Dungeons 3

A fun, interesting dungeon builder that lacks confidence in its own identity. Clever mission design with an interesting overworld/dungeon dynamic is overshadowed by an over reliance on pop-culture parody.

80%Game Brain Score

humor, story

grinding, stability

92% User Score Based on 9,546 reviews

Critic Score 78%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

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About

Dungeons III Extremely Evil Edition Includes: Dungeons III, a unique Throne Room DLC, an original Dungeons Coaster and the Digital Soundtrack!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,553 reviews

humor2.2k positive mentions

grinding72 negative mentions

A fun and humorous take on the Dungeon Keeper formula, combining dungeon management with RTS elements.
The narrator's witty commentary and pop culture references add a unique charm to the game.
Engaging gameplay with a variety of units and traps, allowing for creative dungeon building and strategy.

The humor can be overly cringy and repetitive, detracting from the overall experience.
Gameplay can become monotonous, with many missions feeling similar and lacking depth.
AI pathfinding issues and clunky controls can lead to frustrating moments during gameplay.

humor
2,254 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in "Dungeons 3" is a mix of goofy, self-referential, and often cringeworthy jokes, heavily relying on pop culture references and fourth-wall breaking. While many players find the humor genuinely funny and engaging, others feel it can be overdone or stale, leading to a hit-or-miss experience. Overall, the game's comedic elements are a significant draw for fans of lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek narratives, though they may not appeal to everyone.
- “An interesting RTS game with a lot of humor and pop culture references and parodies of fantasy games, series, and MMOs.”
- “At its best, it's genuinely funny, especially when the cynical narrator goes on his mocking sprees.”
- “The humor in this game is top notch - so far I've seen Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Warhammer 40k, Star Wars, and Warcraft references and every time I play this game it makes me laugh my ass off.”
- “The dialogue is extremely unfunny and cringe as they make endless references to better films and games.”
- “Campaign and its writing is something you get from a 14-year-old fanfic writer who thinks non-stop washed out cultural references and overly self-aware but utterly unfunny dialogue makes great comedy.”
- “The only con this game has is how brutally unfunny it is but I just mute the game and watch something while playing it.”
story
1,765 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
65%
4%
The story in Dungeons 3 is characterized by its humorous and campy tone, often filled with pop culture references and fourth-wall-breaking dialogue, primarily delivered by a witty narrator. While some players appreciate the lighthearted and entertaining narrative, others find it repetitive and lacking depth, with many missions following a similar formula. Overall, the story serves as a fun backdrop to the gameplay, though opinions vary on its quality and engagement level.
- “I know it's a resource management/army movement game, but the narration and story are just so much fun to get into.”
- “The story is fun and full of clever puns on other video games.”
- “The story and voice acting are superb!”
- “The game's overly silly and childish attitude can make it tedious sometimes and the plot uninterestingly cheesy.”
- “It's terrible writing and plot; I don't think there is a single joke that is funny in this entire pile of excrement.”
- “The only problems I have with it is some of the story missions are absolutely rage-inducing; you have to save scum fairly aggressively while playing since you can accidentally dig your way into a boss room at the same time as heroes invade your dungeon, rapidly leading to your forces being slaughtered.”
gameplay
1,389 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
51%
5%
The gameplay in Dungeons 3 is a blend of dungeon management and real-time strategy, reminiscent of classic titles like Dungeon Keeper and Warcraft. While many players appreciate the humor and engaging mechanics, some find the gameplay repetitive and simplistic, with a lack of depth in strategy and variety. Overall, it offers a fun experience with solid mechanics, though it may not satisfy those seeking a more complex or innovative gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay is fun and very accessible even for a novice strategist such as myself.”
- “Great dungeon building gameplay mixed with a fun RTS overworld.”
- “The gameplay is a mash-up of dungeon keeper and Warcraft RTS.”
- “The main problem is that your minions are pathetically weak and the built-in mechanics of spiders will inevitably end your game before you have a chance to make a true dungeon.”
- “The gameplay seems repetitive and most of all pointless after just a little while.”
