Dungeons of Hinterberg

Dungeons of Hinterberg immaculately captures the idyllic spirit of a small mountain village with its vibrant characters, and the heightened sense of adventure that comes from exploring its many intricately designed magical dungeons.

95%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding

95% User Score Based on 940 reviews

Critic Score 76%Based on 22 reviews

Platforms

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About

In "Dungeons of Hinter," explore the Austrian Alps as Luisa, a law student turned monster slayer, taking on dungeons and puzzles while enjoying outdoor activities like snowboarding and zip lining. Equip yourself with swords and magic to defeat lurking monsters, and discover hidden treasures in this charming alpine setting. Your goal: become a Master Slayer and uncover Hinterberg's secrets. * 309 characters * Explory-action game in Austrian Alps * Luisa progresses through dungeons, using skills, swords, and magic vs monsters

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+20

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 940 reviews

story134 positive mentions

grinding26 negative mentions

Charming art style and vibrant graphics that create an immersive atmosphere.
Engaging puzzles and well-designed dungeons that keep gameplay fresh and interesting.
A unique blend of action RPG mechanics with social elements, allowing for character development and meaningful interactions.

Combat can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with limited enemy variety and basic mechanics.
Some players may find the pacing slow, especially in the early game, with excessive dialogue and handholding.
The game may not provide enough challenge for experienced players, making it feel too easy at times.

