Dungeon Alchemist
- March 30, 2022
- Briganti
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam"Dungeon Alchemist" is an AI-powered game mapmaking software for creating high-quality fantasy game maps. With various themes to choose from, you can start drawing and let the AI algorithm place walls, floors, objects, and lighting for you. You can randomize and tweak the map until it meets your dream scenario. Perfect for game masters and map enthusiasts! No information available.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
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Reviews
- Dungeon Alchemist is an incredibly intuitive and easy-to-use map-making tool that allows for quick and detailed map creation, making it a must-have for any DM.
- The AI-powered room generation feature saves significant time by automatically populating rooms with relevant furniture and decorations, allowing for a more immersive experience.
- The seamless export functionality to popular VTTs like Foundry and Roll20, complete with walls and lighting, enhances the overall usability and efficiency for game preparation.
- The current lack of support for multi-level structures and curved walls limits the complexity of maps that can be created, which may frustrate users looking for more intricate designs.
- Some users have reported performance issues and crashes, especially when working with larger maps, indicating that optimization is still needed.
- The AI generation can sometimes produce nonsensical room layouts or overly cluttered spaces, requiring additional manual adjustments that can negate the time-saving benefits.
- graphics130 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics in Dungeon Alchemist are widely praised for their high quality and impressive detail, making map creation visually engaging and intuitive. However, users note that the software can be demanding on hardware, leading to performance issues, especially with larger maps. While the aesthetics are generally well-received, some users feel that the orthographic view lacks depth and detail, and there are calls for more customizable graphics settings to enhance usability.
“Let me start with the positives: the graphic quality of the generated maps is undeniably impressive.”
“Graphically it is superb with the dynamic lighting and environmental lighting effects looking second to none, the quality of the rendering on structures and items is incredible.”
“Graphics are beautiful and have a lot of potential.”
“This thing lags like crazy and will overheat your machine, no matter the graphical settings (of which there are very few).”
“While you can tweak the graphics settings from high to medium to low, there is no nuance involved; you can't adjust the particulars.”
“The 2D orthographic view solves the angle/perspective issue of the perspective view, but many of the 3D details that are the selling point of this game are lost in the process, and you're left with blocks of texture that seem very flat.”
- story76 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 88 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that while the application excels in facilitating quick and easy map creation for tabletop storytelling, it currently lacks support for multi-story structures, which limits its potential for more complex narratives. Users appreciate the time saved in map-making, allowing them to focus on story development, but express a desire for additional features that would enhance storytelling capabilities, such as varied themes and multi-level building options. Overall, the tool is seen as a valuable resource for enhancing the storytelling experience in tabletop games, despite its current limitations.
“I've put 13 hours into this software and let me tell you, it's a must-have in my life now. I used to stress making maps because it ate up a lot of world-building time in the free time I had to plan my sessions, but now, this lets me save so much time to focus on the story and roleplaying aspect of the game.”
“I can easily spend hours designing maps; Dungeon Alchemist simplifies everything so I can quickly create high-quality maps in mere minutes, allowing me more time to focus on story and other details when preparing for a session.”
“Whether you're looking to bring your storytelling to life or just streamline your prep work, Dungeon Alchemist is a stellar choice.”
“As many reviews have said, it's only single-story builds, no roofs, etc.”
“This application is very convenient for making quick maps, but unfortunately you cannot yet export 3D options for something like Tabletop Simulator, and you can't yet build things with multiple levels, going up or down like a two-story house.”
“Good game, but there is no storyline.”
- optimization26 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
Overall, users express concerns about the optimization of the game, particularly on larger maps and lower-end hardware, with many noting performance issues even at low graphics settings. While some acknowledge that the game is in early access and may improve over time, the current state is seen as demanding, especially for mid-range and lower graphics cards. Despite these challenges, some players still find value in the game, citing its potential and price-to-performance ratio.
“Optimization and/or low graphics mode for large maps or potato PC.”
“Performance (I run Linux) is generally good, but I found it very demanding on low and mid-range graphics cards on larger maps with a lot of dynamic effects and lighting.”
“I believe it's mainly useful for smaller battlemaps, as game performance suffers the larger the chunk of land you create.”
“Could be optimized a little better; even using it on low quality is a struggle for my poor laptop.”
“However, the program itself needs much better optimization.”
“Only complaint I currently have is the software is not yet optimized and did cause my computer to crash (a fairly powerful one too), but it is in beta so I will totally give you a pass for a one-off event like that.”
- grinding20 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a mixed experience with grinding in map creation tools. While some users find the process tedious and unintuitive, especially when deviating from premade templates, others appreciate features like auto-fill that alleviate some of the monotony. Overall, tools like Dungeon Alchemist are praised for streamlining the creative process, making it enjoyable and less labor-intensive for dungeon masters and game creators.
