"Dungeon of the ENDLESS™ is a rogue-like dungeon-defense game where players manage resources, explore levels, and battle enemies to survive. The Crystal Edition includes the 'Bookworm' add-on, original soundtrack, and exclusive badge for Games2Gether accounts. Players colonize the planet Auriga Prime, uncovering its mysterious past while defending their shipment of condemned criminals."
The game features a unique blend of roguelike, tower defense, and RPG mechanics, creating an addictive and strategic gameplay experience.
The atmosphere is immersive, enhanced by stunning pixel art and a haunting soundtrack that complements the sci-fi setting.
The character design is visually appealing, with unique personalities and humorous interactions that add charm to the gameplay.
The steep learning curve, lack of clear tutorials, and frustrating RNG elements can lead to sudden defeats and a sense of repetitiveness.
The game suffers from numerous bugs and stability issues, particularly in multiplayer modes, which can disrupt gameplay.
The monetization strategy has drawn criticism due to intrusive advertisements that negatively impact the overall experience.
gameplay
3,426 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
The gameplay of "Dungeon of the Endless" is characterized by a unique blend of roguelike, tower defense, and RPG mechanics, creating a challenging and strategic experience that requires careful resource management and tactical planning. While many players find the gameplay addictive and rewarding, especially after mastering its mechanics, others criticize its steep learning curve, lack of clear tutorials, and occasional frustrating RNG elements that can lead to sudden defeats. Overall, the game offers a compelling mix of exploration and strategy, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its complexity and difficulty.
“🎮 Gameplay: a masterpiece of tension and strategy.”
“Managing your limited resources while progressing deeper into the dungeon creates an addictive, edge-of-your-seat gameplay loop.”
“The challenging yet rewarding gameplay, beautiful visuals, and engaging co-op make it a must-play for fans of tactical and dungeon-crawling experiences.”
“That said, some parts feel a little unfinished or clunky, like they needed more time to refine the mechanics on items and characters.”
“Just skip this one if you don't like frustrating random mechanics.”
“The gameplay itself is not really difficult or challenging, and relies more on chance than skill or strategy.”
graphics
1,914 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
4%
The graphics of "Dungeon of the Endless" are characterized by a charming pixel art style that blends retro aesthetics with modern polish, creating a visually appealing atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. While many players appreciate the nostalgic feel and vibrant colors, some critiques highlight issues with clarity and detail, particularly during chaotic moments in gameplay. Overall, the visuals are generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's unique ambiance, though opinions vary on their effectiveness and appeal.
“The pixel-art aesthetic is gorgeous, blending retro charm with modern polish.”
“The music and graphics create an amazing aesthetic experience.”
“The pixel art style is charming, and the soundtrack sets the perfect mood for exploration.”
“Visuals too sketchy even for pixel art style.”
“The graphics are ugly.”
“The resulting lack of content and awful ugly pixel visuals make this impossible to recommend.”
music
1,618 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
38%
1%
The music in "Dungeon of the Endless" has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, with many players praising the soundtrack's ability to enhance the game's tension and mood. Composed by Flybyno, the music features a blend of haunting, futuristic tunes and relaxing ambient tracks that complement the pixel art visuals beautifully. While some players noted that the music can become repetitive over extended play, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is a standout feature, making the game enjoyable and engaging.
“The soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, with haunting, futuristic tunes that enhance the tension and mystery of the dungeon.”
“The ost is one of the best I've heard and is in my constant rotation; it's got the beautiful melancholic sense of wonder that reflects the game's visual aesthetic flawlessly.”
“The music is beautiful accompaniment to the gameplay and makes the atmosphere that much more immersive.”
“Music gets choppy in quality after playing for some time.”
“The game has basic, boring, uninteresting graphics, even worse sound, irritating music.... I will try it more but so far it's a no from me.”
“However, subjectively, it never really pulled me in, whether it is the graphics, the sound and music, the combat, the progression - the gameplay loop in general, every moment I played of this game, I couldn't say I openly disliked it, but I was thinking of other games which I'd rather play... as such, this gets a (very subjective) 'not recommended' from me.”
replayability
1,003 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
46%
2%
The game is widely praised for its high replayability, attributed to its roguelike elements, randomized levels, and a diverse cast of unlockable characters and game modes. Players appreciate the endless variety in gameplay strategies and the challenge presented by the game's mechanics, making each playthrough feel unique. However, some reviewers note that the replay value may diminish after extensive play, particularly if players unlock most content, leading to a perception of repetitiveness.
