Dungeon crawl

dungeon crawl, n. 1. a medieval fantasy role-playing game set in a series of underground catacombs populated by monsters borrowed from horror films and European folklore; characters slay the monsters, foil traps, and solve puzzles to gain treasure and experience. [GJ1]
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Addendum: Dungeons & Dragons was the original "dungeon-crawl game," although advanced players usually took their games out of the "dungeon" milieu and into a richer Tolkien-esque fantasy setting. The concept of the dungeon crawl -- the fighter, mage, cleric and thief slaying monsters in a vast subterranean dungeon -- originated from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, particularly inspired by the journey of the Fellowship through Moria in The Fellowship of the Ring. The dungeon crawl scenario forces a set structure onto a role-playing game. Plot and characterization become secondary (or non-existent), and such games have more in common with the tabletop wargames from which RPGs evolved. [GJ1]