Updated 2023.12.12


RoX is a 2001 freeware Windows game by Ilya and Dmitriy Safro. It resembles my Commodore 64 favorite Boulder Dash but with stylish modern graphics and music.

I created this page because when I discovered RoX, the official Safrosoft site was gone and I could find no information or custom levels anywhere else.
Thresher  Download RoX
RoX Screenshot
rox_1_4_setup.zip  (11 MB)
If you attempt to run RoX on any version of Windows beyond XP, you will likely encounter errors due to missing DLL files:

dx7vb.dll dx8vb.dll d3drm.dll

These files were included with Windows XP but not with subsequent Windows versions. To solve this problem, you can follow the instructions on this page (related to a different game), which provides download links for the DLL files.

Alternatively, you can use this version of the installer that's been modified by RoX fan Max to include everything you need:
rox_1_4_1_setup.zip  (12 MB)
(Use these workarounds at your own risk, of course, but I have tested both successfully.)

Yet another alternative is OxRox, a RoX remake that you can find a link to at the bottom of this page.
Thresher  RoX Levels
RoX includes an editor that lets you create your own level collections when you're finished or frustrated with the 69 pack-in levels. To play a collection created by someone else, simply extract the CLVL file into your RoX\Levels folder.

These are level packs created by RoX fans. Some of these were on the old Safrosoft site, others were sent to me by their creators, still others Rox fan Hille helped preserve, and one I made myself.
100_in_1.zip100 in 1  by Michaelis, Schinmeyer, & Lienau (4 level packs)
2rk.zipFi Da Swine, Paranoia  by Arthur Kusmin (2rk)
60_niveles.zip60 Niveles  by Chema  
aadensamer.zipBrainteasers, Zoo  by Aadensamer
addedcheese.zipAddedcheese 1-9  ("Rainbow" is 5) by James (Chezzjames)
adventure.zipThe Adventure
alain.zipAlain  by Asel Ool
ania.zipAnia
annie.zipAnnie, Xmas 2003  by Annie
arc.zipAdventures 1-2
art_factory.zipArt Factory 1-8, MyRoX  by Adamaster
asche.zip13 Hellish Levels 1-2  by Asche (NB: some strong language)
ashot.zipAshot  by Eduard Vardanyan
barton_michaelis.zipBillig, Blabla, Brot  by Barton & Michaelis
blast_zone_1.zipBlast Zone 1
blupp.zipBlupp
bomber.zipFast Reactions 1-2  by Bomber
b0nus.zipDeath World, Destabilisations, Extra Levels, Tower of Darkness  by B0nus
boulder_dash_levels.zipBoulder Dash Levels  by Korak Gomanji (67 levels based on the Boulder Dash games)
bouldermart.zipThresher in Action  by Martijn (BoulderMart)
daavssuck.zipDaAvsSuck  by Jeff
dominik_w.zipRoX World Tour - Ladakh, Zelda  by Dominik Walter
cannon_war_2.zipCannon War 2  by Chris Kuni
challenge.zipThe Challenge  by Kuddel
chao_thing.zipBox o' Ease, Crate o' Difficulty 1-2  by Chao Thing
charlie_d.zipBox of Apples, Box of Bannanas, Box of Peaches, Box of Plums  by Charlie Davies
cosimo87.zipSpecial Level 1-2  by Cosimo87
csatai.zipPCRex
cyril_d.zipCyril D 1-2  by Cyril D. (NB: some strong language)
cyrille.zipGo!, Small Levels 1  by Cyrille
dagmara.zipDagmara
dennis.zipDennis  by Dennis
doggy.zipDoggy's Lost Temple  by Doğa can Kılıç
domerubba.zipDomerubba
dono.zipDono Medium, Hard, Extreme, Mini  by Dono
dont_understand.zipDon't Understand
doom.zipDooM  (inspired by levels in the Doom games)
dragonblade111.zipDragonblade111
dragon_house.zipDragon House
echnik_8.zipAalglatt, Ein Maerchen, Fast, Frischauf, King Lui OE 130, Marathon, Nur Buchstaben, Nur Zahlen  by Echnik
erich_k.zipErich, Hallosager, Monster, Spielpass, Welt  by Erich Ketschik
evc.zipLimited I
excessive_content.zipExcessive Content  (144 levels) by Benjamin Smith
falling_stones.zipFalling Stones
faruk_k.zipFrukobaba, Zehra Collection  by Faruk Koçyiðit
felix.zipFelix  by Felix Oeser
firestorm.zipFirestorm
firstkiss.zipFirstKiss
for_beginners.zipFor Beginners  by Jamaican Spirit
francy_levels.zipFrancy Levels  by Francy
freizeit.zipFreizeit
frensygt_mariannocchia.zipFrensy's Madness, Mariannocchia 1-6  by Frensy GT and his little sister Mariannocchia
fun_frag_force.zipFun Frag Force  by Kr1x & Fate
game.zipThe Game
gnats.zipThe Gnats  by Chris
go_home.zipGo Home!!!  by Mark Willy Kulke & Rene Beyer
grafit_bt.zipSzappanos G. Hun
hard_days.zipHard Days/Raving Thresher  by Nickolay Rusnachenko (N!ck)
ivo_julia_hruska.zipDJ, Emily, Hruska, Julia, Love  by Ivo & Julia Hruska
jason.zipIshKaBibble, Sambuka  by Jason
just_eat_it.zipJust Eat It!
kht_chapter_one.zipKHT Chapter One  by KHT
kindly_removed.zipKindly Removed  by David Kulle
kita-sonnenblick.zipKita-Sonnenblick
kylz.zipPlanet of the Bugs, Reincarnate the Dead, Training Data Base  by Kylz
labyrinth.zipLabyrinth
lev.zipMade in Russia, Take It Easy  by Lev (Lewis) et al.
legs_11.zipLegs 11  by David Villa
lupis3000.zipLupis3000 Easy Levels  by Lupis3000
lurios.zipLurios Levels  by Lurios
mammoth.zipMammoth  by Milan Bart k
matts.zipMatts 2  by M. Pettersson
michaelis.zipWahnsinn, Six Possibilities  by David Michaelis
mini_levels.zipMini Levels
mirjam.zipMIP 1-2  by Mirjam
mixture_1.zipMixture 1
mizia.zipTomek, Tomek 2, Try This One  by Tomek Mizgala (Mizia) & Marlena
monisworld.zipMonisworld  by Boris
mr_snack_man.zipMr. Snack Man
mystic_rooms.zipMystic Rooms  by Rado Negundo & Kiras
martin_z.zipEl Cid, Wingo  by Martin Zerbes
the_narrow_place.zipThe Narrow Place  by Tasos
octapolis.zipOctapolis  by Octapolis
oscpazoo.zipOscar 1-2  by Oskpazoo
parnell.zipDerek, Target Zone  by Derek & Rosie
parousia.zipLords, Knights, ToughGuys, The Basics  by Kyp
pascual_1-3.zipPascual 1-3  by Pascual Paolucci
reiner.zipHarder Than Ever and Jor  by Reiner
robert_j.zipCheck Your Rox Level, Fruits, Rocks and Unids, The War, World's Easiest Levels  by Robert Jajszczok
robo.zipRobo
rocks_bombs.zipRocks & Bombs  by R&B Crazy
rocky_road.zipRocky Road  by Optimistic Fool
rox_masters_1.zipHard Days/RoX Masters 1  by Von Andreas, Snoopy, & Scherer
rox_special_agent.zipRoX Special Agent  by Maciek Regula
sanny.zipSannyLand, Sanny 2
scorpion.zipScorpion
serg.zipSerg
six_levels.zipSix Levels
sky_is_falling.zipThe Sky Is Falling  by Ammon
smashing_13.zipSmashing 13  by clysm
special_collection.zipSpecial Collection
spiderstein.zipCastle Spiderstein  by Mr. Quackers
spydre_byte.zipSpydre
steve.zipSTeVe
subconscious.zipSubconscious  by Jamie Adams
suraj_pabari.zipDeath Collection 1-2  by Suraj Pabari
suspisious.zipSuspisious  by Jake (Charlie's little brother)
teresa.zipLittle Collection 1-2, Xambow 1-2  by Teresa
titti.zipMikonos
units.zipUnits  by Volker
week.zipThe Week of Thresher
winforcers_1-3.zipWinforcers 1-3  by Alex
worldofchaos.zipWorldOfChaos 1-4