“This is a highly replayable little roguelike dungeon crawler set in the endless universe.”
“With its challenging gameplay and endless replayability, I can't recommend this game enough for any gaming enthusiast.”
“The game is endlessly replayable thanks to the randomized dungeons, various characters, and great multiplayer.”
“Nope nope nope, this is another one of those intentionally hard games that uses difficulty as a crutch for artificially boosting replayability.”
“The game doesn't bother to really explain anything to you (I guess their idea of 'replayability' is just dying 100 times because they can't be bothered to write clear tooltips).”
“Great idea, good execution, unfortunately after first completion it loses replay value, becomes repetitive and boring.”
story
872 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
78%
5%
The game's story is generally considered minimal and often feels tacked on, with players primarily focused on gameplay rather than narrative depth. While there are interesting character backstories and interactions that can lead to unique story events, many reviewers note that the overall plot lacks substance and coherence, often relying on character combinations to unlock lore rather than providing a cohesive narrative. Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the humor and charm of the character interactions, which can enhance the experience, especially in a multiplayer setting.
“Its unique blend of tower defense and dungeon-crawling mechanics, coupled with a captivating storyline and charming pixel art style, makes it a standout title in the gaming industry.”
“Surprisingly, the backstories aren’t just text blurbs you can read to add a little extra depth to the character, but set up storylines they can have between one another.”
“The story emerges the more you play, and you will die enough times that you'll have plenty of time to experience it all.”
“The storyline for the characters is also very minimal and they feel more like turrets rather than people.”
“This didn't feel cool or immersive, I just felt frustrated that all my effort was wasted because of a forced story that I couldn't influence in any way.”
“The story doesn't even have a proper ending, not even a line of dialogue to let you know what our heroes did next, nothing.”
humor
427 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its witty, sarcastic tone and clever item descriptions, often incorporating dark humor and pop culture references. Players appreciate the light-hearted banter between characters and the amusing situations that arise during gameplay, although some feel that the humor could be more consistently integrated throughout the experience. Overall, the game's comedic elements contribute significantly to its charm and replayability, making it an enjoyable experience despite its challenges.
“Working together to protect the crystal, manage resources, and plan your escape is both rewarding and hilariously chaotic when things go wrong.”
“The setting has a lot of witty, sarcastic humor, with some good references to video game and pop culture history, yet does not have any vulgar humor as far as I remember.”
“But for whatever reason, Amplitude Studios duct taping all these genres and mechanics together, with an absolutely hilarious cast of characters and charming flavor text makes this one of the most fun, addictive, and unforgettable games on this entire platform.”
atmosphere
392 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
34%
2%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, enhanced by stunning pixel art and a haunting soundtrack that complements the sci-fi setting. Players appreciate the blend of tension and exploration within dark, detailed environments, creating a unique experience that keeps them engaged. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a significant strength, contributing to the game's appeal and replayability.
“The dungeon’s dark corridors, glowing crystals, and alien environments create a moody and immersive atmosphere.”
“The soundtrack sets the perfect mood, immersing you in its atmospheric depths.”
“The unique graphics/artwork, awesome atmosphere, and haunting music really add to the overall experience.”
“The ui and other visual elements intermittently have issues, although they rarely influence my ability to play the game, the marred aesthetic does somewhat lessen the solemn and contemplative sci-fi atmosphere that the game typically pulls off spectacularly.”
“Also rage inducing when you run out of resources / never have enough light / the music is a little depressing / it's dark / the item rolls kept giving you assault rifles when you need a sword / did I mention the atmosphere was a little depressing?”
“Too much slow paced with a bad atmosphere: heroes' backgrounds are quite mature but in the dungeon, the music is totally at the opposite of the gloom and the violence of the game in general.”
stability
283 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
1%
95%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that can severely disrupt gameplay, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some players have experienced minimal issues, the overwhelming consensus is that the game is riddled with problems that can lead to lost progress and frustrating experiences. Overall, many reviewers advise against purchasing the game until these stability issues are addressed.
“The game is well polished with little or no glitches, bugs, or problems.”
“The game isn't buggy and is rich enough to allow tens of hours to be sunk into without losing its fun aspect.”
“The game is pretty much bug free and solid to play.”
