DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS

About

DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Square Enix and was released on October 14, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

In "Dungeon Encounters," strategize to survive a challenging 99-floor dungeon with simple yet deep gameplay. The game emphasizes exploration, combat, and party management, with permadeath and randomized elements. Discover rare items, meet potential allies, and confront deadly monsters in this minimalist RPG from Final Fantasy veterans.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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76%

Audience ScoreBased on 351 reviews

gameplay34 positive mentions

story32 negative mentions

Dungeon Encounters is a unique and minimalist dungeon crawler that focuses on exploration and strategy, appealing to fans of classic RPGs.
The game features a satisfying combat system that requires players to think critically about their moves and manage resources effectively.
The art style and music, while simplistic, create a charming atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.

The game lacks a compelling story and character development, making it feel shallow and unengaging for players seeking narrative depth.
Many mechanics, such as status effects and enemy encounters, can feel punishing and frustrating, leading to potential party wipes and tedious backtracking.
The minimalist design may turn off players who prefer more elaborate graphics and animations, as well as those who expect a more traditional RPG experience.

gameplay
145 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
71%
6%
The gameplay of this dungeon crawler is characterized by its minimalistic design and a strong focus on mechanics over narrative, offering a challenging experience that rewards strategic thinking and adaptability. While some players appreciate the depth and unique mechanics, others find the repetitive nature and tedious elements frustrating, particularly due to a lack of clear explanations for certain game mechanics. Overall, it appeals primarily to fans of traditional RPGs who enjoy a gameplay-centric experience, though it may not resonate with those seeking rich storytelling or character development.
- “The game takes the basic mechanics of JRPG combat and exploration, strips them down to their fundamentals, and makes something as interesting as possible with what's left.”
- “I really enjoyed the balance of getting into the zen mode of grinding levels while always having to be on my toes because once you feel safe, the game will throw in a new mechanic that might take you by surprise and wipe your team away in seconds.”
- “The core gameplay loop is therefore extremely satisfying, which it has to be because there's nothing else going on in this game.”
- “There are simply too many forced backtracking mechanics that are totally unnecessary.”
- “After 5 hours, the challenge was too simple and the gameplay was too repetitive.”
- “Many of Dungeon Encounter's game mechanics can be very frustrating - there is an enemy which can steal your gold and put you negative (possibly *very* negative).”
story
117 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
62%
27%
The game's story is minimal to the point of being nearly non-existent, consisting mainly of brief character bios and a single introductory paragraph. Players seeking a rich narrative or character development will likely be disappointed, as the focus is primarily on dungeon crawling and combat mechanics. While some appreciate the streamlined gameplay devoid of lengthy cutscenes, the lack of a compelling story may deter those who value narrative depth in RPGs.
- “The story is brief, but little vignettes are told through character profiles that not only tie everyone together but can even indicate clues as to where to find them or even what happened to them in their descent into the labyrinth.”
- “Your experience during your playthrough builds the story of this game, and it will end up being unique to your own build.”
- “It delivers a minimalistic styled game where you dive deeper and deeper into the labyrinth with your band of characters, with their small snippets of story attached to them.”
- “Virtually no interesting story, character progression, tactical or strategic choices, or even exploration.”
- “There's hardly any story to speak of, just exploration, combat, easy-to-difficult puzzles, and some fiendishly tough endgame/postgame stuff.”
- “The story is literally character bios, a tile just before the last boss where they basically taunt you, and a text box after you beat the final boss followed immediately by the credits.”
graphics
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
82%
5%
The graphics of the game are intentionally minimalist, featuring a simple yet appealing art style that prioritizes gameplay mechanics over visual flair. While some players appreciate the stripped-down aesthetic as a nod to old-school RPGs, others find the limited visuals lacking depth and polish. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose by not detracting from the core gameplay experience, though they may not satisfy those seeking high-quality visuals or intricate designs.
- “The graphical style is solid and generally interesting.”
- “The graphics, though reduced to a minimum, are lovely and just perfect as they don't get in the way of battles conveying the information that matters.”
- “The graphics are intentionally minimalist, focusing your attention on the dungeon and the denizens therein.”
- “The graphics are intentionally minimalist, your focus on the dungeon and the denizens therein.”
- “There's basically no graphics, the sound design is minimalistic, and the game systems are utterly barebones.”
- “The graphics and sound are very limited, with the graphics being basically as seen in the screenshots only, and the background music being classical music played poorly by angry guitars.”
music
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
68%
13%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while Nobuo Uematsu's rock and metal guitar arrangements of classical pieces are creative, they quickly become repetitive and monotonous. Some players appreciate the atmospheric qualities of the soundtrack, particularly in the dungeon's ambient themes, but others find the battle music grating and lacking in variety. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the music has potential, its limited scope and repetitive nature detract from the overall experience.
