DashBored

About

"DashBored is a single-player Role Playing game with an interesting plot and good music, despite being very grinding. Players step into the shoes of Nicolas, an everyday shut-in transported to a dark pocket dimension of lost souls, battling strange monsters and an evil being to find their way home. The game features a classic turn-based combat system and a host of bizarre characters in a varied world."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 132 reviews

story27 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

The game features a unique and engaging story with a colorful cast of characters, providing a mix of humor and darker themes.
The soundtrack is memorable and well-composed, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
Dashbored offers multiple endings and a variety of secrets to uncover, encouraging replayability and exploration.

The gameplay can feel repetitive and unbalanced, especially in the early stages where battles may be too easy or frustratingly difficult.
The story can be confusing and poorly explained at times, leaving players feeling lost or disconnected from the narrative.
Navigation can be tedious due to the level design, with some areas feeling overly empty and requiring excessive backtracking.

story
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
50%
5%
The game's story receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its intriguing and imaginative elements, while others criticize it for being poorly explained and filled with gaps. Characters like Nic and Isaac stand out, but many feel that the narrative lacks coherence and depth, making it difficult to fully engage with the plot. Overall, while the story has potential and offers unique moments, it often leaves players wanting more clarity and development.
- “The story really takes you on an imaginative ride.”
- “I wholeheartedly loved it for its story and unique atmosphere.”
- “The story is very interesting; I find myself wanting to know the secrets of it, and every lore-relevant moment that I come across catches my attention.”
- “The only problem is the story: it's poorly explained and has a lot of gaps in it, which is frustrating because there's potential for something bigger, lore-wise.”
- “But by far my biggest problem is that this game's story seems to be held on by tissue paper; I could not get myself involved in it whatsoever, which saddened me.”
- “The characters are reasonably balanced between relatively sane and absolutely nuts; there's decent humor, but if you're looking for a coherent story, you won't really find it here.”
music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
45%
11%
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and memorable soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience and evokes nostalgia for classic games. Many reviewers highlight standout tracks and appreciate the unique blend of humor and charm in the compositions, although some note occasional optimization issues. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant strength, contributing to the game's engaging atmosphere and character development.
- “The music is a highlight.”
- “The soundtrack is so nice in places and in others, it's incredibly strange.”
- “Very good game and amazing soundtrack!”
- “That said, there are times where the music isn't optimized, at times restarting because it's slightly pitched lower or higher, which is an inherent flaw in the engine, so I can forgive that.”
- “The music is short loops but it bops; 'Gas Brake Pedal', 'Ice Band (Fight Mix)', and '[spoiler]Infamous Dayz[/spoiler]' are standout tracks to check out if you want to dig through the files.”
- “But you can look past all this to appreciate the vibrant characters, the humor, and the killer soundtrack that reminds one of 'Lisa'.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
The gameplay is generally considered straightforward and somewhat conventional, with mechanics that feel familiar and occasionally unoriginal compared to other indie titles. While some players find the level design monotonous and the puzzles may require external help, the game compensates with a unique atmosphere, engaging story, and enjoyable character interactions. Overall, it offers a fun experience, particularly for fans of RPGs, despite its gameplay limitations.
- “The gameplay is a mix of puzzle-solving and turn-based fighting, and it doesn't usually require a lot of grinding.”
- “I really liked this game; the days system is a really powerful mechanic that should be implemented in many adventure games to make them more unique and not get stale with the same environment being different every day.”
- “It was a great game and I highly recommend it if you're looking for lovable characters, fun gameplay, snarky humor, a great plot, and a wonderful soundtrack!”
- “While the gameplay mechanics are kind of run-of-the-mill (some indie titles did it better in the mechanic department, for you can cheese many encounters with stun skills, for example) and the level design feels monotonous at times, it is still a unique and refreshing experience in terms of atmosphere and worldbuilding!”
- “Seriously, every single mechanic looks like a ripped-off version of one of the best indie games.”
- “Gameplay: the gameplay of Dashbored is nothing to write home about.”
humor
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a blend of charming, goofy moments and darker, more emotional undertones, creating a unique comedic experience. Players appreciate the witty dialogue, enjoyable character interactions, and the balance between sanity and absurdity, though some feel the humor can occasionally miss the mark. Overall, the game's humor is seen as a highlight, providing laughter and a sense of attachment to the characters amidst a backdrop of quirky and sometimes unsettling themes.
- “It is hilarious and very charming, not to mention the great soundtrack that accompanies this game.”
- “The characters are likeable and the banter between them is absolutely hilarious!”