“But it's so buggy it's almost unplayable.”
“This game is a bug-ridden disaster.”
“The game in its current state is a buggy mess.”
grinding
162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
4%
94%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to the need for repetitive resource farming and long runs through multiple floors. While some appreciate the depth and strategy involved, others criticize the lack of variety and the reliance on RNG, which can make progress feel frustratingly slow. Overall, players suggest that the game could benefit from better balancing to reduce the grind and enhance enjoyment.
“After battles, your heroes heal up almost immediately, so there is no tedious 'turn on power to the med-bay, walk each person there, wait for them to heal' dance that was all too common in FTL.”
“A bit grindy sometimes.”
“A bit grindy.”
“In short, the game is worth it, but it's constrained by the fact that it has a lot of useless content due to poor balancing, and it gets tedious very fast.”
“Game play is tedious and slow.”
“I get that some games can't just be picked up and played, that you need to sink hours into them before you're going to win, but when winning is locked behind random numbers and not skill, it becomes a tedious grind that loses all sense of fun very quickly.”
character development
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
Character development in the game is noted for its impressive character design and unique personalities, which enhance gameplay and create engaging interactions among characters. However, many reviewers point out that while the character design is visually appealing and well-executed, the depth of character development and narrative exposition is somewhat lacking, typical of the roguelike genre. Overall, the game excels in visual and mechanical aspects but may disappoint those seeking a rich character-driven story.
“The character design is sleek and beautiful, the enemies are creative, and the dialogue between your heroes is funny!”
“As for the level and character design, not only does each character sport their own unique look, they also have their own whimsical personality to boot.”
“Character design and dialogue is awesome; different characters interact with each other differently. I found that the ones who worked well together mechanically had a more friendly dialogue than others.”
“As a story person, I'm obligated to note that, typical for a roguelike, there is little exposition or character development (although this has been improved recently through some elevator banter amongst party members, but nothing serious).”
“The one caveat is that if you are buying this game for the character development and RPG elements, this game may disappoint.”
“This developer makes very pretty games with some fairly solid gameplay; I just wish they would work a bit more on character development, story, and variety of in-game events.”
optimization
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
55%
21%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on low-end systems and offers good performance in general, players have noted issues with multiplayer resource management and performance dips during large battles. Some aspects, like the resource management system, are better optimized when handled by a single player, but there are still concerns about bugs and control issues, particularly on the Switch. Despite these drawbacks, many find the game enjoyable and addictive, with replay value stemming from its optimization mechanics.
“A fun coop RPG tower defense roguelike that's not very demanding in terms of computer performance.”
“Not to mention it runs great on any potato PC system with those top-notch optimization.”
“The heroes are diverse and the stat system is very simple to understand and, best of all, stats have an incredible impact on the performance of heroes.”
“It's most likely just my low-end laptop, but none of the in-game UI affects performance.”
“It'll take numerous playthroughs to get used to the mechanics and optimization required to survive the lower levels.”
“- poor performance in large battles and when a lot is happening on screen.”
emotional
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly through their attachment to the crew of characters and the touching backstories, though some feel this potential is underutilized. Moments of triumph, such as completing challenges with friends, evoke nostalgia and deep emotional responses, while frustrations like server issues and a lack of comprehensive tutorials can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully combines elements that resonate emotionally, making it memorable for many players.
“Being a roguelike made my emotional attachment to my little crew of misfits much greater.”
“I leave you all with this; beating easy mode with my friend was probably the highest and most emotional moment I have ever experienced while gaming, and I am not being hyperbolic.”
“It combines many of the emotional elements I love from other games, like Diablo 1 and Fallout with tower defense mechanics.”
monetization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
13%
82%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, particularly due to the intrusive advertisements for other titles that play at startup after recent updates. While players appreciate the absence of microtransactions, the forced promotional content has negatively impacted their overall experience, leading some to reconsider the game's value. The combination of outdated graphics and a mobile game feel further diminishes its appeal, especially with the added burden of constant advertising.
“No microtransactions, no nonsense.”
“When I first loaded it up, I discovered that the latest update had added this very cringy advertisement for one of their other games.”
“Why are you forcing me to download an update that shows me an advertisement every time I open your game?”
“[update 04/02/2023]: changed the review to a negative one after Amplitude added a 250 MB advertisement video for their next game, 'Endless Dungeon', that runs on game startup every single time.”