- “The game mechanics, such as they are, work in a focused and cohesive manner, the character and monster designs are great, the writing, as little of it as there is, is creative and interesting, and Nobuo Uematsu’s soundtrack is on-point as always, this time with rock & roll rearrangements of classical songs.”
- “I enjoyed the remixes of classical music (though perhaps they should have used a suite instead of thematically unrelated pieces).”
- “The music and art are soothing and fitting to the game.”
- “While the songs - mostly consisting of heavy/electric guitar renditions of various classical compositions - aren't bad per se, they do get grating and monotone pretty fast when it's all the game has to offer, and I definitely wish they had gone with a more varied selection of instruments for the arrangements.”
- “The music - it's so bland and annoying by the 4th or 5th fight I had to turn it off.”
- “The soundtrack is terrible, which I guess might be a good thing if you want to play this with the sound off.”
grinding
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The reviews indicate that the game's grinding mechanics are polarizing; while some players appreciate the grindy nature and find it enjoyable, others find it excessively tedious and frustrating due to poorly designed mechanics and the need for repetitive backtracking. Many players note that the balance of grinding can be enjoyable if approached with the right mindset, but the game can also become aggravating with its punishing mechanics and lack of clear guidance. Overall, the experience of grinding varies significantly among players, with some relishing the challenge while others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “As a side note, it's not grindy at all for a JRPG-style game.”
- “I generally like grindy games, but this game is extremely grindy, even for me.”
- “The traversal system is incredibly tedious, as is the requirement to manually take notes about map locations.”
- “There are a few ruthless mechanics that are not really well explained in the game and that will cost you a lot of time if you are hit by them.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as hit-or-miss, with some players finding amusement in the absurdity of character mishaps and unexpected outcomes, while others feel that the harsh mechanics can detract from the fun. Instances of comedic moments, like a character's unexpected success against overwhelming odds, provide some levity, but the overall tone can be frustrating due to the game's punishing nature.
- “Sometimes it's hilarious to see Sir Cat successfully consume enormous mobs.”
- “Gygaxian 'utterly ruin a character because they stepped on the wrong tile' antics: bad, but sometimes funny.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, with users reporting a smooth experience free of bugs and crashes.
- “Nothing buggy, runs smoothly, and no crashes.”
- “The game is well-optimized, providing a seamless experience even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I appreciate how the developers focused on optimization; it really enhances the overall gameplay.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
Overall, users report that the game runs smoothly with no crashes or significant bugs, indicating a solid foundation. However, some feel that it lacks the features and customization typically expected from early access titles.
- “The game has a solid foundation, and it feels remarkably stable, with very few bugs encountered during gameplay.”
- “I appreciate the stability of the game; it runs smoothly without crashing, which is a huge plus for an early access title.”
- “Despite being in early access, the game demonstrates impressive stability, making for a pleasant gaming experience.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The character development in the game is criticized for being shallow and lacking diversity, contributing to an overall minimalistic experience that detracts from player engagement.
- “The character development is shallow and not diversified, which I think is the nail in the coffin, to be honest.”
- “Very simplistic combat and character design.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The atmosphere of the game is criticized as lacking depth, with one reviewer describing it as "bare bones" and uninspiring, while another notes that the ambient music, featuring renditions of classic pieces, somewhat enhances the otherwise bland map design.
- “The ambient music features different renditions of classic pieces for each stratum, which are quite good and set the atmosphere for the otherwise bland maps.”
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the world with its haunting soundscapes and detailed environmental design.”
- “Every corner of the game is filled with a rich atmosphere that enhances the storytelling and keeps you engaged throughout your journey.”
- “Absolute bare bones garbage - there's more atmosphere on the moon.”
- “The game feels lifeless and lacks any sense of immersion.”
- “It’s as if the developers forgot to include any environmental details that could create a mood.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game offers significant replayability, particularly due to its ability-equipping system, which allows for extensive customization and encourages exploration of different strategies as they become more familiar with the mechanics.
- “Overall, I enjoyed this game and think there is a lot of replay value now that I am more familiar with the mechanics.”
- “The ability-equipping system also lends the game plenty of replayability - you can do plenty to customize your play experience.”

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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

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18h Median play time

12h Average play time

1-23h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS is a role playing game with fantasy theme.

DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 12 hours playing DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS.

DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS was released on October 14, 2021.

DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS was developed by Square Enix.

DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS is a single player game.

Similar games include Crystal Project, Fae Tactics, Battle Chasers: Nightwar, Star Renegades, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven and others.

DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS

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