About

About PocketZot

PocketZot is an unofficial DCSS WebTiles client designed for mobile phones in portrait mode.

PocketZot account picker with two saved WebTiles accounts (CDI and CAO) and a guest spectate option

ASCII dungeon map on Dungeon:1 as a Spriggan, with a ball python nearby, HUD, message log, and on-screen touch controls

Full-screen monster description for a deep elf annihilator showing HP, spells, and to-hit, with the virtual keyboard open

Spectator view of a Felid run in Cocytus, rendered in ASCII, with the floating monster list

Spectator view of a Minotaur run in a Gauntlet, rendered in ASCII

Spectator view in the Shoals, rendered with graphical tiles

Swipe to browse screenshots →

Features

Custom, ASCII-first design to maximize compactness and readability. The default DCSS map viewport is roughly square in ASCII. PocketZot fits the full standard console map dimensions onto a standard iPhone in portrait mode, with a font still large enough to read. Tiles are supported as well.
Login with multiple WebTiles server accounts and switch between them
Inline tap targets in many menus and descriptions
Context-aware control sets for common situations
Spectator mode with expanded map view
Floating monster list — tap for full view, tap a monster to inspect, or collapse to a single line
Map double-tap toggles zoom
Map two-finger long press toggles tiles
Minimap — tap the place name in the HUD (e.g. @D:1) to toggle; controls stay live while it's up
Double-tap on-screen Shift to lock it
Installs as a PWA — add to home screen for the best experience

Controls

The controls are organized into three tabs: @, >, and ?. The mental model is:

@ "micro" — moment-to-moment actions, including during battle
> "macro" — actions often taken outside of battle, or after clearing a floor
? "info" — commands to get information about your character or game

Obligatory virtual keyboard also available. The ⚙ in the HUD opens settings and the controls guide; the login screen's Settings link opens the same surface.

Version support

Current stable and trunk DCSS are supported. Versions back to 0.24 generally work; older versions and forks may or may not. In particular, starting a new character on versions before 0.24 doesn't work.

Security

PocketZot is a static web app with no backend of its own. Your browser connects directly to your chosen DCSS server over an encrypted WebSocket (wss://). Your account is a WebTiles account between you and that server — PocketZot has no accounts of its own. Credentials are sent only in the login message and never stored.

"Resume as …" — what is stored

If the server issues a session cookie, it's stored in localStorage under a per-{server, username} key so you can reconnect without re-entering your credentials, until the token expires or is revoked. Logging out invalidates the token on both ends: the server is told to forget it, and the local entry is removed.

How it was built

Most of the implementation was written with Claude Code, under my direction and review. All design and product decisions, testing, and QA were mine.

The source is available at github.com/pocketzot/pocketzot, licensed under AGPL-3.0-or-later; see ATTRIBUTION.md for its relationship to DCSS.

Feedback

Please send any comments, questions, or bug reports to [email protected]. If you're enjoying the app, I'd love to hear from you.

Support

If you like the app and want to support its development, donations are sincerely appreciated. Please see the Support page.