Elden Ring Built in Excel by Dedicated Fan

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

This impressive feat required approximately 40 hours of work – 20 hours dedicated to coding and another 20 to testing and debugging. "I built a top-down Elden Ring in Excel using formulas, spreadsheets, and VBA," the creator stated, highlighting the extensive effort involved. The result, however, speaks for itself.

The Excel game boasts an impressive array of features:

• A sprawling 90,000-cell map
• Over 60 weapons
• More than 50 enemies
• Character and weapon upgrade systems
• Three distinct character classes (tank, mage, assassin) with unique playstyles
• 25+ armor sets
• Six NPCs with associated quests
• Four different game endings

While entirely free to play, the game utilizes keyboard shortcuts for control: CTRL + WASD for movement and CTRL + E for interaction. 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 Christmas Eve discussion among Elden Ring fans, resembling a Christmas tree. User Independent-Design17 suggested the Australian Christmas tree, Nuytsia floribunda, as a possible inspiration. They pointed out striking similarities between the in-game Small Erdtrees and the Nuytsia, extending beyond superficial resemblance. The connection deepens when considering the cultural significance of the Nuytsia as a "spirit tree" in Australian Aboriginal culture, its vibrant colors associated with the sunset (the spirits' journey), and each flowering branch symbolizing a departed soul – mirroring the catacombs at the base of the Erdtree in Elden Ring, where the souls of the dead are guided.