Fan Recreates Elden Ring Entirely in Excel

User brightyh360 recently shared an incredible project on the r/excel forum on Reddit, transforming Microsoft Excel into a fully functional game inspired by Elden Ring. This remarkable creation, aptly named the "top view version of Elden Ring," demanded a whopping 40 hours of dedication: 20 hours for coding and another 20 for meticulous testing and bug fixing. The creator proudly announced, “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 game boasts an expansive world, featuring a detailed 90,000-cell map that brings the Elden Ring universe to life within the confines of a spreadsheet. Players can explore this world with over 60 weapons and encounter more than 50 different enemies. The game also includes a robust system for character and weapon upgrades, offering three distinct classes with unique playstyles: tank, mage, and assassin. To further enrich the gaming experience, there are over 25 armor sets, six NPCs with quests, and four different endings to discover.

This Excel-based Elden Ring game is completely free to play, but navigation requires the use of keyboard shortcuts: CTRL + WASD for movement and CTRL + E for interaction. The Reddit moderators have reviewed the file and confirmed its safety, though users are advised to exercise caution due to the extensive use of macros within the file.

In a fascinating twist, fans of Elden Ring have drawn connections between the game's iconic Tree of Erd and the Australian Christmas tree, Nuytsia floribunda. User Independent-Design17 pointed out that the Small Erd Trees in the game bear a striking resemblance to this real-world tree. Delving deeper, fans have noted more profound similarities. Just as the catacombs in Elden Ring are found at the roots of the Erd Tree, where the souls of the dead are guided, the Nuytsia tree holds a special place in Australian Aboriginal culture as a "spirit tree." Its vibrant colors are associated with the sunset, believed to be the path of spirits, and each flowering branch is thought to represent the soul of the departed.