There’s nothing like a good dungeon crawler to get the adrenaline pumping and in this case, “Quest of Dungeons” doesn’t disappoint. Similar to games like “Dungeons of Dredmor”, you’ll be tasked with clearing out enemies and leveling up your character in a turn-based creepy-esque environment. Your ultimate goal will be to find and defeat the evil lord who has (somehow) stolen all the light and trapped it inside a magical lantern…we can’t allow that, now can we? Before we get started with the review, I’d like to thank David Amador, the game’s sole creator, for providing me with a press copy.
Quest of Dungeons (Windows, Mac)
The main menu allows the user to start a single player game and adjust game options. There’s no multiplayer, though I don’t hold that against this game at all. Some games scream multiplayer while others can be played within the comfort of your own little bubble…in this case, I feel that this game compliments the latter. The options menu is pretty bare bones, but does allow you to adjust sound levels, screen resolution, and toggle fullscreen. Customizing your keybinds is also available, though mostly everything can be done with the mouse if it suits your fancy.
Once you’re ready to get started, you’ll find that you have four different character classes to choose from: Warrior, Shaman, Assassin, and Wizard. Each one behaves and plays a little differently, so it may take a few playthroughs to get comfortable with each one’s abilities. The Assassin, for example, excels at ranged combat while the Shaman mixes spell casting with close combat. Thankfully, there are three different difficulty levels, allowing you to take the game at your own pace as you attempt to learn the ropes with regard to the interface and character classes.
Once inside the dungeon, you’ll find the interface to be relatively easy to follow. Health and mana counters sit on the upper left and status effects show up on the upper right. Your inventory, map, quests, spellbook, and active weapon are all displayed along the bottom of the screen. Interacting with them can be a chore at times, though this is mainly due to my poor eyesight and the relative size of the text. Numbers and letters can sometimes run together, but it’s not a deal breaker by any means. I would have liked it if liked items stacked…to be fair, some do, though some items like chicken legs and fish do not. You also can’t move items around in your inventory, at least I haven’t figured out how to.
“Quest of Dungeons” could be classified as a rogue-like as well, what with its permadeath option. Some gamers have come to hate this feature in general while others embrace it with open arms. At the very least, it’s important to stress here that once you’re dead, you’re dead. Personally, I feel that permadeath is what makes games like this so appealing, not to mention nerve-wracking (“FTL” being a fine example). In addition to permadeath, the game features procedural weapons & levels, boss encounters, shopkeepers, quests, and leaderboards.
Shopkeepers allow you to purchase potions, keys, and other goodies.
Combat itself is fairly straight forward, whether you decide to go the melee or ranged route. Some ranged spells and weaponry cause a target area to pop up on your cursor, allowing you to choose the space that said spell or weapon will activate. Melee is a bit more simplistic…you’ll just “bump” into your target and watch the numbers fly. Your inventory screen has a character sheet as well, allowing you to equip various pieces of equipment onto different slots (head, chest, etc.). It’s all a bit simplistic, perhaps too simplistic for some, but in my case it fits the bill nicely.
So you’re probably wondering, “there are perhaps hundreds of dungeon crawlers out on the market…what made you choose this one?” In all honesty, it was the price ($4.99 as of 4/9/14) and the simplicity of it all. Unlike some other dungeon crawlers I’ve played, this one took no time at all with which to get acquainted. I wasn’t bogged down by character stats and overly complex gameplay mechanics. Rather, I found myself able to jump into a session for as long as I wanted, save, and log back out. It also has a 16-bit feel about it, taking me back to my SNES days.
In the end, “Quest of Dungeons” is perfect for someone like me who is always busy and on the go. The turn-based gameplay will make you think about your next move and has the added benefit of not overwhelming us old farts before we have a chance to react to sinister and menacing things as they occur. To top that off, the price is more than fair for the content being delivered, especially since you can easily pump ten plus hours into this game. Great for casual and hardcore gamers alike, “Quest of Dungeons” is the perfect coffee break dungeon crawler.
Final Verdict: 8/10
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You can learn more about and purchase “Quest of Dungeons” by visiting the following websites:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/270050
http://www.questofdungeons.com/
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qOE6Y8VPJ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb2amrfrQNc