DungeonUp
- September 4, 2015
- Clewcat Games
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam"DungeonUp is an adventure, single-player dungeon crawler with a good story and a lot of grinding. The game features 50+ procedurally generated levels across 5 zones, each with different monsters, themes, and a boss battle. It also includes 40+ unique items, 40+ monsters, and 10 levels with secrets and plots. With 3 difficulty levels and a maze mode, DungeonUp offers fun and challenges for both casual and hardcore players."
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of puzzle and RPG elements, making it engaging and strategic.
- Charming pixel art style and nostalgic 8-bit soundtrack enhance the overall experience.
- Many players found the game surprisingly addictive and enjoyable, providing hours of fun for a low price.
- The randomly generated levels can lead to frustrating situations, including game-breaking scenarios.
- Some bosses are overly difficult without proper hints, causing players to lose significant progress.
- The game suffers from repetitive gameplay and lacks depth, making it feel tedious after a few hours.
- story46 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The story in "Dungeonup" features a light yet intriguing narrative, enhanced by occasional lore and NPC interactions, though many players feel it lacks depth and suffers from repetitive story beats. While the main quest is engaging, the randomly generated levels can hinder progression and detract from the overall experience, making it feel unfair and unfun at times. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the potential of the storyline and the inclusion of a level editor for creating more structured narratives.
“Dungeonup offers more than just gameplay; it's imbued with a light yet intriguing storyline.”
“The occasional lore and NPC interactions sprinkle bits of storytelling, much like the tales we share in Howlstrom around the fire.”
“Great plot; I was surprised to see the amount of plot in this game, it definitely piqued my interest more than it had the right to!”
“I was looking past typos, terrible story, tedious backtracking, being screwed out of currency because I spent it all on an item that was on the next floor, and more... but the above was the kicker.”
“What really bothers me about it, besides repeating its lame story beats over and over, is that there's the germ of a good idea in here.”
“The fatal flaw is that, in story mode, most of the floors are randomly generated the way a roguelike would be.”
- graphics34 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game features a charming pixel art style that evokes nostalgia for classic 16-bit games, with distinct thematic elements in each dungeon zone that keep the visuals engaging. While many players appreciate the retro aesthetics and 8-bit soundtrack, some criticize the graphics for being outdated and lacking resolution options, with a few noting clunky elements in the level editor. Overall, the graphics are a mixed bag, appealing to fans of retro art but potentially disappointing for those seeking modern visuals.
“The game sports a charming pixel art style, reminiscent of classic 16-bit games.”
“Each dungeon zone boasts distinct thematic elements, keeping the visuals fresh and engaging.”
“As someone who appreciates the beauty in simplicity, I found the game's visuals to be both nostalgic and pleasing to the eye.”
“Sadly, the level editor harkens back to the pre-rendered graphics era in that it is incredibly clunky and awkward to utilize to its full potential and doesn't seem to render enemies like the giant scorpion or blue dragon properly.”
“Other more minor grievances include the bland graphics and poor music.”
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- gameplay29 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "dungeonup" combines roguelike and puzzle elements, emphasizing strategic decision-making within a procedurally generated dungeon. While the core mechanics are well-designed and engaging, players note issues such as repetitiveness, lack of new mechanics over time, and visual polish, leading to a mixed reception overall. Additionally, some mechanics, like boss encounters, are criticized for being poorly implemented, contributing to a sense of frustration.
“dungeonup presents a unique blend of roguelike and puzzle gameplay, set in a dynamic, procedurally generated dungeon.”
“The core gameplay of dungeonup revolves around making strategic choices at every step.”
“Engaging and strategic gameplay.”
“I really liked the game but as some reviews say, the gameplay is defined by pure luck (floor generation).”
“Edit: after about 2 hours the game lost its charm because no real new mechanics were opening up, just bigger hitpoint bars on the monsters and more attack damage for the hero.”
“There is zero reason to buy it as it is almost completely identical in gameplay.”
- music24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's music, characterized by its 8-bit chiptune style, is generally well-composed and relaxing, enhancing the overall experience. However, many players find it becomes repetitive and tedious over time, leading some to mute it for a more serene gaming session. While some enjoy the soundtrack enough to listen to it outside of the game, others criticize it as simplistic and lacking variety.
“The game's soundtrack, with its 8-bit charm, complements the visual aesthetics perfectly.”
“I love the music a lot and often listen to it at work.”
“- Relaxing soundtrack, very well composed!”
“Unfortunately, the music, as fun as it is, gets very repetitive very quickly.”
“Very simplistic mechanically, easy to play, interesting use of tactics to get through it, very repetitive, tedious; the music makes you want to be deaf very quickly.”
“Other more minor grievances include the bland graphics and crappy music.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, often requiring them to re-grind hours of progress without offering new experiences. The repetitive nature of the gameplay, combined with maze levels that feel broken and unengaging, contributes to a sense of monotony and dissatisfaction. Overall, while the mechanics may be simple and easy to grasp, the grinding elements detract significantly from the enjoyment of the game.
“Re-grinding 1-2 hours of progress does not provide much more new experiences, if any.”
“Maze levels are both boring, grindy, broken, and generally lame.”
“Very simplistic mechanically, easy to play, interesting use of tactics to get through it, very repetitive and tedious.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game is considered quite replayable due to its effective RNG system and varied floor layouts, which enhance the experience despite some bugs and problems. Many players find it more interesting and engaging than other titles in their libraries, highlighting its appeal for repeated playthroughs.
“But despite its basic simplicity, this game has proved more interesting and replayable than most other games in my library.”
“Nice RNG system; most of the generated floor layouts are playable.”
“Quite replayable (if not taking the bugs/problems into account).”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is reported to have some stability issues, including minor bugs and lag when transitioning between floors. Additionally, there are concerns about the level of ongoing developer support.
“A bit buggy, with minor lag between floors; I'm unsure if the game still receives developer attention.”
“A bit buggy, with minor lag between floors; I'm unsure if the game still receives developer attention.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Dungeonup is criticized for its monetization strategy, as it is perceived as a cash grab by developers who have repackaged a free browser game for sale on Steam, seeking to profit from players despite its lack of depth and quality as a full PC game.
“Dungeonup is a free-to-play Adobe Flash/Air browser game that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a fully fledged PC game. It's a cash grab from greedy web developers who want your money for a free browser game.”
“The monetization in this game is outrageous; it feels like every corner is designed to squeeze more money out of players.”
“I can't believe how many microtransactions are crammed into this game. It ruins the experience and makes it feel like a constant money grab.”
