Dungeon Nightmares II: The Memory

74%
Game Brain Score Based on 159 reviews
  • atmosphere
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Dungeon Nightmares II: The Memory Game Cover
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"Dungeon Nightmares II - The Memory" is a first-person psychological horror game, inspired by classic roguelike games with procedurally generated maps and permadeath. Players must navigate through nightmarish environments, with limited resources such as candles to light the way, while uncovering the mysteries of their own nightmares. Headphones are recommended for an immersive experience.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

74%
Audience ScoreBased on 159 reviews
atmosphere17 positive mentions
grinding7 negative mentions
  • Dungeon Nightmares II offers a genuinely terrifying atmosphere with top-notch sound design that enhances the horror experience.
  • The game features procedurally generated maps, providing a unique experience with each playthrough and increasing replayability.
  • Many players appreciate the intense suspense and jump scares, making it a memorable horror game that keeps them on edge.
  • The permadeath mechanic and 50/50 chance of continuing after dying can be frustrating, leading to repetitive gameplay and loss of progress.
  • Some players find the game too dark, making it difficult to navigate and spot important items, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • The gameplay can become tedious due to repetitive level design and the reliance on jump scares, which may lose their impact over time.
  • atmosphere38 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and oppressive qualities, effectively creating a sense of dread and claustrophobia that enhances the horror experience. While some players note issues with sound design and level aesthetics that detract from immersion, many agree that the dark, creepy ambiance and clever use of jump scares contribute significantly to the game's overall tension and replay value. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of atmospheric horror games.

    • “The game’s atmosphere has a feeling of dread and claustrophobia.”
    • “It’s really well executed and pretty impressive in terms of atmosphere, especially for a $5 experience.”
    • “Dungeon Nightmares 2 is an incredibly tense and atmospheric horror game that is sure to give even the hardiest gamer a fright or two along the path.”
    • “The game's atmosphere has a feeling of dread and claustrophobia.”
    • “The sewer-like design of levels that have no atmosphere nor personality also does not help in leaving a chilling, memorable gaming experience.”
    • “Not only is the apartment atmosphere empty and completely unintimidating, but so is the spooky scary black skeleton who gets added into the enemy pool and the game spamming the same audio jumpscare specifically on these floors.”
  • gameplay36 mentions

    The gameplay of this game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over its mechanics, particularly the time limits, broken stamina system, and permadeath features, which contribute to a challenging and often unfair experience. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and simple mechanics, others find the repetitive nature and lack of content diversity detract from overall enjoyment. Overall, the game shows potential but suffers from poorly designed gameplay elements that hinder its atmospheric horror experience.

    • “The concept felt really cool and I enjoyed the gameplay mechanics.”
    • “A rare horror game that I actually enjoy for the gameplay, which is quite a rare thing.”
    • “This game has an excellent atmosphere and creepy gameplay.”
    • “This game could've been a decent atmospheric horror game, but the gameplay itself is just horrible.”
    • “Time limits and an absolutely broken stamina mechanic, especially when there is random generation and a possible permanent death mechanic (which is based on a coin flip)... this game just has all the components to be a frustrating experience for no real apparent reason.”
    • “The only true frustrating moments in the gameplay are the time-restricted floors (10 minutes is very unforgiving and relies heavily on luck) as well as the permadeath mechanic.”
  • graphics25 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the solid visuals and dark aesthetic that enhance the horror atmosphere, especially for an indie title. However, some players note issues such as framerate drops and a lack of visibility in darker areas, which can obscure the developers' efforts. Overall, while the graphics are generally well-received, there are criticisms regarding their consistency and quality compared to modern standards.

    • “The graphics are amazing, the jumpscares are creative and have a huge variety, and the enemies are well-made (from their appearance to how they work as AI).”
    • “The graphics were really well done for the scope of the game, and the sound design was spot on to build suspense, peak, and then relax to repeat.”
    • “Great graphics, incredible sound... though I'm not 100% sold on the rogue-like or permadeath elements.”
    • “What I dislike: framerate drops as low as 40-50 regardless of graphical settings.”
    • “The graphics quality from the highest setting to the lowest is virtually the same, and at best the game looks like a mid-tier title from 15 to 20 years ago.”
    • “The graphics are just horrible.”
  • story19 mentions

    The game's story centers around a character trapped in a creepy hotel, experiencing a cycle of nightmares and uncovering clues about a tragic past linked to a hotel fire. While some players find the premise intriguing and atmospheric, many criticize the lack of coherent plot and level design, attributing this to repetitive procedural generation. Overall, the narrative is seen as a mix of potential and confusion, with varying opinions on its execution and depth.

