Dinky Guardians

About

Dinky Guardians is a single player and multiplayer strategy game. It was developed by Code Monkey and was released on October 2, 2023. It received very positive reviews from players.

In "Dinky Guardians," players aim to repopulate the galaxy with Dinkys, ensuring their safety and automating everything. This task begins by cloning the first Dinky, gathering food, and assigning tasks. As the colony grows, players can research new tech, build automated machines, and launch rockets to colonize other worlds with varying resources. To protect Dinkys from nighttime Zumbys, players must set up smart mines and towers armed with various ammunition. The ultimate goal is to repopulate and automate the galaxy.

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 144 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Dinky Guardians offers engaging and fun gameplay with a satisfying automation and resource management loop.
The game features charming visuals and whimsical music, creating a relaxing atmosphere for players.
Multiplayer mode is enjoyable, and the game is easy to pick up, making it accessible for a wide audience.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and lacks polish, making it feel unfinished and at times frustrating to play.
Players have reported issues with the tutorial being too fast-paced, leading to confusion about game mechanics.
There is a significant lack of quality-of-life features, such as key remapping and a comprehensive options menu, which detracts from the overall experience.

gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
31%
14%
The gameplay of Dinky Guardians is described as interesting and unique, featuring a rewarding resource-gathering loop that is fun and addictive, yet feels unfinished and lacking depth. While the simplicity of the automation mechanics makes it accessible, players note that the game suffers from information overload and some bugs, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game is enjoyable, with good customization options and appealing visuals, leaving room for potential future improvements.
- “Interesting and unique gameplay.”
- “The game has the main gameplay loop of gathering resources from different planets and building more machines to automate the resource gathering process. The game does that well as it's addicting and fun. The automation is a bit simpler than other automation games, but I actually like the simplicity; I think it makes it more casual and easier to get into. The player customization is pretty good, with lots of options, including a knight helmet, which is always a plus. I also like the music tracks in the game; they fit well, but there could be a few more different tracks.”
- “Really like the gameplay, style, animations, the UI is great, and the game is enjoyable and fun!”
- “There is a really strong game in here somewhere, but most of the mechanics that are there feel shallow and lack depth.”
- “I definitely liked the gameplay feel of this game, but it was lacking, to be brutally honest.”
- “Also, there are some tiny bugs like Dinky getting stuck while trying to refill energy and some debug texts left in the main gameplay, which shouldn't be the case in a full release, in my opinion.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its whimsical nature and fit with the game's presentation. However, there are notable issues, including a lack of variety in tracks, instances of silence during gameplay, and soundtracks occasionally overlapping or clipping, which detracts from the overall immersion. Players suggest that enhancing the music and sound effects could significantly improve the gaming experience.
- “I love the presentation and the whimsical music that accompanies it well.”
- “I also like the music tracks that are in the game; I think they fit well, but there could be a few more different tracks.”
- “Things I would add to improve this game are cooler music, and the game would be awesome.”
- “The soundtracks can play on top of each other and also sometimes clip in and out, so it takes away from the immersion.”
- “The first thing that I noticed about certain parts of the game is the lack of sounds. For example, there seems to be no sounds when taking off in your rocket ship, some interactions, and hitting zombies. There are times when the game is almost completely silent, even the music has stopped playing. I'm not sure if it's a bug or if the music just stops playing at night on purpose, but there is always no music at night after the zombies are eliminated.”
- “But sometimes I think they need to focus on other skills like music and art to really make their games pop.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
18%
19%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their fun, cartoony style and unique art direction, with many users enjoying the visuals and animations. However, some players noted issues with sound effects and music, particularly during key moments, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite minor graphical hiccups on certain platforms, the game runs well and maintains a visually appealing aesthetic.
- “Very fun concept and nice visuals and animations!”
- “The first thing that I noticed about certain parts of the game is the lack of sounds. For example, there seems to be no sounds when taking off in your rocket ship, during some interactions, or when hitting zombies. There are times when the game is almost completely silent, even the music has stopped playing. I'm not sure if it's a bug or if the music just stops playing at night on purpose, but there is always no music at night after the zombies are eliminated. The combat is another issue; while I know you're mainly fighting with your defenses like mines and turrets, the combat would be a bit nicer if you could just go up and punch them instead of it being an action. Additionally, there should be sound effects for hitting them. Lastly, I want to talk about the options menu and the lack of settings. I don't think graphical settings are necessary in a game like this, but there is a serious lack of keybinds, which can make the game unplayable for some people, along with the inability to change the game's resolution.”
- “The graphics are cartoony, which suits me well.”
- “Love the unique art style as well.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, users report significant stability issues with the game, expressing frustration over its buggy performance. However, some players on Linux have noted that it runs well, experiencing only minor graphical glitches during the intro.
- “I'm playing the game on Linux and it runs great with only a few minor graphical hiccups in the intro sequence.”
- “Way too buggy, and I wish I had waited for this game to be more stable before picking it up.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find humor in the game's quirks, such as amusing bugs like crafted items getting stuck on top of buildings due to proximity, adding a lighthearted touch to the gameplay experience.
- “One of the funniest moments was when I crafted an item, and it got stuck on top of my research lab because I placed it too close to the headquarters.”
- “The humor in the game really shines through in the quirky bugs, like when my character accidentally trips over their own feet during a serious mission.”
- “I love how the game incorporates humor into its dialogue; the characters often make hilarious comments that lighten the mood during intense gameplay.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players feel that the presence of a foundational structure in the game significantly enhances the experience, transforming potential grinding into an engaging and strategic endeavor, rather than a tedious task.
- “There is something about having this first level of scaffolding that seems to be the difference (for me and my co-op partner) between an engaging and strategic experience with a sense of momentum and a tedious mess.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story is characterized by a streamlined introduction that effectively sets the stage for engaging quests and a wealth of activities, providing players with a rich narrative experience.