Dota Underlords

Dota Underlords is a strategy-based game that utilizes the popular Dota 2 universe and heroes. Players must build and upgrade their team of heroes to outlast opponents in a series of rounds, with the last player standing declared the winner. The game features both a single-player mode and multiplayer options, allowing for competitive and cooperative gameplay experiences. It is a turn-based game that requires strategic decision making and careful resource management.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,997 reviews

graphics158 positive mentions

optimization147 negative mentions

Great gameplay and graphics, providing a fun and engaging experience.
Frequent updates and active developer support, showing commitment to improving the game.
Cross-platform play allows seamless transition between mobile and PC.

Performance issues, including lag and low frame rates, especially in late-game scenarios.
UI is cluttered and not user-friendly, making it difficult for new players to understand mechanics.
Frequent crashes and connectivity issues, particularly when trying to log in or during matches.

graphics
593 mentions
27 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players praising the visual quality and artistic design, while others criticize the heavy demands on mobile devices, leading to significant lag and performance issues. Users frequently mention the need for better optimization, particularly for lower-end devices, as well as a desire for more adjustable graphics settings to enhance gameplay experience. Overall, while the graphics are considered beautiful by some, they are deemed too demanding and problematic for many players, especially on mobile platforms.
- “The graphics are beautiful regardless of whether you are on the phone or on the computer.”
- “It's a beautiful blend of simplicity and pretty graphics.”
- “Excellent graphics and interface!”
- “The graphics, however, are horrible and the presentation overall is lackluster. I'm not really a fan of the washed-out colors and the dark art style.”
- “Almost unplayable due to lag from non-optimized graphics.”
- “The graphics programming is not yet optimum.”
optimization
557 mentions
21 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
26 % negative mentions
The game's optimization for mobile devices has received widespread criticism, with many users reporting significant lag and performance issues even on high-end smartphones. Despite some improvements noted in recent updates, the overall consensus is that the game still requires substantial optimization, particularly in graphics and user interface, to enhance playability across a wider range of devices. Many players express hope for future updates to address these concerns, as the gameplay itself is generally well-received.
- “The game is really good, but it has big performance issues.”
- “The app is still in early access, but there is clearly a hardworking team behind it making regular updates to improve game performance and gameplay.”
- “Great game, but needs to be optimized for mobile devices.”
- “However, I should say that from the software perspective, this game needs a lot of optimizations, since it is laggy even on some mid and high-tier devices.”
- “The performance of the game itself is horrendous.”
- “This game is not optimized for mobile use.”
gameplay
397 mentions
51 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is generally praised for its fun mechanics and strategic depth, particularly for fans of auto chess and Dota 2. However, many users report significant performance issues, especially on mobile devices, including lag, poor optimization, and a clunky user interface. While the core gameplay is engaging and offers a variety of strategies, the frequent updates and changes can disrupt the experience, leading to frustration among players.
- “The gameplay is fun and varied, and there are a ton of bot options for new players.”
- “The core gameplay is a ton of fun and the experience is really smooth once you get past the initial bumps.”
- “Gameplay is fantastic and graphics are simple but improving.”
- “The gameplay just feels really sluggish and the UI feels uncomfortable and unintuitive.”
- “Crashes after the last update have been regular and ruin gameplay as you are timed between rounds.”
- “Gameplay became laggy and glitchy where before the update everything was fine.”
stability
118 mentions
13 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
87 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with frequent reports of freezing, lagging, and crashing across various devices. Many players experience visual glitches and performance issues, particularly during intense gameplay or when accessing the shop. While some users note improvements with updates, the overall consensus is that the game remains quite buggy and unstable, especially in its current beta state.
- “Runs great, continuous updates and improvements.”
- “The game runs great on my OnePlus 7 Pro; you'll get fewer frames if you play on max settings (obviously), but in my opinion, the game looks fine with low settings and more FPS.”
- “Great game, free-to-play, not very buggy, with constant attention and updates by the developers keeping things fresh.”
- “The game freezes a lot, and I'm glad the slide to change view was removed because I really don't know who thought that would be a good idea.”
- “A few performance updates later and it's still quite laggy when moving units or using the shop. When there's a lot of things happening on screen, it can slow down to the point that it freezes for a second or two.”
- “I will continue to try and play, but if it freezes every time, I may have to uninstall.”
monetization
43 mentions
44 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
26 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its lack of monetization, featuring no ads or gameplay-related microtransactions, which enhances player satisfaction and enjoyment. While some users anticipate future cosmetic packs similar to Dota 2, the current model is celebrated for being completely free-to-play without any pay-to-win elements. Overall, players appreciate the game's commitment to a fair monetization strategy, contrasting it with the predatory practices often seen in mobile games.