    • “The story revolves around you being stuck in this creepy hotel while having constant nightmares during the day and waking up at night.”
    • “This basement has clues about the gruesome past that haunts this motel, and it’s your quest to find the truth behind this incident.”
    • “The story is interesting and mysterious, and the game is generally carefully made, as there are no serious bugs and glitches.”
    • “The game features no proper level design or game/story flow/plot, as they opted to try to use samey repetitive procedural generation algorithms as a substitute for adding such content to the game, to avoid doing the important job of level/map design.”
    • “There is little to no contextualization or plot and it is strongly hinted that you are just stuck in a nightmare anyway.”
    • “Apart from that, it's a decent randomized story about a woman who suddenly got lost in a nightmarish maze of copy-paste elements and merciless triggers under her hotel.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Overall, the game boasts high replayability due to its randomly generated levels and diverse enemy types, which encourage multiple playthroughs. While some users feel the impact of random generation is minimal, many appreciate the game's atmosphere and challenge, contributing to its enduring appeal.

    • “It's a fairly cheap game for how good it is, and its replay value is very high.”
    • “This is actually not too bad of a concept, and since the dungeons are randomly generated, with 8 enemy types and a great atmosphere, the game has enough replay value for several attempts.”
    • “Maps are randomly generated, increasing the replayability significantly!”
    • “It talks about unlimited replay value and random generation, but the random generation makes almost zero impact.”
    • “Endlessly replay value.”
    • “The random generation gives it a lot of replayability, and the challenge chamber is pretty fun too!”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant drawback, citing tedious exploration at a slow pace and repetitive asset use that leads to a stale experience. The long, boring hallways and the pressure of time limits contribute to a frustrating gameplay loop, overshadowing the game's atmospheric strengths. Overall, while the horror elements are appreciated, the grinding nature detracts from the overall enjoyment.

    • “This tedious searching, (at a painfully slow walking pace mind you) killed the game for me.”
    • “It's a good horror game but expect to be forced to replay it to the point where it becomes stale and tedious.”
    • “However, it is possible to fail just because it takes so long to go through the tedious hallways and search everywhere that if random chance isn't on your side you just won't find your way out in time.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players appreciate its careful design and lack of serious bugs, some report frustrating issues such as freezing black screens and glitches that disrupt gameplay, particularly when alt-tabbing.

    • “I restarted the game right now and, as soon as I enter the first dungeon, I get a silent black screen and the game freezes without a reason.”
    • “On the topic of glitching, the game is rather buggy.”
    • “I found one glitch where if I alt-tab out, it will exit my game and I will have to reboot it again.”
  • music3 mentions

    Reviewers express a desire for more varied and engaging music in the game, criticizing the reliance on clichéd sounds like heartbeat and footsteps, which can become monotonous and detract from the experience. The initial "impending doom" music is noted, but overall, the lack of diverse background audio is seen as a missed opportunity.

    • “The soundtrack creates an atmosphere of impending doom, enhancing the overall tension of the game.”
    • “The music effectively sets the mood, drawing players into the experience with its immersive sound design.”
    • “The background music adds depth to the gameplay, making each moment feel more intense and engaging.”
    • “If I'm going to make suggestions, though, add some kind of music or background noise other than light breathing, footsteps, and a heartbeat.”
    • “He starts with an 'impending doom' music; then footsteps, and no matter where you are, he just auto-kills you.”
    • “The soundtrack is the cliched heartbeat, and the sound of your footsteps quickly becomes annoying.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization is generally praised, with users reporting a smooth experience due to its low performance demands, suggesting that most players will have no issues running it effectively.

    • “I had a smooth experience; I feel everyone will have since this game is not that demanding in terms of performance.”
    • “The optimization is impressive, allowing for seamless gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
    • “I appreciate how well the game runs; it feels polished and responsive throughout.”
    • “The game runs smoothly, and I believe everyone will have a similar experience since it is not very demanding in terms of performance.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization of the game raises concerns among users, as its quality is often compared to that of asset flips and cash grab scams, leading to skepticism about its value. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, players feel the game may not justify its pricing or monetization strategy.

    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it seems designed to squeeze every last penny from players rather than enhance the gaming experience.”
    • “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “The constant push for in-game purchases detracts from the overall enjoyment, turning what could be a fun experience into a money-making scheme.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its effective use of sound and unexpected jump scares, creating a blend of tension and amusement that players find entertaining. Despite the unclear objectives, the experience is described as funny and worth the price for its comedic elements.

    • “Seriously, great use of sounds - I don't have a clue what the game involves, just seem to wander around underground basements in near darkness, then jump scare your pants off... funny and worth a few quid for that alone.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Dungeon Nightmares II: The Memory

Play time

8hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
6-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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