- “I honestly had a great time playing this game; it brought up a lot of jokes that made me laugh.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the unique and customized visuals that enhance the overall experience, while others criticize the crude pixel art and lack of polish. Some players appreciate the ongoing updates that improve the graphics, highlighting the game's surreal environments and character designs. Overall, the art style is seen as fitting for the game's tone, though it may not appeal to everyone.
- “The game in general is a nice experience, both gameplay and graphics.”
- “The creator seems to still be updating it and improving graphics, which is always a nice thing to see and shows that they really do care about what they made.”
- “To be honest, I didn't expect this to be an RPG Maker game at all; most (if not all) graphics are customized with bizarre-looking environments and lovely characters.”
- “Game is basically unplayable with a controller, the graphics are crude (even for being pixel-style), the in-game text seems like it was poorly translated to English, and the game just doesn't play like any care went into making it.”
- “Graphically, the dashboard is amateurish, but its cartoony style goes well with its snarky, vulgar cast and offbeat absurd plot.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
Overall, reviews indicate that grinding in the game is minimal, with most players able to progress without excessive leveling or resource gathering. Some players noted that early game challenges may require a bit of grinding for skills, but the game generally allows for a straightforward experience with balanced gameplay that doesn't heavily rely on grinding.
- “Almost no grinding required.”
- “There's a bit of early game hell where you only control your main character, and without the ability to save before the first boss, if you didn't do a bit of grinding for useful skills, you will start over from the beginning.”
- “So sometimes you want to delay bosses until you've more party members aboard, and you can't really experiment that much with the party members without additional grinding/leveling.”
- “Even though I am not that big a fan of RPGs and turn-based games, this got me grinding.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its uniqueness and strong worldbuilding, providing a refreshing experience despite some criticisms of gameplay mechanics and level design. Reviewers highlight the compelling storytelling and character development, which contribute significantly to the overall ambiance.
- “While the gameplay mechanics are kind of run-of-the-mill, it is still a unique and refreshing experience in terms of atmosphere and worldbuilding!”
- “I wholeheartedly loved it for its story and unique atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is not a joke in this game.”
- “While the gameplay mechanics are kind of run-of-the-mill and the level design feels monotonous at times, it is still a unique and refreshing experience in terms of atmosphere and worldbuilding.”
- “Atmosphere was decent and storytelling was fine.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its heartfelt and emotional storytelling, balancing humor with moments of genuine depth and even fear. Players express a strong connection to the narrative, highlighting its ability to evoke a range of feelings, from joy to introspection.
- “Woof... quite a good, heartfelt game.”
- “I wish you guys good luck making the sequel to this beautiful series... if you even read this pointlessly emotional stuff, lmao.”
- “It can be funny and goofy one moment, then it can be emotional and even a bit scary.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
Players find the game's replayability to be significant, making it difficult to quantify its overall playtime. This suggests that the game offers varied experiences that encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “The game's replayability is off the charts, making it hard to measure total playtime.”
- “The length and replayability of this game are impressive, offering countless hours of enjoyment.”
- “It's difficult to quantify how long I've played this game due to its incredible replayability.”
- “It's hard to measure this game's playtime because of its replayability value.”
- “The length and replayability of the game leave much to be desired.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report significant stability issues, citing numerous glitches in the driving map that hinder gameplay experience.
- “There are too many glitches in the driving map.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it unplayable at times.”
- “I experience constant lag and frame drops, which ruin the overall experience.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's music optimization has been criticized for occasional pitch inconsistencies, leading to restarts, which some users attribute to inherent flaws in the engine. However, this issue is generally considered forgivable.
- “There are times when the music isn't optimized, causing it to restart because it's slightly pitched lower or higher, which is an inherent flaw in the engine, so I can forgive that.”
- “The game's performance is severely hindered by poor optimization, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs and glitches that suggest a lack of proper optimization, making the experience frustrating at times.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers appreciate the appealing fight animations and original character designs, noting that these elements contribute to a strong emotional connection with the characters.
- “The fight animations are very appealing to look at, and the character designs are original. I have come to fall in love with the design of some of them.”
- “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form a genuine connection with each character's journey.”
- “I appreciate how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their growth feel authentic and rewarding.”