story
341 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
59%
1%
The game's story is described as cozy and engaging, blending elements of exploration, character development, and light-hearted themes surrounding tourism and self-discovery. While some players found the plot predictable and the dialogue choices lacking significant impact, many appreciated the well-written characters and the emotional depth that unfolds as the narrative progresses. Overall, the story is seen as a charming backdrop to the gameplay, with a mix of lightheartedness and thoughtful commentary on modern life.
- “The story was surprisingly well done and gradually revealed itself in-between doses of dungeon crawling.”
- “The characters are written well and feel realistic while the story and message really resonated with me.”
- “The story is engaging and very enjoyable, as well as all the characters, regardless of who you choose to get close to.”
- “The only con I can think about would be that most story choices seemed to lead to the same outcome.”
- “The plot is very generic, evil money hungry mayor, yadda yadda.”
- “Story: the story is absent, the plot is unbelievable in a way that is not fanciful but just plainly something you want to ignore, dialogue is boring and tedious, characters are shallow and forgettable.”
gameplay
261 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
59%
2%
The gameplay of this game is a blend of action-adventure mechanics reminiscent of Zelda, combined with social simulation elements akin to Persona, creating a satisfying loop of dungeon exploration and character interaction. Players appreciate the variety in dungeons, each featuring unique mechanics and puzzles, though some feel that combat can be simplistic and the overall gameplay may lack depth at times. The charming atmosphere and engaging story enhance the experience, making it a relaxing yet enjoyable adventure for players seeking a cozy gaming experience.
- “If you're looking for an adventure with charm, solid gameplay, and a unique setting—or simply a break from the day-to-day—this game is a solid pick.”
- “The gameplay loop is pretty satisfying and always gives you something to do next, so it's easy to stay and play a while.”
- “The dungeon gameplay is really fun and there are some extremely creative dungeons and boss fights, especially towards the end of the game.”
- “Combat mechanics are simplistic and clunky.”
- “The dungeons that I played were a bit too short and repeated a lot of the same mechanics.”
- “Gameplay is sloppy and slow as a turtle on some meds... there is not much difference between dungeons or the enemies... very few special abilities for the character you play as.”
graphics
215 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
47%
3%
The graphics of "Dungeons of Hinterberg" are widely praised for their vibrant, cel-shaded art style that beautifully captures the charm of the Austrian Alps, creating a unique and engaging atmosphere. Many players appreciate the game's artistic design over graphical fidelity, noting its colorful visuals, memorable character designs, and immersive environments that enhance the overall experience. While some users experienced minor performance issues and found the camera movement occasionally disorienting, the majority found the art style refreshing and captivating, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Set against a graphically stylish backdrop of the Austrian Alps and infused with Austria’s signature charm, it offers plenty of variety—from quirky yet well-developed NPCs and intriguing environments to puzzles that stay engaging throughout.”
- “The cel-shaded art style is stunning and gives the game a unique personality.”
- “The art style is thoroughly charming and helps create an almost serene, otherworldly atmosphere that lends itself well to the story and persona-like life sim aspects between the dungeons.”
- “There are graphic settings that can be tweaked to improve the framerate, but I did not see any options that fix the vanishing act of townsfolk or the occasionally low draw distance of foliage and other prop-based objects.”
- “The graphics of this game are not good enough to warrant these kinds of performance issues.”
- “Yes, the graphics are as bad as they look.”
music
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
25%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ambient and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience without being intrusive. Many players appreciate the variety in the soundtrack, which complements the unique settings and gameplay, although some find it occasionally forgettable. Overall, the music is described as beautiful, relaxing, and a significant part of the game's charm, with several players expressing a desire to purchase the soundtrack.
- “The music, art, environment, characters, everything is stylized and polished to make an incredible package.”
- “The soundtrack was lovely and the fact that it was included at the time of purchase was a nice bonus; I think a couple of the music tracks will probably end up on my music playlists.”
- “The music is phenomenal.”
- “The soundtrack is very bland.”
- “Music: nothing stood out to me up to the second dungeon, just forgettable background noises.”
- “Music adds to the adventure with each area having a different style, but it can get old after a while.”
atmosphere
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
40%
7%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its cozy, immersive quality, enhanced by charming graphics, a fitting soundtrack, and well-crafted world-building. Players appreciate the relaxing vacation-like vibe that contrasts with engaging combat and puzzle-solving elements, creating a delightful exploration experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal and enjoyment.
- “The monster slaying gameplay is solid but very much takes a backseat to the unbelievably cozy atmosphere crafted here.”
- “The art style, graphics, music, and gameplay - everything matches perfectly together and gives a wonderful vibe and atmosphere!”
- “A delightfully cozy and atmospheric exploration and puzzle platforming adventure in the Alps.”
- “It rarely contributed to the atmosphere.”
- “Only thing I'm not a fan about so far is how similar some of the dungeons' atmospheres are.”
- “I suppose the game is all about atmosphere and style (if you're into this kind of visual presentation), because, in my opinion, the gameplay does not do very well: the fighting lacks momentum and inertia, the acrobatics are quite tedious, the camera moves all over the place (at least when using mouse), and the battles are both scarce and beyond easy.”
optimization
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
74%
11%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues such as camera stuttering and lag, particularly during combat and in open-world areas. While many found it playable on various platforms, including the Steam Deck, with generally stable frame rates, others noted that performance could degrade in specific environments or when running on battery. Overall, while the game is lightweight and runs well for some, there are still notable optimization concerns that developers need to address.
- “Performance wise the game is very lightweight; I was able to play max settings 1080p at 60 fps locked with a 1650 Super. There were some very selected moments where it did drop in some environments, but only to 50-55 fps and very rarely.”
