Dungeons & Jewels
- April 21, 2023
- JJJ
"Dungeons & Jewels" is a tile-matching roguelike game inspired by 90's dungeon crawlers and classic PC puzzle games. The demo includes 2 characters, 3 levels, and over 20 spells/relics to collect. The full version, coming soon to Steam, offers 7 dungeon branches, 50+ enemies, 50+ spells/relics, and 4 playable characters, providing a variety of build options and challenges.
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of match-3 mechanics and roguelite elements, providing a variety of enemy types and spells that enhance gameplay.
- It's highly addictive and replayable, with different game modes and a good balance of strategy and randomness.
- Despite its simple graphics, the game is charming and engaging, making it a great value for fans of the genre.
- The endless mode can become unplayable due to performance issues and a lack of visibility for relics, leading to frustrating experiences.
- Some mechanics feel overly reliant on RNG, making it difficult to progress without the right matches, which can lead to a sense of helplessness.
- The user interface is considered obtuse by some players, making it hard to understand certain mechanics and the value of items.
- gameplay26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a fun and engaging match-3 mechanic that incorporates various innovative elements, such as ordered matches, boss fights, and puzzle-like encounters. Players must master board manipulation to effectively tackle diverse enemies, making the experience both challenging and satisfying. While the core mechanics are generally well-received, some players feel that certain aspects could benefit from rethinking to enhance overall balance and accessibility.
“Really fun match 3 game with interesting mechanics to keep you engaged, and nice music.”
“The mechanics in this are really impressive and go above and beyond that classic.”
“It takes its simple mechanics and puts you through the ringer trying to create proper setups for the matches you need to deal with the tougher enemies, and that makes it very satisfying when you do manage to get a run going and actually beat it.”
“Like say you have to match green and then red or whatever (neat mechanic, ordered matches), but like there's maybe one red tile on the screen and you have no real powers to use because you just started.”
“In specific, gameplay requires that you master the manipulation of the board, because every enemy has a different way of being killed.”
“I sometimes want a game that focuses on the mechanics and does not require a huge attention commitment.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as simple and reminiscent of old PC games, which some players find charming despite their rudimentary nature. While there are minor graphical glitches and a repetitive soundtrack, the vibrant art style and colorful visuals contribute positively to the overall experience. Ultimately, many reviewers emphasize that the graphics should not deter players from enjoying the challenging gameplay.
“The graphics are simple, making me think of really old PC games, and I find that charming.”
“Art style is really nice; it uses a lot of colors.”
“A deceptively good match-3 roguelite despite first impressions and primitive graphics.”
“Rudimentary graphics.”
“Don't let the simple graphics fool you.”
- music14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and enjoyable, with some users appreciating the soundtrack while others find it repetitive and lacking in quality. While it enhances the gaming experience, there are notable issues with short loops and noticeable overlaps. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some players considering it a fun addition and others suggesting it needs improvement.
“Really fun match 3 game with interesting mechanics to keep you engaged, and nice music.”
“Pretty fun game, cool soundtrack, worth the 5 quid.”
“Super indie graphics, music and sound effects.”
“Music could use some work.”
“Music is a bit repetitive.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its skill-based mechanics, branching paths, and the ability to choose starting items and spells, ensuring that each playthrough feels unique. Players consistently find the experience exciting and engaging, with many noting that they never encounter the same game twice. Overall, the game is praised for its solid design and significant replay value.
“This game has a lot of replayability and is exciting to play.”
“The ability to pick your starting item and spell gives it a good amount of replay value.”
“Never the same game twice makes the replay value good.”
“I have to say that it is surprisingly replayable!”
“But besides that, the game is really solid and has a ton of replayability!”
“The game takes skill and offers branching paths and replay value.”
- story8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story of the game is reminiscent of classic puzzle quest titles, offering a nostalgic experience for fans of the genre. While it leans more towards a traditional roguelike style, it is praised for its variety and engaging gameplay, making it a compelling choice for those who enjoyed earlier puzzle quest games.
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with users finding it entertaining and funny, particularly highlighting the amusing elements of the pixel art and gameplay. The combination of humor and engaging mechanics contributes to its addictive nature.
“Addictive, interesting, entertaining, and funny.”
“Funny pixel 3 in a row.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits some stability issues, including minor graphical glitches and a few bugs, which contribute to a rough overall experience. However, these issues do not significantly detract from the gameplay, which offers a good variety of enemies and unlockable content.
“A bit buggy though.”
“Granted it may feel a little rough around the edges (came across a few minor graphical glitches and music is a bit repetitive), but regardless there's a good amount of enemy variety (i.e. different methods to defeat them) and unlockable spells/relics to be had here.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by appropriately atmospheric music that is often praised, though some users note that the short loops and noticeable overlaps can detract from the overall experience.
“The music is appropriately atmospheric, even good at times, but the loops are short and the overlaps are noticeable.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Users report that the game experiences performance drops when players' characters become too powerful, indicating potential optimization issues that affect gameplay fluidity.
“I experienced a performance drop when my character reached a high level of power.”
“The game struggles with performance issues when your character is overly powerful.”
“There is a noticeable performance drop when your character becomes too powerful.”
“The game experiences significant lag when my character reaches high levels of power.”
“I encounter severe performance issues as my character gains more strength.”