Elden Ring Reborn in Excel: Masterpiece or Madness?

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 feat of programming prowess took approximately 40 hours—20 hours dedicated to coding and another 20 to rigorous testing and debugging. The creator stated, “I built a top-down Elden Ring in Excel using formulas, spreadsheets, and VBA. It was a lengthy undertaking, but the outcome was well worth the effort.”

The impressive recreation boasts:

• 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 accompanying quests;
• Four different game endings.

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

Interestingly, some Elden Ring enthusiasts have noted a resemblance between the game's Erdtree and a Christmas tree, especially around Christmas Eve. User Independent-Design17 suggested the Australian Christmas tree, Nuytsia floribunda, as a possible inspiration. They highlighted the striking visual similarity between the game's smaller Erdtrees and the Nuytsia. Further comparisons draw parallels between the catacombs at the base of the Erdtree (where souls are guided in Elden Ring) and the Aboriginal Australian cultural significance of Nuytsia as a "spirit tree," its vibrant colors associated with the sunset, the supposed journey of spirits, and each flowering branch symbolizing a departed soul.