Dungeon Drafters

About

Dungeon Drafters is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by DANGEN Entertainment and was released on April 27, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Dungeon Drafters" is a tile-based dungeon crawler with rogue-lite elements, where you play as a young adventurer using magic cards to battle enemies and traverse dungeons. Your unique spell deck is your weapon, allowing you to execute powerful combos and defeat enemies in turn-based combat. With six characters to choose from and various cards to collect, each run offers a new experience as you work towards building the ultimate spell deck and ridding the world of evil.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+13

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80%

Audience ScoreBased on 564 reviews

gameplay70 positive mentions

stability24 negative mentions

Dungeon Drafters offers a unique blend of deckbuilding and tactical RPG mechanics, providing a refreshing experience for fans of both genres.
The game features beautiful pixel art and a charming aesthetic, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
There is a strong sense of progression as players collect cards and build their decks, allowing for a variety of strategies and playstyles.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and soft locks that can disrupt gameplay and lead to loss of progress.
The user interface can be confusing and unintuitive, making it difficult for players to navigate menus and understand card mechanics.
The punishing nature of losing everything upon death can be frustrating, especially for players who invest significant time into a run.

gameplay
151 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
49%
5%
The gameplay of this game is characterized by a deep and engaging deckbuilding system combined with tactical dungeon crawling mechanics, offering a satisfying loop of exploration, combat, and card collection. Players appreciate the strategic depth and variety of builds available, though some express frustration with the steep learning curve and poorly explained mechanics. While the charming visuals and music enhance the experience, bugs and pacing issues have been noted as detractors from the overall enjoyment.
- “This game has really solid card dungeon crawler gameplay.”
- “The little tactical puzzles each fight presents were very entertaining to solve, and I love the way the game uses the map and movement/positioning mechanics as an integral part of how certain cards and enemies work, meaning that terrain and layouts actually matter quite a lot.”
- “The battle systems are ingenious, the risk/reward is satisfying, the dungeons are fun to explore and full of puzzles, the town is cozy and evokes fond memories of MMO starter towns, the extra modes add a ton of gameplay variety, the deckbuilding is deep and scales in power over time, the cards are versatile and make you feel like a clever wizard.”
- “The lack of an undo button for general gameplay is a common criticism, but honestly, I was just wishing for a retry option in the arena puzzles since any mistake means you have to sit through the enemy turn, then die, then walk over and re-select the puzzle for another attempt.”
- “The mechanics are very complex and the learning curve is steep.”
- “People looking for a simple pick-up-and-play RPG may be frustrated by the sheer number of interlocking game mechanics and unflinching trial-and-error difficulty, but those willing to put in the time to embrace and understand the game will find an addicting, rewarding experience.”
graphics
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
29%
5%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their charming pixel art style, vibrant visuals, and engaging sprite work, which enhance the overall gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlight the art style as a significant draw, noting its modern execution and nostalgic appeal, while also appreciating the game's well-crafted aesthetics and satisfying combat. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, making it a visually appealing choice for players.
- “The graphics are excellent, the gameplay loop is fun, and it's a well-crafted experience all around.”
- “Amazing gameplay loop, great graphics, and good music.”
- “The art style is gorgeous, the music tracks are bangers, the four card archetypes are extremely unique and fun, each enriching a certain playstyle and countering a specific region of the world!”
- “The visuals for an enemy having multiple health bars isn't obvious.”
- “The visuals of the game involve some neat pixel art, so it's a shame that the gameplay didn't hold up for me.”
- “The art style is pixel art done well, utilizing modern technology to not be stuck in the 16-bit era.”
story
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
71%
6%
The game's story is described as light-hearted and simplistic, with a cozy atmosphere and a variety of quests that provide unique challenges and teach players about different archetypes. While some players appreciate the depth of lore and the need to pay attention to details, others find the quest structure and navigation unintuitive, leading to frustration. Overall, the narrative is seen as serviceable, with enjoyable side missions and character interactions, but it lacks clarity in progression and tutorial guidance.
- “The quests in this game are amazing in that they provide unique challenges for you to overcome while also teaching you the nuances of each archetype as you strive to complete them.”
- “As you progress the story, more stuff unlocks in town and you end up with puzzles, a draft challenge (which on its own might keep the game fresh well after I beat it), and whole new angles on how you can customize your character.”
- “There is a storyline but you really need to pay attention to lore and NPCs; there is a ton hidden in this game, and when I tell you to pay attention to detail, I mean like every single thing.”
- “The quests and NPCs you have to talk to are not really intuitive, at least for me.”
- “The lore/story/hub is cozy, but very light-hearted and simplistic; still, there are some quests/characters, even branching paths!”
- “Never before have I seen such fantastic customization and nuance mired by narrow quest and battle design.”
music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
26%
6%
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many users praising its catchy and engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the music as a standout feature, often describing it as "banger" and "earworm," complementing the game's charming art style and rewarding gameplay. While a few comments suggest that the music can become repetitive, the general consensus is that it significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
- “With a charming art style and great sprite-work all around and an equally enjoyable soundtrack that I would also highly recommend.”
