Dark Quest

About

Dark Quest is a single player tactical role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by brainseal and was released on January 21, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In Dark Quest, players become a barbarian hero on a mission to destroy an evil sorcerer's dungeon and bring peace to the land of Darkwood. Explore mazes, discover hidden doors, and battle hordes of enemies in this turn-based fantasy role-playing adventure. The sorcerer will test your limits with his twisted games of death, adding an extra layer of challenge to your quest.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 100 reviews

story7 positive mentions

graphics5 negative mentions

Captures the nostalgic feel of the classic HeroQuest board game, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
Simple and easy to pick up, providing a casual gaming experience that can be played in short sessions.
Offers a variety of characters with unique abilities, allowing for some strategic gameplay despite its simplicity.

Feels like a mobile port with clunky controls and a lack of depth, making it less appealing for dedicated PC gamers.
Gameplay is repetitive and lacks character progression, with many mechanics feeling shallow and unrefined.
The 'Skull of Fate' mechanic often results in frustrating negative outcomes, detracting from the overall experience.

story
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
83%
8%
The story in "Dark Quest" is minimal and largely uninspired, revolving around a simplistic quest to stop an evil wizard, with repetitive dialogue and little character development. Players noted that the narrative feels more like a framework for gameplay rather than a compelling storyline, often comparing it unfavorably to the classic "Hero Quest" board game. Overall, the lack of depth and engaging plot detracts from the experience, making it feel like a cash grab rather than a fully realized game.
- “Dark Quest really feels like doing a cute little one-shot D&D adventure.”
- “In it, you play as three characters (warrior, dwarf, and wizard) seeking to make your way through a series of dungeons to complete a set of quests which are posed to you.”
- “As a hardcore fan of the Heroquest franchise, I can appreciate what the devs were going for here.”
- “There really is no story, just stop the evil wizard who is threatening the village, and a few text bubbles when meeting some bosses and such.”
- “Dull non-existing story, bad graphics, ugly UI, no depth on anything, no character progression, no items or gears, repetitive as hell, sorry but this game is rubbish.”
- “The story in this game is very light with no real purpose.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The gameplay of Dark Quest has been criticized for its simplicity and repetitiveness, resembling a basic board game rather than a robust PC title. Players note a lack of depth in mechanics, minimal customization, and a short overall experience, with frustrating elements like the "skull of fate" adding randomness without enhancing engagement. Overall, the game is seen as a shallow and uninspired cash grab, failing to meet the expectations of dedicated gamers.
- “The skull of fate mechanic keeps you on your toes.”
- “Good: simple point and click gameplay, and some neat, easy to use mechanics.”
- “As for the gameplay mechanics, you receive a certain number of turns where you can control your characters.”
- “Dark Quest is a 10-year-old mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it was a real PC game (it's not)... it's a cash grab from greedy mobile devs. This mobile app plays more like a board game than the old school hack/rogue ripoff it's trying to be, with dumbed down and simplistic gameplay intended for iPhone users rather than dedicated gamers.”
- “Boring and repetitive gameplay loop.”
- “The gameplay is extremely basic, the mechanics have all the depth of a puddle, there is absolutely no character progression, the visuals are repetitive and the interface is clunky, when it works at all.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
58%
26%
The graphics of the game are characterized by simplistic 2D art assets that, while not entirely unattractive, fail to impress in the current gaming landscape dominated by 3D visuals. Users note that the lack of substantial graphical enhancements leaves the visuals feeling lackluster and repetitive, with many expressing disappointment in the overall aesthetic quality. Despite some appreciation for the artwork's homage to classic board games, the general consensus is that the graphics do not elevate the gaming experience.
- “Dark Quest is a great HeroQuest-like; though graphically simple, it technically recreates HeroQuest well.”
- “Great artwork to be compared to AD&D.”
- “While there are options to change the resolution for the mobile app, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the mobile app, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
- “Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
- “The mobile app features simple, fairly basic 2D visuals, and while some effort went into them, they don't look bad exactly, but they don't look great, either.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some praise it as exceptional and reminiscent of the original HeroQuest video games, others find it lacking or merely adequate. Overall, the soundtrack and sound effects contribute positively to the combat experience, enhancing the game's reactive feel.
- “The music is exceptional, created by the same man who composed the music for the original HeroQuest video games.”
- “The sound and music are nice and provide a good reactive feel to combat.”
- “The game is lacking in music.”
- “When it comes to the soundtrack and effects, they're okay, I suppose.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as incorrect item messages. While it appeals to fans of the hero quest genre, these technical problems have led some players to uninstall it before completion.
- “Like a knockoff of the old Warhammer Quest board game, but nothing's explained and the game itself is pretty buggy.”
- “Really good for people who want that Hero Quest vibe, but unfortunately remained buggy enough that I was forced to uninstall it before fully completing it.”
- “Glitches: the game eventually displays the wrong messages on your items bar.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of Dark Quest has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that it is a poorly adapted mobile app rather than a genuine PC game. The simplistic gameplay and design appear to cater more to casual mobile users than to dedicated gamers, further emphasizing its exploitative nature.
- “Dark Quest is a 10-year-old mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game (it's not). It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers. This mobile app plays more like a board game than the old-school hack/rogue ripoff it's trying to be, with dumbed down and simplistic gameplay intended for iPhone users rather than dedicated gamers.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is highlighted by a clever moment during the end credits, where the mention of the art guy elicited laughter from players, showcasing a lighthearted and playful tone.
- “I found it hilarious during the end credits when they revealed who the art guy was.”
- “The witty dialogue and clever puns kept me laughing throughout the game.”
- “The absurd situations and quirky characters made for some genuinely funny moments.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its short length, with players completing all quests in approximately two and a half hours, leading to a lack of significant replay value.
- “It's also rather short and lacks much replay value, as I completed all of the quests included in the game in around two and a half hours of play.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be uplifting and heartwarming, emphasizing its ability to provide wholesome and simple enjoyment.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is largely criticized for being nonexistent, with players noting that leveling occurs only once per dungeon without any clear indicators or notifications. The lack of a detailed character sheet further detracts from the experience, leaving players feeling disconnected from their character's growth.
- “Character development is non-existent. You seem to level up only once per dungeon, gaining health points and/or other stats, but there are no numbers or notifications to indicate this. A simple character sheet would greatly improve the experience.”
- “The lack of meaningful character development is disappointing. It feels like you're just grinding through dungeons without any real sense of progression or growth.”
- “There is virtually no character development in this game. The leveling system is unclear and lacks any depth, making it hard to feel invested in your character's journey.”