Dungeons & Geese

About

"Dungeons & Geese" is a challenging old-school platformer set in XIX century Victorian England, where an old man seeks truth and a valuable resource after losing his fortune. Engage in combat using various Spears of Satan, and keep the protagonist alive with food and elixirs. Experience deep characters, suspenseful dialogs, and intense plot twists in this testosterone-overloaded game with bosses to match.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

50%

Audience ScoreBased on 18 reviews

atmosphere1 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and bizarre storyline that some players find engaging and entertaining.
The soundtrack, particularly the melancholic piano music, is well-received and adds to the atmosphere of the game.
Despite its flaws, the game is playable and offers a challenging experience for those who enjoy difficult platformers.

The controls are clumsy and unresponsive, making platforming frustrating and inconsistent.
The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including bugs, poor hit detection, and a lack of sound effects.
The artwork is considered low quality, with amateurish designs that detract from the overall experience.

story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The game's story is described as bizarre yet oddly consistent, featuring a rich, gay drunkard who wakes up with amnesia and battles rats using unconventional weapons. While the narrative is entertaining and the characters are unique, it suffers from localization issues that can make it difficult to fully grasp, and some players find it to be the weakest aspect of the game. Overall, despite its flaws, the story stands out as the most enjoyable part of the experience.
- “Flawed indie platformer with a bizarre but oddly consistent storyline.”
- “An old, rich, and surprisingly relevant story-wise gay drunkard wakes up in a basement after a party, having lost their memory, and has to fight rats by throwing 'pink spears' at them.”
- “Crazy and badly translated as it is, the best part of the game is the story.”
- “Story is fine, but there are some bugs out there that really ruin the overall quality of the game.”
- “Story-wise, it's somewhat hard to understand... why rats?”
- “I haven't seen all the storyline yet; it's the weakest point of the game for me (mostly due to English localization, Russian is definitely better), but the characters are funny and unique.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The music in the game is characterized by melancholic Victorian-style piano compositions that create a captivating atmosphere, earning praise for its uniqueness in the indie genre. Reviewers express a strong emotional connection to the soundtrack, highlighting its quality and recommending the purchase of the soundtrack for an enhanced experience.
- “From the very beginning, the soundtrack and the atmosphere thoroughly won my heart.”
- “It's pretty unique for an indie project; the music is great, and I liked the dialogues and characters.”
- “No sound effects: just Victorian-style melancholic piano music and a volume slider (in the menu) keep you company.”
- “Drink all night, wake up in some cellar to depressing Russian piano music.”
- “From the very beginning, the soundtrack and the atmosphere of it thoroughly won my heart.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for their poor quality, featuring a mix of outdated pixel art and amateurish MS Paint-style drawings. Reviewers note a lack of resolution options and customization, contributing to an overall unsatisfactory visual experience that detracts from the game's appeal. The art style is polarizing, with some finding it original while others deem it unattractive.
- “The artwork here is terrible; it's a blend of old retro pixel art used as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics, and some of the most amateurish MS Paint style drawings (I won't deign to call these 'illustrations').”
- “It's unclear if this is due to a lack of budget to hire someone who can do graphics properly, or a lack of talent; regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is extremely low as a result of these decisions.”
- “There's no options to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The gameplay is criticized for its odd and unconventional jumping mechanics that detract from the overall experience, making it difficult for players to engage with the game. Additionally, the lack of clear explanations for various items further complicates understanding the mechanics, leaving players frustrated rather than entertained.
- “The odd, unconventional jumping mechanics in most platformers, where the time you press 'W' (or whatever jump key) affects how high you jump, add a unique twist to the gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is enhanced by vivid, surreal narratives that create an engaging experience for players who appreciate storytelling.”
- “The lack of explanation for other items, such as the red bottle, can make it challenging for players to fully understand the mechanics of the game.”
- “Whatever satire or joke they were going for falls flat, and the gameplay is even worse than the premise.”
- “Odd, unconventional jumping mechanics: in most platformers, the time you press 'W' (or whatever jump key) affects how high you jump.”
- “Lack of explanation for other items (e.g., the red bottle) doesn't help players understand the mechanics of the game.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of "Dungeons & Geese" is criticized for being buggy and clumsy, leading to a frustrating experience for players. Many reviewers noted that the game's technical issues detract significantly from its overall enjoyment, making it difficult to recommend despite its unique charm.
- “I cannot in good faith recommend Dungeons & Geese - it is a buggy, clumsy platformer that just screams mediocrity.”
- “Dungeons & Geese is hard, buggy, and messy; sometimes I wanted to give up even on the first levels.”
- “It is obvious that non-professionals made this game; it is sometimes buggy, but it definitely has its own spirit.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that Gamemaker Studio is frequently associated with the creation of retro pixel games that are perceived as low-quality "shovelware" and cash grabs, suggesting a negative view of its monetization practices.
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, prioritizing profit over player experience.”
- “In-game purchases are heavily pushed, making it difficult to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “The constant barrage of ads and microtransactions ruins the immersion and enjoyment of the game.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a childlike art style that, despite its simplicity, evokes a warm and unique ambiance.
- “It looks like a child drew it, but it is still warm and creates a unique atmosphere.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is characterized by its unique and funny characters, although some players feel that the storyline suffers, particularly due to issues with English localization compared to the Russian version.
- “The characters are funny and unique, which adds a lot of charm to the game.”
- “I love the humor in this game; it keeps the experience light and enjoyable.”
- “The witty dialogue and hilarious situations make every moment entertaining.”