Dragon Ruins
- April 30, 2024
- Graverobber Foundation
Get on Steam"Dragon Ruins" is a micro dungeon crawler where you assemble a party of four heroes and explore ancient ruins to slay an ancient dragon. Make strategic decisions in automatic battles and enhance equipment, level up, and purchase medicine to grow stronger. Face new challenges in NG+ mode with higher monster groups and a stronger final boss. This game is an enhanced version of a Dungeon Crawler Jam 2024 entry.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Great pixel art and atmosphere, creating a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic dungeon crawlers.
- Fast-paced gameplay with automated combat, making it easy to pick up and play without much stress.
- Offers a fun and relaxing experience, perfect for short gaming sessions or casual play.
- Very short game length with limited replayability, often completed in under two hours.
- Lacks depth in mechanics and character differentiation, making gameplay feel repetitive.
- Only one save slot available, which can lead to lost progress and frustration for players.
- gameplay21 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Dragon Ruins is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, making it an easy entry point for players, though it lacks depth and complexity compared to more intricate dungeon crawlers. While the core mechanics revolve around exploring dungeons and managing risk, many reviewers express a desire for more varied gameplay elements and strategic depth, akin to titles like Darkest Dungeon. Overall, the game offers a comfortable and enjoyable experience, particularly for casual players, but leaves room for improvement in future iterations.
“A fantastic micro dungeon crawler that has some solid replayability, dragon ruins that, while can be completed within an hour, has enough foundation in its gameplay to have you coming back for more.”
“The gameplay loop is simple, but fun - the changes made from the original game jam version are really nice such as being able to buy a teleport back to the town.”
“It's a very simple game but the few mechanics gel together quite elegantly.”
“The gameplay is walking and reading.”
“It stops just short of being an idle game, as the only real mechanic is moving around the dungeon and watching numbers go up or down as battles play out automatically in the background.”
“Cool art, gameplay wise boring as hell.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their retro and pixel art style, evoking nostalgia while effectively creating a dark and atmospheric experience. Many reviewers appreciate the striking character and monster designs, as well as the tasteful CRT filter, although some find the old-school aesthetic and minimalistic coloring less appealing. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's charm, despite some criticisms regarding coherence and graphical fidelity.
“The atmosphere, music, and graphics are pretty cool, and somehow this game manages to be both tense and relaxing.”
“Art style is perfection.”
“The retro aesthetic is so tastefully done, with probably one of the best CRT filters I've yet seen.”
“The graphics are very old school but satisfactory.”
“Amazing, yet short game if you don't mind JRPG grinding (albeit, with some creativity allowed in your exploration routes) or the relative lack of graphical fidelity, or a narrative.”
“I personally don't like the filter and black void old computer aesthetic; I get that it's inspired by games like the first Wizardry, etc., but then the character art doesn't feel coherent.”
- music12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its smoothness and ability to enhance the atmosphere, creating a balance between tension and relaxation. Reviewers highlight the excellent soundtrack and fitting ambient music, which complement the game's pixel art and overall design, contributing to a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles. Overall, the combination of great music and art significantly elevates the gaming experience.
“The music and atmosphere are excellent, and I believe this was only made by one person.”
“The atmosphere, music, and graphics are pretty cool, and somehow this game manages to be both tense and relaxing.”
“On top of that, the atmosphere (driven by the soundtrack and the excellent portrait art of your party and its enemies) is top notch.”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its excellent art, music, and nostalgic visuals, creating a unique blend of tension and relaxation. Reviewers highlight the minimalistic yet effective presentation that enhances the overall experience, with a dark and comfy ambiance reminiscent of classic RPG dungeon crawlers. Despite some wishing for more depth, the atmosphere is consistently described as top-notch and engaging.
“The atmosphere, music, and graphics are pretty cool, and somehow this game manages to be both tense and relaxing.”
“A simple, but sweet atmospheric game that presents a nostalgic visual akin to old RPG dungeon crawlers such as Wizardry.”
“On top of that, the atmosphere (driven by the soundtrack and the excellent portrait art of your party and its enemies) is top notch.”
“It's nothing really all that deep; in fact, I kind of wished that there was a little bit more substance to it, but the minimalistic presentation and atmosphere really works for the game it wants to be.”
“Excellently comfy micro-sized dungeon crawler dripping with glorious graverobber foundation atmosphere.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some enjoy the slow progression and creative exploration, others find the repetitive nature of grinding, especially for tougher bosses in New Game Plus, to be tedious and lacking in excitement. The auto-combat feature allows for a more relaxed experience, but it may not satisfy those seeking a more engaging challenge. Overall, grinding is a significant part of the gameplay, with varying levels of enjoyment depending on player preferences.
“Amazing, yet short game if you don't mind JRPG grinding (albeit, with some creativity allowed in your exploration routes) or the relative lack of graphical fidelity, or a narrative.”
“The game 'restarts' after you finish the final boss with you keeping everything. The final boss seems to be the only thing to actually get more difficult after you finish it a couple of times. The boss has too much defense to do anything without grinding, and grinding becomes very tedious quickly.”
“Back to grinding for the NG+ dragon.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers minimal replayability, as players can experience all it has to offer within the first fifteen minutes and complete it in about two hours. While some appreciate its simplicity, this lack of depth results in little incentive to replay, though many feel the low price tag justifies the experience.
“You will have seen everything that the game has to offer in the first fifteen minutes you spend with it, and you can finish it in about 2 hours with nothing incentivizing replayability.”
“It's got zero replayability, but I think that's fine for the price tag.”
“I'm not sure what I wish would be added, because I actually like the simplicity of it... but then due to the simplicity, there's almost no value in replayability.”
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's story is straightforward but effectively integrates a compelling narrative reason for the new game plus (NG+) feature, enhancing the experience after defeating the final boss. Players appreciate this thoughtful approach, which adds depth to the gameplay loop.
“After beating the final boss, the game loops back into New Game Plus immediately, and with a neat story reason instead of just for the sake of it.”
“The plot is overly simplistic and lacks depth.”
“After defeating the final boss, the game immediately loops back into New Game Plus, but it does so with a neat story reason rather than just for the sake of it.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the character designs are praised for their artistic quality, there is no specific mention of character development in terms of growth, backstory, or emotional depth in the reviews provided.
“The art is great; I love the character designs.”
“The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form a genuine connection with each character.”
“I appreciate how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming nature, particularly in the context of a jam game successfully coming to life. This evokes a sense of joy and connection among players.
“Heartwarming to see a jam game go live like this.”
