Dandy Dungeon: Legend of Brave Yamada

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A puzzle RPG about a game developer that loses his job and finds true love in his quest to make his first independent game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 58 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

grinding13 negative mentions

Dandy Dungeon - Legend of Brave Yamada is a charming and fun game that combines unique puzzle mechanics with RPG elements, providing a delightful experience for players.
The game features excellent worldbuilding, humor, and a quirky story that keeps players engaged, along with a massive free update that doubles the content.
The PC port is well-optimized, removing microtransactions and allowing for full keyboard and mouse support, making it feel like a genuine game rather than a mobile port.

After completing the main game, players often encounter repetitive grinding that can detract from the overall enjoyment, leading to a lack of motivation to continue.
The game suffers from some design flaws, such as unclear mechanics, reliance on RNG in combat, and a lack of unique enemy designs, which can lead to frustration.
There are technical issues, including bugs and a lack of cloud save support, which can result in lost progress and a less polished experience overall.

gameplay
24 mentions
21 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Dandy Dungeon - Legend of Brave Yamada" is characterized by its casual, simplistic mechanics that evoke classic roguelikes and dungeon crawlers, making it a charming experience for fans of the genre. While the core gameplay loop is enjoyable and replayable, it can feel grindy and repetitive, reflecting its origins as a free-to-play mobile game. The unique blend of humor, quirky characters, and a delightful art style enhances the overall experience, though some players may find the lack of depth in gameplay mechanics a drawback.
- “For fans of Nethack, other classic roguelikes, or classic D&D dungeon crawling, Dandy Dungeon - Legend of Brave Yamada provides an excellent palette cleanser of fun dungeon looting gameplay combined with the beauty of using video games as the art form they can be.”
- “The humor is off the charts, the characters are wacky, and the puzzle rogue-lite-esque dungeon gameplay is fun and replayable.”
- “Getting to skip the mobile mechanics like having to wait 5 hours or the energy system makes the game 10x more enjoyable.”
- “At the end of the game, you will be waiting for the final stage that ruins all the gameplay, such as strengthening the game's strategy and weapons and armor.”
- “But the core gameplay is a bit too simplistic and grindy; it makes a lot of sense once you find out this was a free-to-play mobile game initially that was ported to PC.”
- “The microtransactions are removed in this version of the game, but what is left is the obvious remnants of that system, which is why the game feels so basic and repetitive in terms of gameplay.”
story
18 mentions
33 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The story is characterized as a fun, goofy, and darkly humorous narrative that features charming characters and unexpected twists, keeping players entertained for hours. While it retains some elements from its mobile origins, the engaging plot and high-quality presentation, including a fitting soundtrack, elevate the experience. Overall, the narrative stands out for its unique blend of humor and creativity, making it a highlight of the game.
- “It has a funny story, charming characters, and tons of surprises to maintain you entertained for hours.”
- “It's a dark yet humorous story about game design in a simple yet enjoyable puzzle game format.”
- “While the story is fairly standard, the characters and sense of humor help it stand out.”
- “Still the gameplay is casual enough to do every now and again, the story is goofy and simple.”
- “While the story is fairly standard, the characters and sense of humour help it stand out.”
- “There's no miracle pot which helped you get better items out of the story bosses along with cutting the grind down.”
humor
15 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky, absurd, and darkly comedic elements, which enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the charming characters, funny storylines, and the delightful mix of humor with engaging gameplay, making it both entertaining and replayable. The soundtrack complements the humor, creating a unique atmosphere that keeps players invested for hours.
- “Quirky, hilarious, bizarre, and super fun!”
- “It has an absurd humor that makes it really entertaining.”
- “The game is full of delightful humor and parody.”
grinding
13 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game is generally enjoyable but becomes excessively grindy after the main storyline, leading to repetitive gameplay that detracts from the overall experience. While some players find the grinding manageable and a part of the challenge, many criticize it for being overly tedious, especially in comparison to its original mobile version. Overall, grinding is a significant aspect of the game, often requiring players to repeat stages and gather specific materials for upgrades.
- “Legitimately fun and charming game, but don't continue after the initial ending or you'll crash face first into a wall of repetitive grinding.”
- “Starts fun but after beating the 'main' game it turns into a grindy and very repetitive game to the point it is not enjoyable anymore.”
- “The amount of grinding for stuff, repeating the same stages over and over, is literally too much for a lot of folks.”
monetization
7 mentions
