DashBored

About

DashBored is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Karbonic and was released on June 13, 2016. It received positive reviews from players.

"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

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 264 reviews

story54 positive mentions

grinding18 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 enhances the overall experience, with many players praising its quality.
Dashbored offers multiple endings and a variety of secrets to uncover, encouraging replayability and exploration.

The gameplay can feel repetitive and unbalanced, with some battles being too easy and lacking depth.
Many players found the story poorly explained and difficult to follow, leading to frustration with its narrative structure.
There are issues with navigation and save points, which can lead to players losing progress and feeling lost in the game world.

story
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
52%
3%
The game's story receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its imaginative and quirky 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. Overall, while the story has potential and offers interesting 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.”
- “Not because I want to avoid spoilers, but because I honestly could not follow the story.”
music
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
50%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and memorable soundtrack, with standout tracks that evoke nostalgia and charm. Reviewers appreciate the unique blend of retro vibes and emotional depth, noting that the music enhances the overall experience and ties the game's elements together. While some minor technical issues with music optimization were mentioned, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is a highlight and a significant reason to engage with the game.
- “The music is a highlight.”
- “Above all the music is excellent.”
- “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.”
- “The music took me for a spin.”
gameplay
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
66%
7%
The gameplay is generally considered straightforward and somewhat conventional, with mechanics that feel familiar and occasionally repetitive, though some players appreciate the unique atmosphere and worldbuilding. While the battle system and puzzles may lack depth and can be easy or require external guidance, the game offers enjoyable elements like a day system and a mix of turn-based combat and puzzle-solving. Overall, it provides a fun experience, especially for fans of RPGs, despite its 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!”
- “Gameplay: the gameplay of Dashbored is nothing to write home about.”
- “Seriously, every single mechanic looks like a ripped-off version of one of the best indie games.”
humor
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a blend of quirky, dark, and emotional moments, often eliciting genuine laughter through witty dialogue and character interactions. Players appreciate the charming and vibrant characters, whose banter adds to the comedic experience, although some feel the balance between horror and comedy can be inconsistent. Overall, the humor is seen as a highlight, providing levity and enjoyment amidst the game's more serious 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!”
- “The humor I would come across would make me smile and a few times laugh, which I love.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
46%
11%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the unique, customized art style and ongoing improvements, while others criticize the crude pixel graphics and poor translation quality. Many players appreciate the surreal and bizarre environments that complement the game's narrative and music, though some find the overall execution amateurish. Overall, the visuals are seen as a notable aspect, contributing to the game's charm despite their imperfections.
- “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.”
- “There have been some improvements to the graphics over the years, and it shows.”
- “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, Dashbored is amateurish, but its cartoony style goes well with its snarky, vulgar cast and its offbeat absurd plot.”
grinding
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
Overall, players report that grinding in the game is minimal, with many able to progress without extensive leveling or resource gathering. Some early game challenges may necessitate a bit of grinding for skills, particularly before boss fights, but the game generally allows for a straightforward experience with effective balancing. While there are moments where grinding could enhance experimentation with party members, it is not a requirement for success.
- “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
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its uniqueness and strong worldbuilding, providing a refreshing experience despite some criticisms of monotonous level design and standard gameplay mechanics. Reviewers highlight the compelling storytelling and character development, noting that the atmosphere significantly enhances the overall experience.
- “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.”
- “Combat and exploring do not offer anything significantly different, but the atmosphere and story are unique.”
- “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!”
- “The atmosphere is not a joke in this game.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be a heartfelt experience that balances humor with emotional depth, often evoking a range of feelings from joy to fear. The emotional impact is significant enough that it leaves a lasting impression, prompting wishes for a sequel. Overall, the game successfully engages players on an emotional level, making them feel both smart and connected to the narrative.
- “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
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Players find the game's replayability to be significant, making it challenging to quantify its overall playtime. This suggests that the game offers varied experiences that encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “It's kinda hard to measure this game's playtime because of its replayability value.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Users report significant stability issues, particularly noting numerous glitches in the driving map, which detracts from the overall gameplay experience.
- “There are too many glitches in the driving map.”
- “There are too many glitches in the driving map.”
- “There are too many glitches in the driving map.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized for issues with the music, which occasionally restarts due to slight pitch variations, a flaw attributed to the engine. While this is seen as a notable drawback, some users express understanding and forgiveness for the oversight.
- “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.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praise the character design for its originality and appeal, noting that the unique aesthetics contribute to a strong emotional connection with the characters. The engaging fight animations further enhance the overall experience, making players more invested in 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.”