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
- Ancient Dungeon VR offers a fun and engaging dungeon crawling experience with smooth combat mechanics and satisfying physics.
- The game features a high level of replayability due to its procedurally generated dungeons and a variety of items and upgrades.
- The developer is actively updating the game, showing a commitment to improving content and gameplay, which excites the community.
- Some players experience motion sickness, particularly during intense combat sequences, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
- The game can feel repetitive after multiple runs, with some players wishing for more enemy and weapon variety.
- There are occasional bugs and issues with hit detection, which can lead to frustrating moments during gameplay.
- gameplay270 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this VR roguelite is widely praised for its smooth mechanics, engaging combat, and addictive loop, with many players highlighting the impressive throwing mechanics and the variety of powers available. However, some critiques point to a lack of enemy variety and a somewhat repetitive gameplay experience after extended playtime, alongside concerns about the progression system and RNG elements. Overall, the game offers a fun and immersive experience, particularly for VR enthusiasts, with potential for future updates to enhance content and gameplay depth.
“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 super fun with a ton of items and power-ups to unlock which makes each dungeon run unique and exciting.”
“Very fun but lacking in gameplay loop and RNG rails.”
“Poor progression system (the mastery system where you gain points as you play to unlock gameplay perks).”
“The actual gameplay depth doesn't justify the Minecraft-style graphics.”
- graphics202 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 retro-inspired visuals, which enhance the overall atmosphere and allow for excellent performance, even on lower-end systems. However, some critics find the graphics too simplistic or crude for a VR environment, potentially detracting from the experience for those who prefer more detailed visuals.
“The game immediately draws you in with its retro-inspired graphics, which, despite their simplicity, create a vibrant and engaging world.”
“This is easily my favorite VR game; I never imagined pixel graphics could be so immersive.”
“The graphics are smooth and well detailed for pixel style.”
“The graphics are just way too crude for a VR environment, making many objects indiscernible and robbing the VR experience overall.”
“I'll be honest, I was a little put off by the graphics and was like 'I'll just go play Minecraft in VR or something' but glad I gave this game a try.”
“Here is the problem though, the actual gameplay depth doesn't justify the Minecraft-style graphics.”
- replayability84 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, largely due to its procedurally generated levels and roguelike mechanics that ensure each playthrough feels unique. Players appreciate the depth provided by numerous unlockable perks and modifiers, which contribute to a varied gameplay experience. While some note a lack of enemy variety and potential repetitiveness, the overall consensus is that the game remains engaging and fun, with endless opportunities for exploration and enjoyment.
“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; not exactly a whole lot in 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!”
- story60 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as minimalistic, with some players expressing a desire for a more developed narrative and progression system, particularly in a roguelike context. While there are interesting characters and lore, many reviewers feel that the randomly generated levels and lack of substantial quests detract from the overall experience, making it feel repetitive and less engaging. Overall, those seeking a rich story-driven experience may find this game lacking.
“Minimalist storytelling with interesting characters.”
“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.”
“There is a lot to explore, collect, and unlock in this game with some interesting story items.”
“A basic story would be nice.”
“Well, I'm not a big fan of randomized level or rogue-lite games, and prefer my dungeon romps to be story-driven.”
“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.”
- music34 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and fitting integration with the gameplay, enhancing immersion and enjoyment. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as memorable and evocative, with each area featuring its own unique ambient tune, contributing to the overall charm and appeal of the game. While most feedback is positive, one reviewer noted a lack of music in certain aspects, contrasting with the otherwise strong sound design.
“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.”
“The music gets a special nod from me.”
“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.”
- atmosphere32 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its spooky and immersive qualities, enhanced by shadowy visuals, fantastic voxel graphics, and a captivating musical score. Players appreciate the unique ambiance of each level, which contributes to genuinely frightening moments and a sense of presence, while the combination of intuitive VR controls and engaging mechanics further enriches the experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both creepy and charming, making it a standout feature of the game.
“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 of the levels have a very nice atmosphere combined with the relatively low render distance, which can lead to genuinely frightening moments when playing.”
“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.”
“I don't think it's anything too crazy and wild but it's a small comfy place that builds atmosphere.”
- stability24 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and no major controller or movement glitches, others experience significant bugs, particularly with saving and level loading, leading to issues like falling through the world. Overall, while minor bugs exist, they are generally not game-breaking, and many users appreciate the game's solid performance and natural feel.
“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.”
“It runs great, it looks alright and it has cool gameplay.”
“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.”
- humor22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently highlighted as a major draw, with players finding the interactions, particularly with quirky characters like the "funny goblin man," to be both hilarious and entertaining. The game's blend of adorable visuals and absurd scenarios creates a lighthearted atmosphere that enhances the overall experience, making it a fun choice for both solo and multiplayer play.
“I've come back to this game, over and over either with or without friends and every time 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.”
- optimization18 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is highly praised, with users reporting smooth performance and minimal issues, even at high resolutions and refresh rates. While some minor stuttering was noted during specific actions like climbing ladders, the game generally runs seamlessly, particularly in multiplayer mode. The pixel art style contributes positively to performance, making it accessible for players sensitive to motion sickness.
“Multiplayer plays seamlessly and the game runs smoothly.”
“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.”
“It's crazy how solid and optimized this game is.”
“And finally, even though the pixel art style isn't my first choice, I found that it worked well here and allows performance that goes through the roof, so playing at 120Hz at full 2488x2488 per eye resolution on my Vive Pro 2 causes it to hardly break a sweat, making motion sickness (which I have a weakness for) more manageable in smooth motion mode.”
- grinding14 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 upgrade and progression system rewards exploration over actual gameplay. The repetitive nature of backtracking for missed items or achievements detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to concerns about long-term engagement, especially given the game's restart mechanic after death. While there are some permanent upgrades available, the grind required to obtain them can feel excessive and frustrating.
“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.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is noted to enhance immersion, suggesting that the way in which the game incorporates monetization elements contributes positively to the overall experience, despite being perceived as minor.