29 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been significantly improved in its PC port, as it features zero microtransactions, allowing for a more genuine gaming experience. However, the removal of microtransactions has left behind a gameplay structure that feels basic and repetitive, as it was originally designed around a system that encouraged spending to bypass grinding. Overall, while the absence of microtransactions is a positive change, it highlights the game's limitations stemming from its mobile origins.
- “In fact, the port is so PC friendly, it has zero microtransactions, you can make use of the keyboard and mouse, and it pays attention to take the player seriously, and doesn't try to wrest control from you or babify anything.”
- “Those were microtransactions on the mobile platforms.”
- “The microtransactions are removed in this version of the game, but what is left is the obvious remnants of that system, which is why the game feels so basic and repetitive in terms of gameplay.”
- “It's also a game that was 'balanced' entirely around microtransactions on mobile platforms and utterly hates you for playing it.”
- “The whole system is a nightmare - and it's like that because in the original game, you were intended to use microtransactions to buy boosts that would let you bypass the grind.”
music
7 mentions
57 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quirky and humorous style, effectively complementing the game's whimsical atmosphere and engaging story. Players appreciate the chiptune elements and the overall charm of the soundtrack, with many expressing a desire for an official release. Overall, the music enhances the gameplay experience and resonates well with the audience.
- “The bizarre cast, puzzly dungeons, plentiful content, chiptune music complete with humming, items galore--it's all great.”
- “It's a love-de-lic through and through, with its charming characters, fun gameplay, delightful world, and wonderful soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack goes well with the mood of the game, and the story is quite humorous.”
replayability
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its engaging puzzle rogue-lite dungeon gameplay, wacky characters, and humorous elements, making it a charming experience that players find enjoyable to revisit. It is recommended for those seeking a fun and silly adventure with lasting appeal.
- “The humor is off the charts, the characters are wacky, and the puzzle roguelite-esque dungeon gameplay is fun and replayable.”
- “I'd definitely recommend this game; it's an underrated gem and completely worth the buy if you want a silly but charming game with lots of replayability.”
- “The game lacks the depth needed for true replayability; once you've experienced the story, there's little incentive to go back.”
- “While the initial playthrough was enjoyable, I found that there were no significant changes or new experiences in subsequent runs.”
- “After completing the game, I realized that the choices I made had minimal impact on the outcome, making it feel less rewarding to replay.”
graphics
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their high quality, featuring impressive audio, visuals, and engaging dialogue, though some feel they don't justify the game's price. Additionally, the cute pixel art style adds a charming touch to the overall presentation.
- “The audio, visuals, and dialogue in the game are pretty top-notch, I will admit; it's just not enough to carry the game, especially at this price point.”
- “Cute pixel artworks.”
- “The audio, visuals, and dialogue in the game are pretty top-notch, I will admit. It's just not enough to carry the game, especially at this price point.”
- “Their presentation is always top-notch, especially the audio, visuals, and story.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is not prominently highlighted, as the focus is primarily on the puzzle mechanics and time constraints. However, players may experience a sense of tension and urgency due to the time limit, which can evoke feelings of frustration or satisfaction upon completion. Overall, the emotional engagement appears to be secondary to the gameplay itself.
atmosphere
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-300 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized by a quirky sense of humor and a surreal, whimsical quality reminiscent of titles like "Black Bird" and "Million Onion Hotel," appealing to players who appreciate unconventional and eccentric environments.
- “You'll probably enjoy this if you like the quirkiness, sense of humor, and strange atmospheres of Black Bird and Million Onion Hotel.”
- “The atmosphere feels disjointed and lacks a cohesive theme, making it hard to immerse myself in the game.”
- “While the visuals are interesting, the overall atmosphere is flat and fails to evoke any real emotion.”
- “The game tries to create a unique atmosphere, but it ends up feeling more confusing than captivating.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Users report experiencing some glitches, indicating that the game's stability may be inconsistent.
- “There are frequent glitches that disrupt gameplay.”
- “The game crashes unexpectedly, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I encountered several bugs that affected my overall experience.”
optimization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game is reported to be poorly optimized, leading to performance issues and a subpar experience for players.
- “The game is not optimized at all, leading to frequent frame drops.”
- “I experienced significant lag and stuttering, indicating poor optimization.”
- “The lack of optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”