“If you want to make anything that isn't already a premade template or genre, then it's the most tedious and unintuitive tool ever made.”
“There are extremely tedious workarounds, but only the most hardcore map makers will individually place and line up walls one by one.”
“Then I spent some time tediously placing objects I wanted in the map.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Dungeon Alchemist is praised for its low-prep, emergent style and innovative first-person perspective through tokens, enhancing the mapping experience. However, some users find the lack of essential features like fog of war and multi-layer stacking limits its practical use in actual gameplay. Overall, it is regarded as a high-quality and versatile map-making tool, ideal for quick outdoor battlemaps.
“For low prep emergent gameplay or simply making outdoor battlemaps in seconds, Dungeon Alchemist is a must-have!”
“The gameplay is great, and I especially love the first-person approach with the ability to see through the tokens' perspectives.”
“High quality, highly versatile tools, and simple mechanics make this - in my opinion - the best map-making software available.”
“It's befuddling why the developers opted for such an impractical choice, rendering the generated maps virtually useless for actual gameplay.”
“There is no fog of war mechanic in place or the ability to stack multiple layers.”
“Fantasy Grounds I use for planning, notes, game mechanics, and the like.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the software is a mixed bag; while it is praised for its strong capabilities for dungeon masters, users report frequent lags, glitches, and system freezes, particularly when working with larger maps. As it is still in early access, some bugs are expected, but the supportive community and developers help mitigate these issues. Overall, while there are significant stability concerns, they do not overshadow the software's potential.
“Dislike that it doesn't have an update for larger maps and freezes my system when I try to make bigger maps.”
“Original review - very strong software for dungeon masters, still in early access so a few little lags or glitches, but they detract very little from the power of this package.”
“The AI so far is quite stupid and there are features missing (like mirroring of items - I couldn't figure it out), it's buggy and somewhat slow.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the program has been criticized for being misleading, as it promises extensive automation and efficiency that it ultimately fails to deliver. Users feel that the product does not justify its price, describing it as an over-hyped cash grab that only meets about half of their expectations for battle-map creation.
“Just another over-hyped, never going to get finished cash grab.”
“Within the hour I spent with the program, the faults became apparent and the positives failed to live up to the advertisement and could not justify the price.”
“From the ads and demos, it strongly gives the impression that it will automate and streamline everything you need, and I went into it expecting it to cover 80% of my battle-map needs, but in practice, it allows me to produce maps for about half of the scenarios I need quickly and efficiently.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is heavily influenced by its Japanese art style, which some players feel limits the ability to customize lighting and environmental details. However, features like auto-generated taverns and dungeon rooms significantly enhance the immersive experience, allowing players to effectively set the scene for their adventures. Overall, while the visual style may be restrictive, the tools available for creating diverse environments contribute positively to the game's atmosphere.
“Referees of adventuring games bring your homebrew to life; the video creation and screenshots from different angles add to the atmosphere for any game.”
“Because you can't sculpt, twist, or turn, or change the lighting to make it much more atmospheric than a Japanese art-stylized cartoon of a game.”
“The auto generation of things like taverns and room types for dungeons is just crazy useful for someone like me who likes to really set the atmosphere.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the reviews highlights a nostalgic appreciation for traditional tabletop gaming experiences, contrasting them with the perceived shortcomings of the game builder, which is described as a less stable and more demanding version of older tilesets. The emphasis on laughter and camaraderie in face-to-face gaming sessions underscores the sentiment that genuine fun often comes from personal interactions rather than digital tools.
“Funny dungeon maker”
“Gathering around a table, crudely drawn maps, hand-painted tokens, food, and friends to describe fantastic and dopey adventures while laughing and having tremendous fun is always going to be the better choice.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Users appreciate the music feature in the game, noting that it enhances their experience, particularly during the intuitive and visually appealing map-making process. Many find it enjoyable to relax and unwind by playing the game while listening to their favorite tunes.
“The map-making process is so intuitive and graphically pleasing; sometimes I just boot it up when I get home from work and throw on some music to wind down from the day.”
“The option of adding sounds and music enhances the overall experience.”
“The map-making process is so intuitive and graphically pleasing; sometimes I just boot it up when I get home from work and throw on some music to wind down from the day.”
“The option of adding sounds and music is limited and doesn't enhance the overall experience.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The soundtrack doesn't match the game's atmosphere, which detracts from immersion.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is impacted by the cluttered and illogical placement of objects, such as beds in barracks, which can create a sense of frustration and disconnection from the intended atmosphere. This design choice detracts from immersion and can lead to a less engaging emotional experience for players.
