Hi swoopie, Thanks for the feedback. That's really helpful. I originally intended it to be simple so you could pick it up and just go for it, but I think putting in some decision points would be a good idea. I'll also think about some ways to let you affect the gameplay a bit more.
Ah! Got you. The main strategy you have to avoid death is to use the monsters' movement relative to the other artefacts, manhole covers etc., in the room. They avoid those areas, but the hero can freely move through them. That gives a way to control how many monsters you need to deal with at any one time. The fact that no attacks occur diagonally, allows you to ensure, to a degree, that the hero always gets first strike. Finally, there is a disengage option, which allows the hero to back off by up to 2 squares without being followed. This works best with spells that act at a distance. I think I need a bit more complexity though. I'm thinking of perhaps letting some sleep and allowing the hero to sneak past without waking them.