Die within the Dungeon is a brand new roguelike deckbuilder that pulls some concepts from Slay the Spire, one among my favourite video games, however provides some dice-based twists which have me hooked.
In Dungeon, your objective is to outlive via progressively tougher maps of enemies by constructing a deck — however as an alternative of amassing playing cards, you’re amassing cube. Throughout each hand, you will have a certain quantity of power you should utilize to play your cube. And since you’ll be able to see each transfer your enemies will make on the subsequent flip, the sport is usually about strategizing how you can assault the baddies whereas defending your self.
For those who’ve performed Slay, this setup ought to really feel fairly acquainted.
However Dungeon’s intelligent twist is in how you play. In the beginning of every flip, the sport will roll cube out of your deck into your hand, and also you’ll have to determine how you can play them on a board. Every die has a price, so the upper the worth, the extra injury you’ll deal or block you’ll set as much as defend your self.
There are a number of forms of cube, together with assault cube, block cube, therapeutic cube, and cube that may enhance the worth of different cube on the board. Every one prices a certain quantity of power to play, which places limits on what number of you should utilize in a single flip. And generally, enemies will add modifiers to spots on the board.
That every one means you’ll must assume lots about how and the place you play your cube on the board. Do you go all in with assault cube to take an enormous chunk of an enemy’s well being, however depart your self susceptible to assaults? Do you spend some power on a lift block to provide your self extra protection at the price of with the ability to use a well being cube? Nearly each flip in Dungeon requires some strategic pondering.
The depth of the technique makes the Slay-esque trappings one thing of a consolation. I discover Dungeon to be very laborious; the enemies can actually pack a punch when you’re caught off guard, and I haven’t been in a position to get previous the bosses of the sport’s first two worlds until I’ve a transparent concept of what my construct is.
However I already perceive how to consider constructing a deck from many hours of Slay. I’ve referred to as on plenty of these abilities to make issues simpler over the 10-plus hours I’ve put into Dungeon to this point — and to perform my one and solely cleared run.
Whereas Slay is nice at holding issues snappy with battles which are simply lengthy sufficient — I might typically end a run in round 45 minutes — runs in Dungeon can drag. Particular person battles can take minutes on their very own due to how a lot you may simply sit and assume. Loading screens that take 5 or extra seconds add up over the course of a run. The dungeon maps even have a couple of too many areas. My longer runs, the place I’ve gotten to the third and last world, have taken almost two hours.
Dungeon is launching in early entry, although, so I’m hoping the rougher edges will get smoothed out over time. Even over the couple weeks I’ve been enjoying the sport, there have been some welcome updates, like one that provides you cash when you select to skip an end-of-battle reward. The sport’s builders have posted a promising roadmap, too. That every one makes me optimistic for Dungeon’s long-term future.
And its basis is admittedly robust. I’ve had a blast with Dungeon, regardless of its faults and me solely having overwhelmed the sport with one of many three accessible characters to this point. After I lose a run, I typically mull over how I might have accomplished issues in a different way, and I’m often wanting to hop again in to roll the cube once more.
I’ve been actually wanting ahead to Slay the Spire 2, which is meant to return out in early entry this yr. However I might need already scratched the deckbuilding itch with Die within the Dungeon.
Die within the Dungeon is now accessible in early entry on Steam. You may strive a model of it without spending a dime on itch.io.