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Diehard Dungeon

71%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
story, grinding
71% User Score Based on 339 reviews

Platforms

PCPCXboxXboxWindowsWindowsXbox 360Xbox 360
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About

"Diehard Dungeon" is a real-time roguelike game with a 16-bit aesthetic, where you traverse randomly-generated dungeons filled with enemies, traps, and treasure. Along the way, you can collect upgrades and abilities, and encounter the souls of other players in "Champion Mode." Each playthrough offers a unique experience with multiple outcomes.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Diehard Dungeon screenshot
Diehard Dungeon screenshot
Diehard Dungeon screenshot
Diehard Dungeon screenshot
Diehard Dungeon screenshot
Diehard Dungeon screenshot
Diehard Dungeon screenshot
Diehard Dungeon screenshot
Diehard Dungeon screenshot
Diehard Dungeon screenshot
Diehard Dungeon screenshot

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 339 reviews
gameplay16 positive mentions
grinding10 negative mentions
  • Diehard Dungeon offers a fun and challenging roguelike experience reminiscent of classic Zelda games, with randomly generated dungeons that keep gameplay fresh.
  • The game features a unique companion chest mechanic that collects loot and levels up, adding an interesting layer to the gameplay.
  • The developer is actively updating the game, addressing bugs and adding new content, which shows a commitment to improving the player experience.
  • The combat mechanics can feel clunky, with limited weapon options and a lack of depth in character progression, leading to repetitive gameplay.
  • The game suffers from visual clutter, making it difficult to see traps and important items, which can lead to frustrating deaths.
  • There is no option to skip the tutorial after the first playthrough, which can be tedious for returning players.
  • gameplay
    73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its chaotic and frustrating mechanics, often likening it to a visually cluttered bullet-hell experience. While some appreciate the roguelike elements and Zelda-inspired dungeon exploration, others find the combat clunky and repetitive, lacking significant variety or impactful upgrades. Overall, the game offers a challenging experience but suffers from poor design choices that detract from its potential enjoyment.

    • “You learn through gameplay and build up your style.”
    • “The gameplay is very Zelda-like in how you move through dungeons and unlock new rooms while fighting various enemies.”
    • “Definately would recommend, extremely fun and gives a large amount of gameplay to discover new enemies and new perks, and on top of that, each journey is different, and sometimes a gamble for your life.”
    • “Visually messy bullet-hell with poor design and frustrating, chaotic combat mechanics.”
    • “Gameplay is by far the worst offender; clunky is not enough to describe how bad it is. You have barely any range on your melee attack, which deals a pathetic 3 damage, while most enemies have 10+ HP.”
    • “The repetitive gameplay just appeals to me.”
  • graphics
    61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the retro 16-bit pixel art style that evokes nostalgia, while others criticize it as dull, uninspired, and poorly executed. Many find the visuals to be a significant drawback, describing them as messy or lacking diversity, which detracts from the overall experience. However, a subset of players enjoys the unique aesthetic and feels it complements the gameplay, despite its limitations.

    • “The art style is unique and cute.”
    • “If you enjoy SNES-style action RPG graphics, then you'll love this.”
    • “The graphics and style make it interesting also.”
    • “The developers say they're going for '16-bit nostalgia' but the artwork looks nothing like 16-bit era games; it just looks lazy and badly done.”
    • “Diehard Dungeon is a simple, clunky, and repetitive game with one of the ugliest pixel art graphics I've seen for a long time (and trust me, I've seen a lot).”
    • “The final negatives about Diehard Dungeon are the bland graphics, uninspired dungeon design, and the completely 'meh' soundtrack.”
  • music
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the atmospheric tracks that enhance the dungeon experience, particularly in late-game areas, while others find it repetitive and forgettable. Overall, the soundtrack is considered decent, providing a fitting backdrop to the gameplay, but it lacks standout moments that would make it memorable outside of the game context.

    • “The music is fantastic, the sound effects fair.”
    • “The music is atmospheric and pairs well with the dungeon atmosphere.”
    • “A special note for the thumping soundtrack!!!”
    • “Diehard Dungeon is a decent game that stays difficult with gameplay reminiscent of Zelda, though the art style isn't amazing and the music is forgettable; it's worth its price for what you can get out of it.”
    • “The final negatives about Diehard Dungeon are the bland graphics, uninspired dungeon design, and the completely 'meh' soundtrack.”
    • “Music isn't the best side of this game.”
  • replayability
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it enjoyable and enhanced by features like difficulty scaling, mini-games, and procedurally generated dungeons, others feel that its simplicity and lack of additional content limit its long-term appeal. However, many agree that at its low price point, the game offers enough variety and challenge to warrant multiple playthroughs.

