NetHack 4 4.3-beta1

NetHack 4 4.3-beta1 is the second release of NetHack 4, and the first to be documented on this website. If you don't know what NetHack or NetHack 4 is, see our FAQ. Like previous versions of NetHack 4, the focus is on keeping the gameplay much the same while improving the interface and code quality.

We haven't finished testing this release yet, and some relatively major bugs are suspected or known. This release is to provide an early view of what 4.3 will eventually be like, when it has been properly tested.

Major improvements over 4.2 include:

Support for Windows and tiles play (also console play on Mac OS X; we are planning Mac tiles support when we get the opportunity to work on it on an actual Mac);
numerous improvements to the game internals, including a rewritten save system that can handle watching and replaying games, and can even save in the middle of a turn;
new players can size the window very high to get context-sensitive advice about the game commands, and to examine map squares with the mouse, meaning that NetHack is a little less difficult to learn;
and, of course, lots and lots of bugfixes, many of which were intentional, and many of which were side effects of the internals changes.

For the full list of changes since NetHack 3.4.3, see the changelog.

Download NetHack 4 4.3-beta1:

Source is available here.

You can also play on our public server for 4.3: telnet nethack4.org or ssh nethack43@nethack4.org (password "nethack43").

Screenshots:

NetHack was traditionally designed for an 80 by 24 terminal. You can play NetHack 4 that way if you want, too.
Using a very large terminal gives you more information: more space for messages (meaning less pressing Space to scroll through them), a permanently visible inventory, a more detailed status area, and hints about the controls to help out new players. Rudimentary mouse support means that you can learn what is on a square by hovering the mouse over it, and you can get a list of commands that apply to an item by using the i command or clicking on it in the sidebar.
In case you don't have a suitable terminal of your own (Windows' stock terminal struggles to handle the sort of screen output NetHack requires), NetHack 4.3 can simulate a terminal for you:
And for those players who'd prefer graphics to the traditional character-based view, we support that too (the pictured tileset is "DawnHack" by Andrew Rios, but the tiles that traditionally shipped with NetHack are also available).

Of course, being a beta release, not everything is perfect; we haven't had as much chance to playtest as we want to, and some relatively serious bugs are already known. If you find a bug, or just have an idea for a feature, report it on our bug tracker.