- “The gameplay is absolutely stupid and I mean that literally, you can only have 15 max imps running around, and coming from someone who used to grab 100+ imps in DK2, maxed imps in WFTO with mutations to max it at 70+, 15 is definitely not enough.”
graphics
665 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
49%
3%
The graphics in the game are generally well-received, characterized by a colorful, cartoonish art style reminiscent of titles like Warcraft III. Many players appreciate the vibrant visuals and humorous design, although some note that the graphics can feel dated or overly simplistic compared to modern standards. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's lighthearted tone and engaging gameplay, despite some criticisms regarding limited graphical options and occasional performance issues.
- “The graphics are beautiful and the dialogues between the narrator and the protagonists are funny, engaging with many easter eggs.”
- “Great fun, gorgeous colors and graphics with an amusing narrator.”
- “The graphics are solid, not too cartoonish, reminding me of World of Warcraft and Warcraft 3 art style, the gameplay is quick to learn yet hard to master.”
- “The graphics optimization is really terrible for this game.”
- “The graphics are very dated, likely intentionally reminiscent of Warcraft III.”
- “About half of the screen real-estate is obscured by the unimaginably poor graphic design.”
replayability
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
58%
7%
The reviews on replayability are mixed, with many players praising certain games for their high replay value due to engaging gameplay, multiple modes, and DLC content, while others criticize specific titles for having low replayability due to limited content, repetitive mechanics, or short campaign lengths. Overall, some games are highlighted as extremely enjoyable and worth revisiting, while others are deemed lacking in long-term interest.
- “A surprisingly deep and incredibly replayable game, with a sterling delivery.”
- “Other than that, the game is extremely replayable, and will offer you hours of entertainment.”
- “Way more campaign missions and a skirmish system that can generate random maps really helps with Dungeons 3's replayability.”
- “Replayability is surprisingly low.”
- “There are just too few maps and too few 'things to do' to provide a longer-term interest and replayability.”
- “I don't think I could recommend more than a single run through the game, as it is incredibly easy, mechanics are excessively simplified, and replayability is near non-existent.”
music
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
56%
6%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its fitting themes and enjoyable compositions, though some find it repetitive and limited in variety. While the soundtrack enhances the overall experience, there are reports of occasional audio glitches and interruptions. Overall, the music complements the game's humor and visuals, contributing positively to the gameplay atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is also fantastic and there are some killer jokes and references delivered by the fantastic narrator.”
- “The music and dialogue are top-notch and fit perfectly with the theme of rekking some goodie two-shoes.”
- “I am also enjoying the stark contrast of music from the good side to the bad side of the map.”
- “The music was absolutely forgettable.”
- “Better music might've carried this for me.”
- “The in-game music stopped randomly and every time I had to restart the game to restore the music.”
grinding
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
The reviews highlight that grinding in the game can be excessively tedious, often overshadowing the fun elements. Players frequently express frustration with repetitive tasks, inconsistent room sizes, and cumbersome micro-management, leading to a sense of draining monotony. While some appreciate the game's humor and art direction, many feel that the grinding mechanics detract from the overall enjoyment and progression.
- “It's tedious, it's draining, it's just not fun to play this franchise anymore.....”
- “I loved the art direction and the comedy-level storytelling, but as the game went on I sadly discovered that this game was a huge time sink of grinding and massive amounts of constant frustrating micromanagement.”
- “But once you reached the last few levels, you're pretty much already done with the game because it becomes very repetitive and tedious.”
stability
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting frequent bugs, audio issues, and occasional crashes, particularly on lower-end systems. While some players enjoy the experience despite these glitches, others recommend caution, especially for those without high-performance PCs. Overall, the game shows improvement over its predecessors but still requires patience due to its instability.
- “Runs great on an i5-7600 and Radeon 580 8GB. The fans don't even start making noise until you turn on 4x anisotropic filtering, so it's not very demanding despite the graphics.”
- “Well supported by the developers, the game is bug-free and has plenty of DLC expansions to enhance it.”
