How to Play Dark Citadel
I'm genuinely excited to share this one with you. Dark Citadel is probably my most feature-packed game — it started as a dungeon crawler and grew into something way bigger: raids, guilds, warbands, a full fishing system, a chess minigame, multiple storylines, and a stance-based combat system that I've been refining for years. Whether you're playing on Alexa while washing dishes or grinding through the arena on the web, this guide has everything you need to get started and get good.
Getting Started
On Alexa
Say: "Alexa, open dark tower"
Alexa will walk you through character setup and drop you right into the story. The game understands natural speech — you don't have to bark exact commands at it. Say "I want to go north" or just "north," it gets you.
On the Web
Visit games.llitd.com and select Dark Citadel. You'll get the full visual experience: your character stats in the sidebar, inventory at a glance, the full session history, and a text box for commands. The web version is great for longer sessions where you want to really dig into the systems.
Key Differences
| Feature | Alexa | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Input | Voice commands | Text commands |
| Stats display | Read aloud on request | Sidebar panel |
| Inventory | "check inventory" command | Always visible |
| Session history | Limited by Alexa card | Full scrollback |
| Social/Chat | Full support | Full support |
| Map | Described verbally | Visual display |
The World of Dark Citadel
Dark Citadel isn't just one story — it's a collection of interconnected storylines that share the same world and mechanics. When you first start, you'll pick a storyline. You can switch between them later with the "switch story" command.
The storylines range from a gritty chess tournament that spills into something far more dangerous, to a haunted manor investigation, to full-on dungeon delving with an undead queen as the big bad. Each path has its own characters and chapters, but the combat mechanics, your gear, your character level — all of that carries across everything.
The thing is, this is my favorite kind of game to build: one where you pick up pieces from everywhere and assemble your own experience. Don't feel locked into the first story you pick.
Before You Launch on Alexa
Quick heads up — Dark Tower was originally launched as "Dark Citadel." I renamed and rebuilt the skill, but the retired "The Dark Citadel" skill is still floating around in the Alexa store. If you had it enabled before, disable it before launching Dark Tower, or Alexa may route you to the old, unsupported version.
Enable the Right Skill
The current skill is Dark Tower by Lincoln Cole. To enable it:
- Open the Alexa app on your phone.
- Tap More → Skills & Games.
- Search "Dark Tower".
- Open the one by Lincoln Cole and tap Enable.
Disable "The Dark Citadel" and Other Conflicts
If you previously enabled "The Dark Citadel," disable it now. It's retired. Your old characters migrated over to Dark Tower automatically, but the old skill no longer receives updates and will confuse Alexa's skill routing.
- In the Alexa app, tap More → Skills & Games → Your Skills.
- Find "The Dark Citadel" in the list.
- Tap it, then tap Disable.
Also disable any other skill with a similar-sounding invocation phrase if you hear the wrong intro when launching.
Verify It's Working
Say "Alexa, open dark tower." If the first words you hear mention Dark Tower and drop you into character setup or a story chapter, you're in the right place. If you hear the old Dark Citadel intro or Alexa says she can't find the skill, run through the enable/disable steps above.
Combat & The Stance System
This is where Dark Citadel really sets itself apart. Most text adventure games give you "attack" and "defend" and call it a day. Here, you've got five combat stances, each with distinct playstyles:
| Stance | Command | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive Stance | "defensive stance" | Reduces incoming damage — great for tough fights |
| Dodge Stance | "dodge stance" | Increases evasion, lower damage output |
| Drunken Stance | "drunken stance" | Unpredictable attacks that confuse enemies |
| Magical Stance | "magical stance" | Boosts magical abilities and spells |
| Psychic Stance | "psychic stance" | Mental attacks that bypass physical defenses |
Each stance has strengths and weaknesses. Dodge Stance is amazing against fast enemies but falls apart against magic users. Magical Stance melts casters but leaves you vulnerable to brute-force attackers. Learning when to switch stances mid-fight — that's the real skill curve in this game.
You can also use "better footing" to gain positional advantage, or "skip turn" if you want to wait out an effect.
Combat & The Stance System
This is where Dark Citadel really sets itself apart. Most text adventure games give you "attack" and "defend" and call it a day. Here, you've got five combat stances, each with distinct playstyles:
| Stance | Command | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive Stance | "defensive stance" | Reduces incoming damage — great for tough fights |
| Dodge Stance | "dodge stance" | Increases evasion, lower damage output |
| Drunken Stance | "drunken stance" | Unpredictable attacks that confuse enemies |
| Magical Stance | "magical stance" | Boosts magical abilities and spells |
| Psychic Stance | "psychic stance" | Mental attacks that bypass physical defenses |
Each stance has strengths and weaknesses. Dodge Stance is amazing against fast enemies but falls apart against magic users. Magical Stance melts casters but leaves you vulnerable to brute-force attackers. Learning when to switch stances mid-fight — that's the real skill curve in this game.
You can also use "better footing" to gain positional advantage, or "skip turn" if you want to wait out an effect.
The Capture System
One of my favorite weird features: you can actually capture enemies. This isn't a standard dungeon crawler move — most games don't let you do this.
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "start capture" | Begin a capture attempt |
| "weaken capture" | Weaken the target first |
| "throw the net" | Attempt the capture |
| "keep holding net" | Hold on if the target resists |
Weakening the enemy first dramatically increases capture success. Some enemies are easier to capture than others. Experiment.
Raids
Raids are group content. You team up with other players, coordinate via chat, and take down encounters that are way too tough to handle solo. The raid system connects directly to the social features, so you can summon allies or get summoned yourself.