- “I've played most of the game in Linux Mint 22, and performance is surprisingly on par with Windows given we are playing over Proton on Linux, which is a compatibility layer. It was supposed to lose performance, so if you intend to play on the Steam Deck, it will probably work without issues and with surprising performance.”
- “Steam Deck performance was pretty solid with only a few minor drops below 60 fps, mostly in the parts where a lot of the zone was visible.”
- “I loved playing through all the content, but there is one major issue that the devs haven't fixed: camera stuttering/lag.”
- “Even if you limit your frames to 60 FPS, you're still going to experience inopportune moments of stuttering/lagging in the middle of tricky fights.”
- “The graphics have hardly been optimized. It's not like high-resolution textures are used here, etc... but it eats up too much performance.”
grinding
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
96%
Reviews on the aspect of "grinding" highlight a mixed reception, with some players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in resource farming and social interactions. While minor grinding is often necessary for materials and character development, many appreciate that the games manage to balance this with engaging puzzles and enjoyable environments, preventing the experience from becoming overly tedious. Overall, the presence of grinding varies, with some players feeling it detracts from the enjoyment, while others find it manageable within the game's context.
- “The grinding aspect of the game is engaging and keeps me motivated to progress.”
- “I love how the grinding feels rewarding, with each level bringing new challenges and excitement.”
- “The grind is balanced perfectly, making it enjoyable rather than a chore.”
- “Unfortunately, the only thing that pissed me off is that it's easy to get to the last dungeons, and you will have a lot of social links to improve and quests to do, which require grinding. This is the opposite compared to Persona 4 Golden.”
- “Changing this to negative for randomly adding obnoxious grinding achievements for no reason.”
- “Simple leveling and social grinding.”
emotional
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its wholesome and cozy narrative, featuring relatable characters and heartfelt storytelling that touches on themes like mental wellbeing and the impact of tourism. Players appreciate the engaging plot and charming dialogue, which foster a strong emotional attachment, making it a memorable and touching experience. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to evoke genuine feelings, creating a relaxing and introspective atmosphere.
- “This is a solid 7/10 game, maybe even 8/10 if you factor in the emotional attachment to the characters.”
- “Story was surprisingly engaging once it starts moving, the characters are very charming and relatable, and the dialogue can get surprisingly heartfelt, introspective, thoughtful, touching on things like mental wellbeing, human connections, the effects of tourism and commercialization on nature etc. it's all just great stuff, and since there's no time limit, the day structure is never too stressful, if you don't see a character you wanted to spend time with one evening, you just do something else and talk to them the next evening instead.”
- “I cried so hard during this because it felt really like saying goodbye to them as you learn to know them quite a lot.”
character development
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and well-structured narratives, offering players engaging stories and tactical decisions that enhance the experience. While the upgrade trees are expansive and the character design is vibrant, some players find certain designs uninspired or overly stylized. Overall, the balance of combat, exploration, and character growth contributes to a satisfying gameplay loop, though opinions on character design vary.
- “The upgrade and character development trees are well thought out and expansive.”
- “Getting to know these characters was a lot of fun, and I wasn't expecting the game to have such good character development and well-structured narratives.”
- “Perfect balance of combat, exploration, and character development.”
- “I should've taken the hint from the art style and character design, but this game is definitely not for me.”
- “Its very visually-stylized, which works for the setting, but the character designs are very uninspired, instead falling under the corporate Memphis brand of progressive quirk.”
- “Through the game, she has zero character development; she stays the same woman that came to Hinterburg.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
29%
14%
The game's replayability is generally viewed positively, with features like new game plus and multiple choices enhancing the experience. Players appreciate the variety in enemy patterns and the presence of multiple paths and side quests, which contribute to a fresh feel in each playthrough. However, some reviewers feel that while enjoyable, the game may not have significant replay value for everyone.
- “Overall a really good game, and now that it has New Game Plus, it adds significant replay value.”
- “Currently about halfway through after about 12 hours, but it seems like there is a good amount of replayability with how many different choices you can make throughout each day.”
- “Dungeons of Hinterberg really feels like a game the developers care about and put a ton of effort into making a fun, replayable experience.”
- “I would say the game is not replayable, but not every game needs to be.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Dungeons of Hinterberg" is characterized by precise writing and expressive character interactions, blending meaningful dialogue with lightheartedness. Players appreciate the charming and funny take on dungeon crawling, enhanced by memorable characters and whimsical scenarios that tackle real-life issues in a humorous manner. Overall, the game offers a delightful mix of exploration, social interaction, and comedic elements that contribute to its cozy atmosphere.
- “Love the details in the facial expressions, and the humor in the writing.”
- “Each day is split between exploring, dungeon delving, preparation, and social interaction with meaningful and humorous dialogue with memorable characters.”
- “Dungeons of Hinterberg is a breezy, funny, charming take on dungeon crawling and adventure, with cozy Austrian mountain town vibes, several endearing characters to befriend and spend time with, and numerous fun, imaginative dungeons to explore and conquer in between.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, particularly on the Steam Deck, where it runs smoothly even on low-powered hardware. While there are minor glitches and a few non-breaking bugs reported, players have generally found it to be surprisingly bug-free for an indie title.
- “The game runs great on the Steam Deck, so even low-powered hardware won't have an issue running it.”
- “Played entirely on Steam Deck so far; it runs great.”
- “Surprisingly bug-free for an indie game - I haven't encountered any bugs in my whole playthrough.”
- “Despite the linear level design and a few glitches, I'm enjoying this game.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it hard to progress.”
- “I encountered several bugs that disrupted my gameplay experience.”