Learn the conditions of survival and die at the hands of merciless foes. This game wasn't made to be won, for the Balrog is a foe beyond any of you.
Progress you character with experience, D&D style attribute gains (strength, intelligence, wisdom, constitution, and charisma). Gain spells, armors, weapons, wands, staves, potions, scrolls, legendary artifacts, and mining tools.
Your character is persistently saved on each level transition. Large dungeon levels are randomly generated and do not persist. You may return to town to renew your character and barter for goods. The town is randomly generated during character creation, and shopkeepers feature unique personalities and bias.
# Features of awesomeness
* Landscape and Portrait orientation (optional rotation lock)
* Character saveslot per class with resume-to-midpoint for seamless task switching
* Backup characters to external storage for future restoration or access via PC data cable
# Excellence in offline turn-based mobile gaming
* on-demand rendering for best-in-class battery life (portable)
* finger down executes game actions (responsive)
* input may be reverted (accidents happen)
* small download; small patches (size matters)
* no network access, no ads, no in-game purchases (focus)
* smart run for fast dungeon exploration with halt-on-threat (subjective pacing)
# Input & Controls Documentation
https://rufe.org/moria/game_input.html
# Feedback
* You have agency in this world. Let us know how we can improve your experience.
Email: moria@rufe.org
Requires iOS 13.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
You are tasked with slaying the Balrog deep within the Mines of Moria. A translation of Robert Alan Koeneke's (1957-2022) Moria into a touchscreen first experience.
Six classes and up to eight races create a unique play experience in your battle with randomized dungeon depths. Start your game in town with rags or riches based on a custom character backstory. Warrior class is recommended for players who are new to the game.
Koeneke paints a world of entropy where even artifacts of incredible power may fall apart. Learn the conditions of survival and die at the hands of merciless foes. This game wasn't made to be won, for the Balrog is a foe beyond any of you.
Progress you character with experience, D&D style attribute gains (strength, intelligence, wisdom, constitution, and charisma). Gain spells, armors, weapons, wands, staves, potions, scrolls, legendary artifacts, and mining tools.
Your character is persistently saved on each level transition. Large dungeon levels are randomly generated and do not persist. You may return to town to renew your character and barter for goods. The town is randomly generated during character creation, and shopkeepers feature unique personalities and bias.
# Features of awesomeness
* Landscape and Portrait orientation (optional rotation lock)
* Character saveslot per class with resume-to-midpoint for seamless task switching
* Backup characters to external storage for future restoration or access via PC data cable
# Excellence in offline turn-based mobile gaming
* on-demand rendering for best-in-class battery life (portable)
* finger down executes game actions (responsive)
* input may be reverted (accidents happen)
* small download; small patches (size matters)
* no network access, no ads, no in-game purchases (focus)
* smart run for fast dungeon exploration with halt-on-threat (subjective pacing)
# Input & Controls Documentation
https://rufe.org/moria/game_input.html
# Feedback
* You have agency in this world. Let us know how we can improve your experience.
Email: moria@rufe.org

Ratings & Reviews

4 out of 5 with 17 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 13+

Mines of Moria is a faithful translation of the classic roguelike experience for touchscreens. Players create a character with D&D-style attributes and dive into randomized dungeon depths to face merciless foes and collect legendary artifacts. With a focus on survival and strategic turn-based combat, the game offers a pure, ad-free experience. Features like 'smart run' and resume-to-midpoint make it the perfect deep RPG for mobile play.

Features

Pure offline play with no ads or IAP

Six classes and eight fantasy races

Randomly generated infinite dungeons

Smart-run mechanics for mobile pacing

Tips

Survival in the Deep

Begin as a Warrior if you're new to the game for better survivability. Always return to town to barter for better gear and restock on potions before descending into deeper, more dangerous levels.

Promotion Videos

The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth The Mines of Moria Official Trailer - YouTube

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Gameplays

Strategic Turn-Based Combat

Every action takes a turn, giving you time to plan your moves. Use 'smart run' for fast exploration, but be prepared to swap to manual control the moment a monster appears. Manage your inventory carefully, as artifacts can break.