If you'd like to download all of the above levels at once, here's a single file:
afn_rox_levels_all.zip  (2MB)
Thresher  RoX Help
Level 57

Opinions differ over whether level 57 ("Omega") is possible. Here are three solutions by RoX fans:
Cheating

On the main menu, press and hold Esc and Space when you select Play. This (temporarily) unlocks all the levels in a collection.
Thresher  RoX Music
You can add MP3 files to your RoX\Music folder to have them play in the game.

A 2002 Safro data-and-music CD was available on MP3.com before that site became something else. This music is what you hear in the game but structured slightly differently.

I have permission to distribute these files. They are encoded at 128 kbps, unfortunately, but I guess that was generally considered good enough back then.
Safro - Blizzard.mp3  (5 MB)
Safro - Dreamscape.mp3  (5 MB)
Safro - Euphoria.mp3  (4 MB)
Safro - Gifted [Bass Overload].mp3  (6 MB)
Safro - Heartbeat [Remix].mp3  (5 MB)
Safro - Pyxis.mp3  (5 MB)
Safro - Smooth [Soft Mix].mp3  (4 MB)
Safro - Trance Aura.mp3  (4 MB)
Safro - Tranze [Remix].mp3  (4 MB)
Safro - Velocity.mp3  (6 MB)
Safro - Virus.mp3  (4 MB)
Thresher  RoX News
There have been hints over the years of more from the creators of RoX.
Thresher  RoX Links

On another page, I recommend additional freeware games.