- “The art style is gorgeous, the music tracks are banger, the 4 card archetypes are extremely unique and fun, each enriching a certain playstyle and countering a specific region of the world!”
- “Great music and satisfying sound effects, and it's fun to collect card packs and create decks.”
- “The music is passable.”
- “I can't say it's worth $25 especially when I'm listening to the same song over and over again on repeat.”
- “A mob called the demiurge spawns, as the music blares and I realize I've come to the end of my journey, I take my first action to initiate the final showdown and the boss... despawns?”
stability
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
7%
80%
The game's stability has been a significant concern for players, with many reporting frequent glitches, soft locks, and crashes that can result in lost progress. While recent patches have improved the situation for some, the overall experience remains marred by bugs and unpolished mechanics, leading to mixed feelings about recommending the game at this time. Players express hope that ongoing developer efforts will eventually resolve these issues, making the game more stable in the future.
- “I would say 23 hours of that is no freezes or soft locks.”
- “Utterly fantastic - runs great on deck”
- “Game is fun and interesting but if you want no freezes or bugs don't make enemies fall through holes, collect loot on the ground, hex an enemy, have the enemy use a dash move, don't move after a battle, choose the glacial library area, magma boss, don't go to the corner of a room, no consecutive movements in a line (I suggest zig-zagging), have the game put you at 0 action points and can't skip turn so you sit there.”
- “The game is fun and is wonderfully designed, but the amount of soft lock glitches that cause loss of progress is just too much to recommend this right now.”
- “Definitely the main issue with this game currently is that the pre-release bug testing was not robust enough, which led to a very buggy launch.”
- “The game seems buggy and unpolished; I'm unable to play any cards or to use the mouse to control anything.”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially in the early hours spent farming for resources to upgrade decks. However, many appreciate the enjoyable gameplay loop that mitigates the monotony, particularly as the game opens up with more varied challenges and enemies after the initial grind. While some feel that the need for extensive grinding can detract from the experience, the overall enjoyment of the game tends to outweigh these frustrations.
- “The starting period can feel a bit tedious to get through, especially if you go in with the mindset of optimizing to never spend any resources/cards other than the absolute minimum.”
- “I opened deck after deck and only ever found a small handful of good cards, and deck sizes are so big you would need to find 5+ hours of grinding without dying to boost your deck power up.”
- “This makes the game really slow and tedious.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its playful and varied elements, including amusing visuals and quirky characters like a humorous rabbit explorer. Players appreciate the lightheartedness of activities such as a funny fishing mini-game, contributing to an overall comedic atmosphere.
- “I like the explorer, he's a funny little rabbit.”
- “What if haha funny little fishing mini game.”
- “Great variation and visuals plus the funny adol chadmaxxing in the hub world.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Reviewers praise the character development for its unique and colorful designs, highlighting the impressive spritework and animations for both player characters and enemies. The overall aesthetic contributes positively to the game's visual appeal.
- “I really like the character design of both player characters and enemies; the sprite work and animations are also very well done.”
- “The character designs are all unique and colorful.”
- “The character designs are all unique and colorful.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game features a monetization model that avoids microtransactions, allowing players to earn cards through dungeon exploration or purchase them with in-game currency. This approach fosters an engaging and intuitive deckbuilding experience, as players can expand their arsenal without the pressure of additional costs.
- “Scratches the booster itch without microtransactions.”
- “Rather than piecing together a deck over the course of your run, you build your arsenal beforehand out of cards you earn on dungeon trips (or can buy at a shop in town - all in-game, no microtransactions or some such). The deckbuilding is intuitive and fun, slowly expanding the limits of what can go into a deck as you complete dungeons and grow your collection.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users consistently highlight the game’s high replayability, indicating that it offers numerous opportunities for players to engage with the content multiple times.
- “This game offers tons of replayability, keeping me engaged for hours on end.”
- “With so many different choices and outcomes, there's tons of replayability.”
- “The variety of paths and strategies ensures tons of replayability.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Many users report that they disable certain optimization features due to persistent performance issues in games, indicating that optimization may not be effectively enhancing gameplay for all players.
- “Some players always disable this feature due to performance issues in the game.”
- “Some players always disable this feature due to performance issues in the game.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the emotional impact of the game is largely negative, as players feel that the harsh penalty of losing everything upon death detracts from enjoyment and fosters frustration rather than challenge. This design choice is perceived as punishing, leading to a sense of despair rather than engagement.

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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Dungeon Drafters
Thesixthaxis.com
80%

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10h Median play time

12h Average play time

6-20h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Dungeon Drafters is a role playing game with fantasy theme.

Dungeon Drafters is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 12 hours playing Dungeon Drafters.

Dungeon Drafters was released on April 27, 2023.

Dungeon Drafters was developed by DANGEN Entertainment.

Dungeon Drafters has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

Dungeon Drafters is a single player game.

Similar games include Backpack Hero, Beneath Oresa, Deep Sky Derelicts, Gordian Quest, SpellRogue and others.

Dungeon Drafters

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