- “This is a free game by Valve and Steam, no ads, no in-game purchases, just for the players' satisfaction. It's rare nowadays to give with expecting nothing in return.”
- “No pay to win, no ads.”
- “No predatory monetization and easy, simple to understand gameplay.”
- “If you don't mind wasting your time on an uninspired mobile rip-off that is little more than Steam's attempt to cash in on ignorant mobile gamers who are too uninformed to realize that this is a shoddy cash grab, then look no further because this game was built for you.”
- “The ads are really misleading.”
- “Wastage... lots of advertisement... fooling the public.”
story
16 mentions
31 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with players appreciating its lore and the integration of a story mode that enhances gameplay. However, some users find the narrative lacking in depth and continuity, which can detract from the overall experience. Additionally, technical issues and bugs have hindered mission progression, impacting players' enjoyment of the story elements.
- “Also has better lore and storyline than the others.”
- “There were seasons planned, a good story mode for what the game was wanting to teach and still be fun.”
- “They're innovating and making the game better all the time; season 1 has story plus great strategic gameplay!”
- “When I want to restart my side quest in the city, there are always no items, which has destroyed my tempo and mood to play the game.”
- “Buggy as hell, can't progress in any mission because of the bugs. Please make a decent playable game before trying to hoard money from it, dev.”
- “It's fun, but having never played Dota, I can't really get into the story behind the characters.”
replayability
11 mentions
36 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's strong replayability, noting its strategic depth and the enjoyment found in both competitive and casual modes. Many have invested significant hours into the game, appreciating its improvements in playability, especially on mid-range devices. Overall, the game offers a fun experience that encourages repeated play.
- “Fun with lots of replayability... competitive and casual modes... I got like 800 hours in this game.”
- “Amazing game with lots of depth and replayability.”
- “Combat is mostly automatic but has a lot of strategic depth and replayability.”
- “I look forward for the devs to make this game more playable on mid-range mobile phones.”
- “Make it more playable on low-range mobile please?”
music
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with some users appreciating the graphics and overall sound, while others criticize the audio sliders for not functioning properly and the music being flat. Additionally, there are reports of the game interfering with other music apps and issues with gameplay functionality, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these concerns, some players express a desire for a more robust soundtrack, particularly referencing the Dota 2 soundtrack.
- “Good music and graphics.”
- “Matches are a little bit too long but, the game in fact is very good: graphics, music, Dota characters.”
- “Dota Underlord: 'Everyday I'm updating' (everyday I'm shuffling song in the background).”
- “When I press play or any of the other options, it does nothing; it just stays on the main screen with the background music.”
- “Music and sound effects are flat.”
- “However, it randomly force closes my phone's music playing apps while in game, and takes too long to jump back in if I leave the app to start the music.”
humor
8 mentions
88 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely funny and enjoyable, while others express frustration over gameplay issues that detract from the fun. Complaints about AI cheating and technical problems overshadow the comedic elements for some users, leading to a less favorable perception of the game's humor. Overall, while there are moments of humor appreciated by players, technical difficulties and balance issues can diminish the overall comedic experience.
- “Also, please make Dota Underlords compatible with 32-bit PCs because I find it hilarious that Dota 2 can run on 32-bit while this mini-game mod of Dota does not.”
- “I know this game is incredible and funny, but can you reduce the graphics on the phone a bit?”
- “Oh babe, it's really funny and hard.”
- “With the new patch where you introduced 2 underlords, you broke the game. I am not able to play it on my Samsung A70; it's too laggy. This is the second time I am trying to play it after the patch, but I am forced to uninstall the game. It's not funny anymore.”
grinding
7 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating, as performance issues lead to a slowdown that makes progression tedious, especially in multiplayer. Many express dissatisfaction with the luck-based nature of grinding for ranked points, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and core appeal of the game. Suggestions for improvement include adding features like battle records and a more structured grinding system to enhance the experience.
- “I spent 2.5 hours grinding and was not able to get a single win or ever get to level 2.”
- “But in its current state, I'll bite the bullet and go play non-ranked TFT and might end up grinding that this season instead.”
- “It's all luck based at a certain point and it becomes a tedious mess.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users express significant disappointment with the game's performance, particularly due to frequent crashes during the download process, which negatively impacted their emotional experience. The frustration led to a strong recommendation against playing the game for those who prioritize their time and emotional well-being.
character development
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Character development in this game is perceived as lacking depth, with some users noting that while there are interesting character designs, the overall execution feels cheap and unpolished, detracting from the overall experience.