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "raid status" | Check current raid state and progress |
| "accept summons" | Join when another player summons you |
| "decline summons" | Politely pass on the invitation |
| "add player" | Invite a player to your party |
Guilds
Guilds are the long-term social layer of Dark Citadel. Join one and you've got a crew, access to guild events, and a path to guild wars.
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "guild menu" | Open the guild management screen |
| "who is in guild" | List current guild members |
| "guild war stats" | Check standings and war progress |
Activities & Side Systems
This is why the game has stayed interesting to me years after building it — the side systems are real, not afterthoughts.
Arena & Tower Defense
The arena is PvE combat challenges. Wave after wave, escalating difficulty. Great for grinding gear and testing your stance game.
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "enter the arena" | Begin arena combat challenges |
| "tower waves" | Start tower wave defense |
| "tower waves battle" | Continue a tower defense run |
Fishing
Yes. Fishing. I built a full fishing system because why not.
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "start fishing" | Begin a fishing session |
| "keep waiting fishing" | Wait for a bite |
| "reel it in" | Catch when you feel the tug |
Crafting & Research
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "start crafting" | Open the crafting menu |
| "research" | Access the research system |
| "research perks" | Browse perk upgrades |
| "upgrade" | Apply class upgrades |
| "learn" | Access the learning system |
Character & Progression
Dark Citadel has a deep character system. You can have multiple characters, switch between them, even change your race.
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "character management" | Full character overview |
| "change player" | Switch active character |
| "change race" | Change your character's race |
| "assign paragon" | Assign paragon abilities |
| "assign paragon special" | Set special paragon powers |
| "pray to gods" | Invoke your deity for boons |
| "change active god" | Switch patron deity |
| "what is gear score" | Check your current gear score |
The Paragon system is the endgame build layer. Once you've hit a certain level threshold, you start assigning Paragon points that let you specialize far beyond what your base class allows. Two players with the same class can feel completely different at the Paragon level.
Navigation
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "jump to [location]" | Fast travel to a discovered location |
| "return to last location" | Go back to where you were |
| "teleport menu" | Browse available teleport destinations |
| "teleport to [place]" | Direct teleport |
Once you've discovered a location, teleportation is always available. Don't run back across the map.
Shopping & Economy
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "shop buy" | Purchase from a shop |
| "shop sell" | Sell items |
| "bid auction" | Place an auction bid |
| "diamond shop" | Access the premium shop |
| "open chest" | Open a loot chest |
| "spin the wheel" | Try your luck on the reward wheel |
| "collect" | Collect available rewards |
Inventory Management
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "inspect [item]" | Get details on an item |
| "equip [item]" | Equip an item to your character |
| "use item" | Use a consumable |
| "use combat health item" | Use a health item in combat |
| "change sort type" | Reorder your inventory display |
Quests & Story Progress
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "quest lookup" | Check active and available quests |
| "view clues" | Review gathered clues |
| "switch story" | Change your active storyline |
| "next chapter" | Advance to the next chapter |
Basic Controls (These Work Everywhere)
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "help" | List available commands |
| "continue" | Pick up where you left off |
| "repeat" | Hear the last message again |
| "exit" / "quit" | Save and exit |
| "status" | Check your current status |
| "list commands" | Full Dark Citadel command list |
Social System
Dark Citadel uses a shared social system across all my games. Once you've got a chat handle, you can talk to other players regardless of which game they're in.
Messaging
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "enter chat menu" | Open the chat system |
| "send chat message" | Send a message to the room |
| "listen to messages" | Check incoming messages |
| "last chat messages" | Read recent chat history |
| "private chat" | Start a private conversation |
| "auto listen" | Toggle automatic message notifications |
Friends
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "what friends" | List all friends |
| "which friends online" | See who's online |
| "accept friend invite" | Accept a friend request |
| "decline friend invite" | Decline a friend request |
Message Board
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "message board" | Browse public posts |
| "message board recent" | See newest posts |
| "message board mine" | View your own posts |
| "message board bounty" | Check bounty listings |
Chat Rooms
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "create chat room" | Start a new chat room |
| "join chat room" | Join an existing room |
| "which chat room" | See which room you're in |
| "who is chatting" | See who's active in the room |
Reminders (Alexa Only)
One of the sneaky useful features — set reminders through Alexa to nudge you back into the game.
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "add morning reminder" | Set a daily morning reminder |
| "add evening reminder" | Set a daily evening reminder |
| "update reminders" | Modify existing reminders |
| "delete reminders" | Remove all reminders |
Get Out There and Play!
Dark Citadel rewards patience and curiosity. The stance system has a real learning curve — don't get discouraged if you die a lot early on. The capture system is weird and wonderful. The fishing is genuine relaxation. And the Paragon builds at endgame are where the real depth lives.
A few final tips:
- Switch stances constantly. Every fight has an optimal stance. Learn to read the enemy.
- Join a guild early. The game is more fun with people, and guild events drop better loot.
- Use the teleport system. Once you discover a location, you can teleport there. Don't walk.
- Check the message board. Other players post tips, trade offers, and bounties. Genuinely useful.
- Don't ignore fishing. Some of the best crafting materials come from fishing. I'm serious.
- Collect your daily rewards. The daily pack system and reward wheel reset. Grab them every day.
- Read the quest clues. The story is good. I put real work into it. You'll miss context if you skip.
Lincoln Cole also makes Darkness Falls — a companion text adventure with its own world and mechanics, sharing the same social layer as Dark Citadel. Different game, same community.
Dark Citadel is a free text adventure game by Lincoln Cole. Play on Alexa ("Alexa, open dark tower") or at games.llitd.com.
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