A fan has completely recreated the Elden Ring in Excel

A Reddit user, brightyh360, recently shared an incredible project on the r/excel subreddit: a top-down version of Elden Ring, painstakingly recreated entirely within Microsoft Excel.

This monumental undertaking consumed approximately 40 hours—20 hours dedicated to coding and another 20 to rigorous testing and debugging. The creator proudly stated, "I made the top view version of the Elden Ring in Excel using formulas, spreadsheets and VBA. It was a long project, but the result was worth it.”

The impressive scope of this Excel-based game includes:

• A sprawling 90,000-cell map.
• Over 60 unique weapons.
• More than 50 different enemy types.
• A fully implemented character and weapon upgrade system.
• Three distinct character classes (tank, mage, assassin) offering varied playstyles.
• 25+ armor sets to customize your character.
• Six non-player characters (NPCs) with engaging quests.
• Four distinct game endings.

While entirely free to play, the game utilizes keyboard shortcuts for control: CTRL + WASD for movement and CTRL + E for interactions. Reddit moderators have verified the file's safety, though users are advised to exercise caution due to the extensive use of macros.

Interestingly, the game's Erdtree sparked a festive comparison to a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. User Independent-Design17 proposed that the Australian Christmas tree, Nuytsia floribunda, may have served as inspiration for the in-game Erdtree's design. They highlighted the striking resemblance between certain small Erdtrees in the game and the Nuytsia floribunda. Furthermore, the cultural significance of Nuytsia floribunda as a "spirit tree" in Australian Aboriginal culture, with its vibrant colors associated with the sunset and spirit journey, mirrors the game's depiction of catacombs at the Erdtree's roots, where souls are believed to reside.