How to Play The Calling

About The Calling: A Roguelike Game, from BoardGameGeek:

One day while patrolling the marketplace, you witness a child miraculously healed by an old man. The man speaks gibberish about horde and lava-water, then darts into the alleys. Next thing you know, you're being accused of murder by a Suit. Since Horde-infested alleys are just a fairy tale, and you are apparently being framed for a crime you didn't commit by a corrupt mercenary, you take off after the man in search of the unknown. In The Calling: A Roguelike Game, you are a Market Man, running through alleys and building your character, in hopes of finding a light in the darkness. Build your initial character, choosing stats and abilities. Run the alleys, fend off horde, and avoid traps to gain XP. Purchase better stats and abilities to amp up your survival before the game sucks you into the alleys forever. The Calling is a dungeon escape, rogue-like game that plays in 15 minute round. Stats and abilities carry over between rounds, but the permadeath mechanic can be frustratingly brutal. This game is made for solo gamers at its core. There is an add-on expansion that shifts gameplay from a solo roguelike to a 2-4 player roguelite, where the respawns are welcomed and points by goal attainment are key. -description from the designer