Dungeon Lad

I felt that in order to write this review I had to come at it from a place of understanding, and so it was that I set out on a three-day adventure to become... THE Dungeon Lad. I purchased this game knowing only that it was developed by GGG, a wonderful developer and overall stand up guy. The description piqued my curiosity right away, as an avid fan of rogue-lites. The game starts off slow, with most runs lasting about 5-8 minutes as you slowly build up the orbs to change the landscapes of the dungeons to suit your play. However, the high scores suggested there was a threshold I had yet to achieve, so I began to think about the game more critically. Seeing where the mechanics drove me, rather than playing the game as I had expected it to play. Its more of a "dungeon dasher" than a "dungeon delver", so I set for myself a few rules, which in the end proved the most fruitful to my goals. The rules are as follows: 1. Time is your greatest ally. I stopped purchasing anything from the upgrades shop unless it was based around gaining more time or accessing more upgrades that would help me extend my runs. 2. Nothing matters more than the next floor. (Unless there is more time close by, then grab that first). 3. Art imitates life, and thus, Dungeon Lad ends as life does, in crushing and bitter defeat. Find joy where you may. :P Once I had formulated these rules in my mind and developed some micro-strategies within these boundaries, I was off to the leaderboards! At some point I became lost in the endless delve and after 3 days of dungeon crawls I had become what I set out to achieve. I had become... THE Dungeon Lad. At the time of writing I maintain position number one on the leaderboard at 1004 floors conquered. I challenge anyone and everyone to dethrone me, and claim the title of Dungeon Lad as their own. The game was not what I expected, It is not what had hoped for, it is in fact something much more interesting and unique in its execution. While it is definitely a casual players game, it drives you to forward, seeking "just one more floor". I sincerely doubt at this price point that you will regret your time spent in Dungeon Lad. The game is pretty "Cool cool cool cool cool cool cool". <3

This game rips and I am the best at it.

Dungeon Lad threads the needle between simplicity and replayability. It's not bogged down with complex systems and can almost be played with 4 keys alone, a mouse needed only for navigating menus. Games are fast and light, evoking the feel of classic arcade titles with the aesthetic of classic computer roguelikes. If a delightfully nimble roguelike experience is the metaphorical cake, then the cherry on top is the leader boards. Like all games from this studio, you can upload your scores so that others can see your triumph, adding a competitive aspect I didn't even know I needed for this title. Just when you think you are ready to pause and get back to work, you see another player has overtaken your high score. A quick visit to the orb store to purchase permanent upgrades, and you're right back to it.

simple and fun

A nice take on a classic genre. The real-time aspect (as opposed to traditional turn-based) as an additional element of excitement. The runs are quick, and the permanent upgrades seem to be paced just right to make you want to try another run. It feels like there's a good amount of variety in terms of upgrades and unlocks, along with different environments to keep things feeling fresh. The combat is particularly streamlined and helps keeps the runs moving quickly.

Liking this one so far. Has good meta-progression, runs are quick, and it's easy to pick up. You can find quite a few synergies among the upgrades, which is always a plus for Rogue games. Ton more upgrades for me to unlock too, so I'd imagine there's quite a handful of synergies I've yet to discover. The music is- as other reviews claim- bopping. Songs have a good rhythm to them, and complement the "quick-paced thinking" the game encourages. Couple improvements would be appreciated; like making it possible to play with one hand, or some more sound effects. But these are nitpicks. Besides that, it's a pretty interesting take on dungeon crawling, and the developer shows clear improvement compared to his previous game in nearly all aspects of the game. Give it a shot.

Very fun and addicting game. Easy to learn and can occupy you for hours with satisfying progression.

This is a great fast-paced dungeon crawler! The time pressure really changes the feel of this game compared to some that may look similar on the surface. Learning how to navigate efficiently is key. The skills bring a lot of variety and different strategic options to pursue a spot on the leaderboard.

Addicting gameplay with satisfying progression.

This is a very fun and simple game. Make sure you clear your schedule because it is EXTREMELY addicting. You'll keep wanting to come back because you were just so close the previous run. As the previous comment said, time is the most important resource. Always try to stock up on it.