    • “Tons of fun and a lot of replay value with tough and challenging gameplay.”
    • “The replay value is definitely great, and when you take into account the fact that the game is in active development, that it features a champion level (which is some kind of new game + once you’ve beaten the last boss), and even minigames, all that for a mere $5, you get a game that not only is an excellent introduction to randomly generated dungeon crawlers, but can stand on its own with no problem whatsoever and definitely deserves your attention.”
    • “There are interesting gameplay twists everywhere, lending the game a lot of depth and replayability.”
    • “The game is blatantly simple, which unfortunately kills any replayability it might have had.”
    • “The replay value is clearly a little weak here.”
    • “Using the same stuff over and over again really hinders the replay value.”
  • story
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and meaningful content, with many reviewers noting that it feels random and aimless, akin to a collection of disjointed assets. While some appreciate the action-oriented gameplay, they express disappointment over the absence of a compelling narrative or progression, leaving players wanting more engagement with the story. Overall, the consensus is that the game prioritizes action over storytelling, resulting in a hollow experience for those seeking a rich narrative.

    • “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
    • “It has a nice way of telling the story and there are always surprises.”
    • “Overall, more could've involved me in the story or theme going on.”
    • “Roguelike: we don't have the talent or capability to create meaningful content and storyline, so we're just gonna randomize a bunch of boring assets ad nauseum.”
    • “For one, there really isn't any story to speak of here.”
    • “No story, no charm, just plops you in and there you go, now kill stuff.”
  • grinding
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is overwhelmingly tedious and frustrating, with many players feeling that it detracts from the overall experience. Achievements often require excessive grinding, compounded by a lack of meaningful rewards and clunky mechanics that waste players' time. Overall, the grinding is seen as a significant drawback, making the game less enjoyable and more of a chore.

    • “You may be asking why I have 40 hours on this game if I didn't like it and had all this to say about it, but that's because I tried to go for all the achievements. I had basically all of them at 20 hours; all the rest was me grinding for a heavily RNG-based achievement. Don't be like me, don't waste your time on this game, it's not worth it.”
    • “It's tedious to move forward, the rewards are lackluster, and dying and restarting places you back to the beginning where your weapons still suck even against the first (shielded, of course...) enemy. Unlike most roguelikes that let you get past the beginning pretty fast with some experience, here it's a tedious fight against one of the more tedious enemies.”
    • “Unfortunately, some of the achievements require a lot of grinding and good luck to get certain combinations of things in a level to even allow you to progress on these grinding achievements.”
  • atmosphere
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in these games is highly praised for its immersive qualities, with music and visuals effectively enhancing the overall experience. While some players find the tension and frustration of repeated failures can lead to ragequitting, others appreciate the unique and foreboding environments created through thoughtful design choices. Notably, certain titles manage to evoke a strong atmosphere without resorting to graphic violence, focusing instead on mood and enemy variety.

    • “The music is atmospheric and pairs well with the dungeon atmosphere.”
    • “I like the atmosphere, though, and the variety of enemies that you don't quite understand what they are doing until they kill you.”
    • “It's one of the genres that makes you annoyed after a while because you lose every time, and the atmosphere just helps you rage quit more.”
    • “Hammerwatch tackles 'retro' in a far superior graphical manner, and Darkest Dungeon utilizes black, brown, and grey to create a foreboding atmosphere.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game to be genuinely funny, highlighting its effective use of humor throughout the gameplay experience.

    • “This game had me laughing out loud with its clever jokes and witty dialogue.”
    • “The humor is spot on, making even the most mundane tasks entertaining.”
    • “I love how the game incorporates absurd situations that keep the gameplay light-hearted and fun.”
  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players appreciate the game's self-adjusting difficulty, which enhances their experience by providing a tailored challenge that evolves with their performance, ensuring a consistently engaging gameplay curve.

    • “The fact that the difficulty adjusts itself depending on the player’s performance gives them the feeling of being 'fed' in a good way: the game grows with the player, and the challenge curve always feels right.”
    • “The optimization of the game mechanics ensures a smooth and engaging experience, allowing players to focus on strategy rather than frustration.”
    • “I appreciate how the game fine-tunes its pacing and challenges, making each session feel rewarding and tailored to my skill level.”

Buy Diehard Dungeon

31h Median play time
22h Average play time
3-40h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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