Dungeon Warfare 3

About

Dungeon Warfare 3 is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Excidium Inc. and was released on August 29, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Dungeon Warfare 3 is a tower defense game where you strategically place terrain tiles and deadly traps to create lethal mazes. Customize your domain and experiment with trap synergies to fend off relentless waves of adventurers. With handcrafted levels, diverse enemies, and infinite procedural challenges, it offers a deep, replayable experience full of tactical creativity and cruelty.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 264 reviews

gameplay16 positive mentions

grinding16 negative mentions

Dungeon Warfare 3 builds on the strengths of its predecessors, offering new traps, mechanics, and a more colorful visual style.
The game introduces a unique card-based map system that allows for strategic placement and customization, enhancing replayability.
Despite its increased difficulty, the game provides a rewarding challenge that encourages players to think critically about their strategies.

Many players find the difficulty curve to be steep and frustrating, with some levels feeling overly punishing compared to previous entries.
The removal of the skill tree and item system from Dungeon Warfare 2 has led to a perceived lack of customization and strategic depth.
Some mechanics, such as the card-based map system, feel underutilized or confusing, detracting from the overall experience.

gameplay
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
66%
8%
The gameplay in Dungeon Warfare 3 is a mix of familiar mechanics from previous titles and new features that introduce complexity and customization, such as voluntary difficulty adjustments and a unique world-building mechanic. While some players appreciate the depth and replayability offered by the new systems, others feel that the core gameplay lacks innovation compared to its predecessor, Dungeon Warfare 2, and that certain mechanics can be convoluted or poorly explained. Overall, the game provides a satisfying tower defense experience with a variety of strategies and upgrades, though it may require some adjustment for those expecting a direct improvement over the previous installment.
- “This is one of the strongest aspects of the gameplay experience, because you can freely adjust the difficulty up or down, and if it's still too hard you can go do something else to get stronger.”
- “The gameplay loop is surprisingly satisfying, and the encouragement to speed through waves really lends itself well to the format for retrying for a good run.”
- “Overall, the game has many fresh new mechanics and pretty customizable gameplay from selecting difficulty runes before any level, highly in-depth trap upgrades and combinations, and well-animated and more interesting enemies.”
- “How can it be this bad... it's no different to Dungeon Warfare 2 gameplay-wise and there is no scaling, which was the main attraction of the last game.”
- “There is barely anything new to the core gameplay compared to the previous game; in fact, if you include tower strategies, this game has notably less actual gameplay than the previous one.”
- “I can't recommend Dungeon Warfare 3 when it feels like nothing but a watered-down version of Dungeon Warfare 2 with little more than the addition of a shallow deckbuilding mechanic to entice players.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The graphics in the game are characterized by a nostalgic 2D pixel art style that many players appreciate for its aesthetic, though some feel it lacks significant improvement over previous titles. While the visuals have received upgrades, enhancing the overall experience, the core design remains familiar, with a mix of colorful and detailed elements that contribute positively to gameplay. Overall, the graphics are well-received, complementing the game's mechanics and atmosphere effectively.
- “The graphics are much better.”
- “Seriously, Dungeon Warfare 3 is packed with insane upgrades: visuals and sound that are a total glow-up, the same top-tier music we all love, and some seriously cool new traps.”
- “The gameplay is familiar with some new twists (terrain, traps, enemies) and I really like the more colorful/slightly more detailed visuals.”
- “The critique: the towers are almost all the same as DWII and so are the graphics, giving you the feel of the last game.”
- “Instead of improving the graphics, they improved everything else.”
- “Only better graphics, but systems crushed.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate a significant shift in the grinding mechanics compared to previous entries in the series, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of grinding opportunities for items and upgrades. While some appreciate the removal of tedious grinding, others find the game too difficult and lacking in replayability, as it offers fewer rewards and less engaging gameplay. Overall, the consensus suggests that the absence of grinding detracts from the enjoyment and flow that fans of the franchise have come to expect.
- “Disallowing grinding is just a baffling decision.”
- “This just feels so much slower and tedious.”
- “It seems like everything that you used to love about the series is kind of taken away; the fun of steamrolling with easy instant kill setups and tons of fun grinding with battle traits.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The music in the game has received positive feedback for its engaging and nostalgic soundtrack, which includes both new tracks and legacy tunes from previous titles. While some players find it enjoyable for enhancing the gameplay experience, others feel it doesn't stand out significantly, often opting to mute it while playing. Overall, the music is appreciated for its quality and ability to complement the game's atmosphere, contributing to a satisfying flow state during gameplay.
