Congratulations on the work done!
The game has all the essence of Rogue games, and it's also dynamic, fast-paced, challenging, and a lot of fun.
It captivated me from beginning to end, and I didn't stop until I reached the finish.
The truth is, it wasn't too difficult for me. I played a quick, somewhat reckless game to get a first look.
Once I had a general overview of the game and its mechanics, I started a new game. But this time, while playing, I made some tables with the ASCII symbols and their correspondence to items and enemies, which was a great help.
I should clarify that I'm a big fan of RPGs and Rogue games, so I'm used to this type of game.
Compared to other Rogue games, yours seemed to have more user-friendly controls and a better-balanced difficulty, making it more accessible, challenging, and fun.
Best regards.The DOS version was certainly more complex, partly due to the use of spells whose effects you had to discover, and enemies that, besides the damage they inflicted, could also affect other aspects of the game, such as destroying equipped items, etc.
While it was a bit frustrating and required many playthroughs to learn, I don't find the Mastertronic version for ZX to be nearly as frustrating. Of course, the snapshots are a big help; you can't beat 18 levels in 5 minutes, but they don't detract from the gameplay experience at all. Plus, they allow you to savor it more thoroughly. ;)