Ancient Dungeon
- November 3, 2021
- ErThu
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Ancient Dungeon" is a rogue-lite VR dungeon crawler where players explore procedurally generated dungeons filled with dangerous monsters and powerful weapons. Fight your way through hordes of enemies, collecting upgrades to improve your arsenal and survival chances. With a constantly shifting labyrinth and the promise of valuable treasures, each run offers a new, challenging experience.
PC
Phone
Virtual Reality
Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
Oculus Quest
Oculus Rift
Tablet
Windows Mixed Reality
Reviews
- Engaging and addictive gameplay with a variety of items and upgrades that enhance replayability.
- Smooth and intuitive combat mechanics, making swordplay and throwing knives feel satisfying and immersive.
- Charming pixel art style combined with atmospheric sound design creates an enjoyable dungeon-crawling experience.
- Some players experience motion sickness, especially during intense combat or when using smooth movement.
- Limited weapon variety and some mechanics can feel repetitive after extended playtime.
- The game can be punishing, with significant consequences for dying, which may frustrate some players.
- gameplay135 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is generally praised for its smooth mechanics, engaging combat, and addictive loop, making it a standout experience in VR. While many players appreciate the variety of powers and the immersive interactions, some express concerns about the lack of enemy diversity and a somewhat repetitive gameplay loop after extended playtime. Overall, the game is seen as a fun and accessible roguelite with significant potential for future updates and improvements.
“The gameplay feels just incredible.”
“Fantastic mechanics and a gameplay loop that stays pretty interesting with the variety of powers you can unlock.”
“The gameplay loop is extremely addictive and with each run and re-run you feel stronger either because you've acquired real-life experience, and your muscle memory kicks in when needed but also because of the boons.”
“Very fun but lacking in gameplay loop and RNG mechanics.”
“The only critique here is that I feel like not enough enemies provide variety in sword gameplay.”
“Gameplay that feels flatter and more boring than even Compound on launch.”
- graphics101 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming voxel art style that, while reminiscent of Minecraft, effectively supports smooth gameplay and immersive VR experiences. Many players appreciate the simplicity and nostalgia of the pixelated visuals, which enhance the game's atmosphere and interactivity, despite some initial reservations about their crude appearance. Overall, the graphics are seen as a fitting choice that prioritizes performance and gameplay over realism, making the game enjoyable for fans of retro aesthetics.
“The game immediately draws you in with its retro-inspired graphics, which, despite their simplicity, create a vibrant and engaging world.”
“The graphics are smooth and well detailed for pixel style.”
“The blocky graphics add so much charm and really pop in VR.”
“The graphics are just way too crude for a VR environment, making many objects indiscernible and robbing the VR experience overall.”
“I enjoyed mostly everything about this game except for the graphics/aesthetic choice.”
“Here is the problem though, the actual gameplay depth doesn't justify the Minecraft-style graphics.”
- replayability42 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its high replayability, driven by procedurally generated levels, unique roguelike features, and a plethora of unlockable content that ensures each playthrough feels distinct. While some players note a lack of variety in enemies and starting loadouts, the overall mechanics and depth of gameplay keep players engaged and coming back for more. The addition of multiplayer and ongoing updates further enhances its replay value, making it a standout title in the genre.
“Its procedurally generated levels offer endless replayability, complemented by roguelike features that provide unique items with every playthrough.”
“The amount of unlockable content and upgrades allows for a lot of replayability, similar to that of 'The Binding of Isaac'.”
“I've played even more hours (still counting) and I'm still addicted to it; the replay value in the game is just amazing. No matter how many times you go in, you'll always find yourself having a different experience than you had before.”
“It's a nice, hard dungeon crawler, but I never saw the point in playing afterwards; there's not exactly a whole lot of replay value.”
“Feels a little bit lacking in variety of enemies and starting loadouts, but does have replayability, and the base gameplay loop - while it can currently feel a bit repetitive - is still rather fun.”
“One thing I can recommend to improve replayability is to add new weapons such as axes, shields, and even magic spells!”
- story30 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as minimalistic, with some players expressing a desire for a more developed narrative and character progression, particularly in a roguelike format. While there are interesting lore elements and unlockable story items, many reviewers feel that the lack of a cohesive story detracts from the overall experience, making it less engaging for those who prefer story-driven gameplay. Overall, the game offers a basic narrative framework but leaves players wanting more depth and variety in storytelling.
“Minimalist storytelling with interesting characters.”
“From the enemies to the level design, all the way down to the lore and story.”
“There is a lot to explore, collect, and unlock in this game with some interesting story items.”
“A basic story would be nice.”
“It is a rogue-like and that’s fine, but I kind of wish there was an ability to actually progress a story and reach new checkpoints.”