- “The art and music are great.”
- “Oh and the audio: the soundtrack genuinely rips and the slowed down sound when upgrading towers really works.”
- “Absolutely rockin' soundtrack which includes the (optional) legacy tunes from the previous titles.”
- “The music won't blow your mind, but I just turn it off and watch YouTube while I play lol.”
- “For me, the fun of playing tower defense is zoning out and getting in a flow state and grinding a level a few times and listening to music and vibing.”
- “Music: more of the same, and I'm fine with it.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the variety of builds and customization options, many criticize the lack of meaningful progression systems and item diversity compared to its predecessor, Dungeon Warfare 2. The absence of a robust item system and limited endgame content lead to a perception of diminished replay value, making it less appealing for those seeking long-term engagement.
- “There seems to be a great amount of replayability because of the sheer number of builds and map types.”
- “A really fun tower defense game that has a ton of customization and replayability.”
- “It offers endless replayability, meaningful meta progression, and the ability to scale the difficulty exactly how you like—while rewarding you for the challenge.”
- “A decent tower defense game, but I can't recommend it because it's actually a step back and less replayable, polished, and deep than its predecessor, Dungeon Warfare 2.”
- “Additionally, the second game had items you could obtain from stages that provided random bonuses, which offered a lot of replayability. Farming for new and better items was engaging, but the third game lacks this item system. Once you finish the base story and complete the stage objectives for all missions, that's it; there's little else to do in the game.”
- “The card system doesn't fit into this game, and the level design, limited leveling system, and limited items and runes contribute to a lack of replay value. Ascensions feel pointless, and the balance is off—most towers are useless while others dominate in the endgame.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The story in Dungeon Warfare 3 is perceived as lacking depth and engagement, with players feeling that it does not justify the game's price tag. Many reviewers express disappointment in the minimal skill system and the absence of an item collection mechanic that previously enhanced replayability in the franchise. Overall, while the gameplay mechanics offer some challenge, the narrative fails to captivate, leaving players indifferent to the story's progression.
- “I'm around 17 hours in, completed the final story dungeon, but still feel like there's 50 hours of game left... at minimum.”
- “Enjoyable scaling mechanics that give longevity to replaying previous missions, with a challenging ramp in difficulty that challenges you to switch up your builds to meet the level's demands.”
- “Decent game, I believe the price tag is too high for the current amount of story and gameplay.”
- “I did not care at all for whatever they were trying to get you to do for the story.”
- “Additionally, Dungeon Warfare 3 lacks the item system, meaning once you finish the base story and complete the stage objectives for all of the missions, that's it; there's little else to do in the game.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its chaotic and brutal moments, particularly when players experience the comedic effects of traps and physical mayhem, such as enemies being launched into pits. While the sound design adds to the comedic atmosphere, it may not reach the heights of similar games, but overall, the humor enhances the gameplay experience without any significant bugs detracting from it.
- “It’s funny, it’s brutal, and when a whole wave gets yeeted into a pit, it feels better than a crit in any RPG.”
- “The sound design can start to get funny as things really ramp up, especially when trap builds scale and get big.”
- “Bugs are few and far between and have only been more funny due to physical mayhem; nothing game-breaking at all.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant performance issues, including crashes on macOS, and note that the game feels shorter in comparison to its predecessor, DW2.
- “There are significant performance issues, including crashes on macOS, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “The game feels much shorter compared to DW2, leaving players wanting more content.”
- “Optimization seems lacking, leading to frustrating gameplay and technical problems.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is viewed positively by some as offering good value, while others criticize it as a cash grab, suggesting a disparity in pricing and perceived value among different titles.
- “A better game for cheaper; this feels like a cash grab.”
- “The monetization system is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly on platforms like the Steam Deck, though some users have noted minor font issues on cards. Players appreciate its performance and visual quality, alongside a variety of build options.
- “I am having a ton of fun, and it runs great on Steam Deck, just some smaller font issues on the cards.”
- “The game looks great, runs smoothly, and offers tons of build options.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate that the game successfully maintains the atmosphere of its earlier installments while introducing new features that enhance the overall experience.
- “They preserved the atmosphere of the earlier installments and added a lot of features that I am just beginning to explore.”