DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS

75%
Game Brain Score Based on 314 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
DUNGEON ENCOUNTERS Game Cover
Dungeon Encounters is a hardcore experience, that some will dismiss as overly simple. More fool them.
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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.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

75%
Audience ScoreBased on 314 reviews
gameplay32 positive mentions
story29 negative mentions
  • Dungeon Encounters is a minimalist dungeon crawler that focuses on core gameplay mechanics, providing a unique and engaging experience for fans of the genre.
  • The game features a variety of strategic elements, such as managing party members, utilizing abilities, and exploring a vast dungeon filled with secrets and challenges.
  • The art style and music, while simplistic, create a nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of classic RPGs, appealing to players who appreciate retro aesthetics.
  • The lack of a compelling story and character development may leave some players feeling disconnected and uninvested in the game.
  • The game can be punishing, with mechanics that lead to frustrating situations, such as losing party members or being put into debt due to enemy encounters.
  • The simplistic graphics and minimalistic design may not appeal to players looking for a more visually rich and immersive experience.
  • gameplay138 mentions

    The gameplay is a minimalist yet deeply engaging dungeon crawler that emphasizes mechanics over narrative, appealing primarily to fans of traditional JRPGs. While it features a satisfying core loop of exploration, combat, and character management, some players find the mechanics repetitive and frustrating due to forced backtracking and a lack of depth in character differentiation. Overall, it offers a unique experience for those who appreciate a mechanically focused RPG, though it may not resonate with everyone due to its barebones presentation and punishing gameplay elements.

    • “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.”
    • “It is impressive how much depth the game manages to pull out of such stripped-down mechanics; it really squeezes every last drop of blood out of that stone.”
    • “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.”
    • “At first glance, it sounds like a cool, little, simplistic concept, but in reality, this game hides some of the worst game mechanics I've ever seen.”
  • story109 mentions

    The game's story is minimal, consisting primarily of brief character bios and a simple premise, with no significant narrative or character development throughout the gameplay. Players seeking a rich storyline or cinematic experiences will likely be disappointed, as the focus is heavily on exploration and mechanics rather than storytelling. Overall, it caters to those who prefer gameplay over narrative depth, offering a streamlined experience devoid of traditional RPG storytelling elements.

    • “Your experience during your playthrough builds the story of this game and it will end up being unique to your own build.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “There's no story here beyond party members' character bios, and one note you can read near the end of the game.”
  • music61 mentions

    The music in the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking in variety, primarily consisting of heavy guitar renditions of classical pieces. While some appreciate the minimalist approach and the atmosphere it creates, most agree that the limited soundtrack quickly becomes grating, leading many to recommend muting the game entirely. Overall, the music is seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “The music is metal guitar duet renditions of classical music, which I didn't realize until the second battle theme gave me Fantasia flashbacks.”
    • “The music and art are soothing and fitting to the game.”
    • “I enjoyed the remixes of classical music (though perhaps they should have used a suite instead of thematically unrelated pieces).”
    • “My only major complaint with the game is the soundtrack.”
    • “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 is sparse, mostly consisting of guitar arrangements of public domain classical music pieces, all of which are only heard during combat.”
  • graphics60 mentions

    The game's graphics are intentionally minimalist, focusing on functionality over flashiness, which may appeal to players who appreciate old-school RPG aesthetics. While some reviewers find the visuals lacking and desire more polish, others argue that the simple art style complements the gameplay and allows for deeper engagement with the mechanics. Overall, the graphics are described as suitable for the game's design, though they may not satisfy those seeking high-resolution visuals or intricate storytelling.

    • “Dungeon encounters is a JRPG stripped back to its essentials, with beautiful, minimalist UI, visuals, music, and sound.”
    • “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, allowing your focus to be on the dungeon and the denizens therein.”
    • “It is only brilliant encounter design - literally - this game's graphics, music, & story are 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.”
    • “There's basically no graphics, the sound design is minimalistic, and the game systems are utterly barebones.”
  • grinding41 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the need for backtracking and managing party members. While some enjoy the challenge and the zen-like state of grinding levels, others feel that the mechanics can lead to frustration, especially when faced with unexpected deaths or status effects. Overall, the game appeals to those who appreciate grind-heavy JRPGs, but may deter players looking for a more streamlined experience.

    • “As a side note, it's not grindy at all for a JRPG-style game.”
    • “The traversal system is incredibly tedious, as is the requirement to manually take notes about map locations.”
    • “It's so tedious and slow-paced.”
    • “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.”
  • character development3 mentions

    The character development in the game is criticized for being shallow and lacking diversity, contributing to an overall minimal and unengaging experience. Players find the simplistic design and combat further detracting from any potential depth in character growth.

    • “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.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability with no reported bugs or crashes, providing a smooth experience. However, some users feel that it lacks features and customization compared to other early access titles, suggesting room for improvement as development continues.

    • “The game is impressively stable, with minimal bugs, providing a solid foundation for future updates and features.”
    • “I appreciate the stability of the game; it feels polished and ready for further development.”
    • “This game has a great basis for building upon, and its current stability sets it apart from many other early access titles.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is criticized as lacking depth and engagement, with one reviewer describing it as "bare bones" and uninspiring. However, the ambient music, featuring varied renditions of classic pieces, is noted as a positive element that somewhat enhances the overall atmosphere despite the blandness of the maps.

    • “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 sounds and beautifully crafted environments.”
    • “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.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Players find the game offers significant replayability, particularly due to its ability-equipping system, which allows for extensive customization and encourages exploration of different play styles 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.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing antics of characters like Sir Cat, particularly in chaotic situations involving large mobs. However, the overall tone can be inconsistent, as some players find the challenging mechanics, such as losing gold from encounters, detract from the comedic elements.

    • “Sometimes it's hilarious to see Sir Cat successfully consume enormous mobs.”
    • “The humor in this game is so unexpected; it keeps you on your toes!”
    • “The witty dialogue and absurd situations make every playthrough a joy.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    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 incredibly 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 experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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Play time

18hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
1-23hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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