# PSA : Nethack on Droid **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 3, 2010, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789 "2010-12-03T11:31:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/1 "2010-12-03T11:31:33Z")
I just happened to come across Nethack while browsing the Android market. I never got much into it on an actual computer, but I can see a lot of wasted hours ahead. It seems to be a pretty-much exact port. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/2 "2010-12-03T15:34:29Z")
I have no idea what that is. I just looked it up and it looks really really stupid. What the hell. I’ll download it and give it a whirl. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/3 "2010-12-03T15:41:48Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > I have no idea what that is. I just looked it up and it looks really really stupid. > > What the hell. I’ll download it and give it a whirl. Okay, I downloaded it, I’m a samurai, and I spawned in a single room. There appear to be stairs, but I don’t know how to utilize them. Oh yeah, my dog fell down a pit and died, then I fell down the same pit, and I’m stuck in a pit. So far, this game’s awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/4 "2010-12-03T16:11:00Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Okay, I downloaded it, I’m a samurai, and I spawned in a single room. There appear to be stairs, but I don’t know how to utilize them. Oh yeah, my dog fell down a pit and died, then I fell down the same pit, and I’m stuck in a pit. > So far, this game’s awesome. Hey, that’s NetHack for you. It’s the game invented for masochists. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/5 "2010-12-03T16:17:07Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > Hey, that’s NetHack for you. It’s the game invented for masochists. It doesn’t even make any sense. I barely know how to move and mashing buttons does some things, but nothing that can be construed as moving around in this world. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/6 "2010-12-03T16:41:02Z")
Nethack is evil. It’s like I Wanna Be The Guy except not as fun. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/7 "2010-12-03T16:49:01Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > It doesn’t even make any sense. I barely know how to move and mashing buttons does some things, but nothing that can be construed as moving around in this world. Hit “?” then select the option for game commands. The controls are not intuitive. My OP was more aimed toward people who already like Nethack - a first-timer such as yourself would do well to try it on your PC first. [A Google search for Nethack that has lots of good links, including the official site](http://www.google.com/search?q=Nethack&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a). Joe ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/8 "2010-12-03T17:49:38Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > Hit “?” then select the option for game commands. > > The controls are not intuitive. > > My OP was more aimed toward people who already like Nethack - a first-timer such as yourself would do well to try it on your PC first. > > [A Google search for Nethack that has lots of good links, including the official site](http://www.google.com/search?q=Nethack&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a). > > Joe Okay, this game is stupid. Moving on. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/9 "2010-12-03T18:30:42Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Okay, this game is stupid. Moving on. Well, it is more than 16 minutes old - so you knew that going in. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/10 "2010-12-05T03:59:37Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Okay, this game is stupid. Moving on. Sacrilege… Kids nowadays… sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/11 "2010-12-05T04:21:13Z")
Is Nethack any good on an Android phone? I got a version for the iPhone and it was horrible. You just can’t control it well at all on a touchscreen. I’d bet that a phone with a keyboard would be better, but still a pain. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/12 "2010-12-05T04:56:39Z")
> [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](#): > > Is Nethack any good on an Android phone? I got a version for the iPhone and it was horrible. You just can’t control it well at all on a touchscreen. I’d bet that a phone with a keyboard would be better, but still a pain. It’s got a virtual keyboard, so I assume it should be “fine”. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-nethack-on-droid/562789/13 "2010-12-05T19:45:44Z")
> [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](#): > > Is Nethack any good on an Android phone? I got a version for the iPhone and it was horrible. You just can’t control it well at all on a touchscreen. I’d bet that a phone with a keyboard would be better, but still a pain. The controls are indeed tough to get used to. However, I have found myself playing much more on the phone than on my PC. I’m assuming that it’s because there are fewer distractions - no WOW, no Civ III, etc. Joe