“If you prefer some story to your games, this likely isn't for you.”
- music17 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and fitting integration with the gameplay, enhancing immersion and evoking nostalgia. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as top-notch, with each area featuring unique ambient tunes that complement the overall experience. Additionally, the sound design, including crisp sound effects and engaging NPC dialogue, contributes to the game's charm and enjoyment.
“The soundtrack and general sound design are very fun and fitting for the world you are in.”
“The music is very atmospheric and each area of the game has its own beautiful ambient tune.”
“This is one of those soundtracks that when I hear it 20 years from now, it's going to bring back warm, fuzzy memories of plundering dangerous pixel dungeons.”
“That's why I don't like it, there's no music; the crossbow is still boring as ever. This is nothing like Binding of Isaac.”
“The music is very atmospheric, and each area of the game has its own beautiful ambient tune.”
“The art and music are simple but effective.”
- atmosphere16 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its spooky and immersive qualities, enhanced by effective use of shadows, voxel graphics, and a captivating musical score. Players appreciate the unique ambiance of each level, which contributes to a sense of tension and excitement, while the intuitive VR controls and destructible environments further enrich the experience. Overall, the game successfully combines a charming yet eerie atmosphere with engaging gameplay mechanics, making it a standout in the genre.
“The ambience and the way that your vision is limited by shadows creates a really spooky atmosphere.”
“The music is very atmospheric and each area of the game has its own beautiful ambient tune.”
“The exploration is nice, the combat (at least for me) challenging and the atmosphere is just top notch!”
“All the dungeon crawler staples like items you acquire per run, with satisfyingly realized VR controls and a creepy but pixelly atmosphere.”
“Combat feels fun without taking itself too seriously and the atmosphere can actually get pretty creepy.”
“To keep it simple, imagine a dungeon crawling Minecraft atmosphere with rogue-lite pickups such as Gunfire Reborn.”
- stability12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's stability is generally positive, with many users reporting smooth performance and minimal controller or movement glitches. However, some players have encountered occasional bugs, particularly with saving and level generation, which can lead to frustrating experiences like falling through the world or game freezes. Overall, while there are minor issues, they are not considered game-breaking.
“It runs great, it looks alright, and it has cool gameplay.”
“Runs great, had no issues with anything, had no problems starting it up, controls are simple, and so on.”
“Everything feels natural and the game runs great.”
“Saving the game is buggy, as in loading back in often has me falling through the world, taking half a heart with it.”
“Once you get there, the game freezes a lot and most of the time, it gets me hit by a wisp or something.”
“Overall, this game is amazing, the only issue for me personally is that the game can be buggy at times.”
- humor11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised for its absurdity and charm, with players highlighting the hilarious interactions, particularly with quirky characters like a "funny goblin man." The combination of fun, challenging gameplay and comedic elements creates a memorable experience, especially in multiplayer settings. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the dungeon-crawling adventure, making it a standout feature.
“I've come back to this game, over and over, either with or without friends, and every time it ends up being hilariously insane.”
“Adorable, fun, funny, and challenging dungeon crawler... definitely worth a try, and if you have friends, the devs are adding multiplayer!”
“Funny goblin man transforms into a powerful entity, beginning the best boss fight I have ever played in VR.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is highly praised, with users reporting smooth performance and minimal stuttering, even in demanding scenarios like multiplayer and VR at high resolutions. The pixel art style contributes positively to performance, allowing for a seamless experience that enhances gameplay and reduces motion sickness. Players appreciate the solid systems and attention to detail, which make for an engaging and satisfying experience.
“The performance is very good so that it is very smooth and there is no jumpiness.”
“It's crazy how solid and optimized this game is.”
“The dev is putting focus on the right things - the systems here look rock solid to build on, the performance is quite good, the sense of progression is excellent with the content that's present, the emphasis on animation quality and environmental interactivity makes traversing the dungeons in VR really compelling.”
“Cool game, but I did have a lot of stuttering when climbing ladders.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often feeling that the progression system rewards exploration over actual gameplay. The repetitive nature of backtracking for missed items and the slow pace of movement detract from the overall enjoyment, leading to concerns about long-term engagement, especially given the game's restart mechanic after death.
“The upgrade/progression system is very grindy and rewards most for new areas/items/journals discovered but not enough for actually playing the game.”
“Fun for a few hours but there is very little variety and it becomes tedious trying to get the achievements.”
“There are some permanent upgrades from grinding but it takes too much time and I’m wondering if I’ll lose interest eventually since you start over after each death.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users feel that the monetization strategy, while seemingly minor, significantly enhances the overall immersion of the game experience.
