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 monumental undertaking consumed approximately 40 hours—20 hours dedicated to coding and another 20 to rigorous testing and debugging. "I built a top-down Elden Ring in Excel using formulas, spreadsheets, and VBA," the creator explained. "It was a long project, but the results speak for themselves."

The impressive recreation boasts:

• A sprawling 90,000-cell map;
• Over 60 unique weapons;
• 50+ distinct enemies;
• A fully functional character and weapon upgrade system;
• Three playable classes (tank, mage, assassin), each with unique playstyles;
• More than 25 armor sets;
• Six NPCs, each with their own 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, however, users are advised to exercise caution due to the extensive use of macros.

Interestingly, the game's Erdtree sparked a Christmas Eve discussion, with some fans likening it to a Christmas tree. User Independent-Design17 proposed the Australian Christmas tree, Nuytsia floribunda, as a potential inspiration. They pointed out the striking visual similarities between the in-game Small Erdtrees and the Nuytsia, but deeper parallels exist. The catacombs at the base of the Erdtree, where souls are guided in Elden Ring, mirror the Aboriginal Australian view of Nuytsia as a "spirit tree." Its vibrant colors, associated with the sunset (the supposed path of spirits), and its flowering branches, each representing a departed soul, further strengthen this connection.