- “Just for the points about freezes and crashes, I wouldn't recommend this game for anyone without a high-performance PC.”
- “So many audio glitches that it goes from no sound to playing audio from other parts of the game constantly.”
- “I have to remember to quick save often as this game freezes up a lot.”
optimization
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
Overall, optimization feedback is mixed, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, including frame drops and crashes, particularly on lower-end PCs. While certain updates have improved performance and graphics for some users, others still find the game unplayable without high-performance hardware. Additionally, there are calls for more detailed graphical settings to enhance the experience further.
- “Building your dungeon is satisfying and there are enough options to make optimization challenging and interesting.”
- “I can build a nice, tidy dungeon, learn to optimize it, say 'forget optimization', inevitably go back to optimization with an air of whimsy and 'did I make enough space to add so and so?' then go terrorize the surface.”
- “The graphics, UI, controls, and performance are all good and well, as is superficially the basics of a simple dungeon.”
- “The graphics optimization is really terrible for this game.”
- “This game is fun, but I can't recommend it due to consistent performance issues that render the game unplayable despite PC specs well above the recommended specs.”
- “Only problem is game optimization, frame drops at random moments when playing.”
atmosphere
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
34%
7%
The game's atmosphere is a mix of humor and irony, driven by a quirky narrator and playful characters, which some players find enjoyable and relaxing. However, others feel it detracts from the darker, more immersive tone of the original Dungeon Keeper, longing for a more serious and gothic atmosphere. Overall, while the game successfully creates a fun and engaging environment, it may not fully satisfy fans of the original's ambiance.
- “The way the snotlings move and work in your dungeon is satisfying to me and I enjoy the goofy atmosphere set up in this universe.”
- “Really enjoy the theme and atmosphere of the game and it's just fun to be bad in this game.”
- “All in all the feel and atmosphere of this game is superb!”
- “The atmosphere with its condescending, self-deprecating irony and a continuous onslaught of pop culture references doesn't help one bit.”
- “I haven't played the old Dungeon Keeper, but I've heard it doesn't completely live up to the atmosphere.”
- “It's the entire atmosphere that they sell with the game, and that is pretty much built out of the oft bipolar servant Thalya and the 'so-done-with-your-ish' narrator.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a mix of emotions while engaging with the game, ranging from enjoyment and humor in its parody elements to discomfort and guilt over their actions within the gameplay. The narrator's presence adds a layer of emotional depth, prompting players to reflect on their choices and the consequences of their in-game behavior. Overall, the game successfully evokes a spectrum of feelings, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The narrator actually made me feel bad for skipping his narration and the scenes, so now I wait for his narration to finish before I start building my dungeon.”
- “Owh c'mon man... it made me feel uncomfortable seeing that.”
- “Now I'm gonna talk about why this game made me feel really low.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some reviews highlight a lack of depth and engaging plot, others praise the well-written dialogue and humorous narration that enhance the overall experience. Despite its frivolous tone, there are moments of solid character arcs, particularly during the campaign. Overall, the character development adds a layer of enjoyment, even if it doesn't always reach its full potential.
- “The narration is hysterical along with the great overall character development through the story.”
- “The dialogue and character development really add an extra layer of fun!”
- “The story isn't particularly interesting, with no real character development or strong plotting, but it does its job to move you from mission A to mission B.”
- “Despite its rather frivolous overtones, the story is well written and actually has some decent character development and plot arcs if you're completing the campaign.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with some users expressing concern that it may devolve into a cash grab similar to other poorly received titles. While initial impressions are positive, there is a clear warning that future reliance on DLC and aggressive advertising could lead to disappointment.
- “It's basically Dungeon Keeper but not abandoned by someone (cough EA cough) and just cheaply made into a cash grab vile phone game with no thought into why that's a bad idea!”
- “For now a thumbs up, but if it turns into a DLC cash grab, it will be changed to a thumbs down.”
- “And then today I get a banner on my store from Kalypso about discounted games and ads for their upcoming games.”