When comparing Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM) vs Spelunky, the Slant community recommends Spelunky for most people. In the question“What are the best roguelikes/roguelites on PC?” Spelunky is ranked 15th while Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM) is ranked 17th. The most important reason people chose Spelunky is:
Spelunky features 4 player local co-op where players share the same screen, which can get a bit hectic.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Really, really deep
The game has been around for a dozen years or so, most of that time went into adding and expanding features. There are lots of ways to play the game, and you can dive into it literally for years and still be surprised by unexplored options.
Pro Surprisingly well balanced
Older roguelikes tend to have all of the things including the kitchen sink, and so does this. But the game feels cohesive and whole, and feels vast and expansive for its kitchen sink design rather than cluttered and messy.
Pro A true classic
It's one of the four games that really defined the genre, and it still is relevant today. A great addition to any roguelike fans' library.
Pro Up to 4 player local co-op
Spelunky features 4 player local co-op where players share the same screen, which can get a bit hectic.
Pro Provides an interesting challenge by heavily relying on increasing your skill
Spelunky gives the player everything needed to succeed from the start so it is only when the players skills get better will they advance.
Pro Quick sessions so you can play in short bursts
Being that Spelunky is at its heart a roguelike the gameplay sessions can tend to be quick as the player will die quite often. This makes for something that can be played in quick bursts throughout the day. The convenient saving also lends to this as a game that is still ongoing can be quickly saved in order to be picked up at a later time.
Pro Expanded gameplay through mods to improve replayability
Ranging from Mega Man to Metroid, there are a tone of great mods for Spelunky all of which make for a new experience in the game which vastly expands the replayability.
Cons
Con Complex interface
A common complaint is that there are a lot of commands to learn, although the devs have been working hard to simplify and streamline the interface (both graphical and ASCII)
Con Upgraded version only available via Steam
You can't buy the upgraded version, with all the extra features, from the developer or through DRM-Free sites like GOG, Itch.io, or Humble.
Con Generic and plain setting and story
About as generic fantasy as you can get.
Con Grinding
Con Co-op is boring and confusing
In co-op this game is very confusing with little instruction on how to play. With little to spice up the game play, it gets boring quickly.
Con Difficult to the point of frustration
Spelunky is pretty difficult and some could say abusive, but with practice and a desire for masochism the game can be mastered.