Dustbowl

About

Dustbowl is a single player survival role playing game. It was developed by Thomas and was released on December 12, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Dustbowl" is a single-player, survival point-and-click role-playing game, with a retro C64 look and a mature, intriguing story. The game features a day and night cycle, health, thirst, hunger, and sleep systems, inventory weight system, combat, quests, and randomization. It is designed to be challenging with permadeath and trash loot, meant for players seeking a hard-earned, rewarding experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 102 reviews

story21 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Dustbowl offers a charming retro aesthetic and a compelling post-apocalyptic story that draws players in.
The game features a unique combat system that, while simple, adds an interesting layer of strategy and timing to encounters.
Exploration and scavenging in a vast, atmospheric world reminiscent of classic RPGs like Fallout provide a nostalgic experience for players.

The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including a small window size on high-resolution systems and inconsistent combat mechanics that can lead to frustration.
Resource management is often tedious, with players frequently running low on supplies and facing a random difficulty curve that can feel unfair.
The lack of a proper tutorial and unclear quest directions can lead to confusion, making it difficult for players to navigate the game effectively.

story
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
66%
4%
The story of "Dustbowl" is set in a post-apocalyptic world following an alien invasion, featuring a mix of main and side quests that are engaging and well-written, though some players find the quest mechanics cumbersome and the writing occasionally bland. While the narrative is compelling and evokes nostalgia for classic RPGs, it suffers from technical issues and a lack of clear direction at times, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, many players appreciate the intriguing plot and memorable characters, making it a worthwhile journey for fans of the genre.
- “Although the setting plays on the trope of a post-apocalypse, it does so inventively, breathing life into the story being told.”
- “Dustbowl is a fantastic game, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it is. The storyline and, to some extent, the gameplay is as good as Fallout 1 or 2.”
- “The story is well done, and the general feeling is good.”
- “But why oh why would you make a story-based game without putting any effort into the writing?”
- “Unfortunately, the story-telling is a bit weird.”
- “It's got a really cool idea, but it doesn't tell you enough of what to do, and for a game that's supposed to be story-based rather than survival/open-world, this game doesn't work very well.”
graphics
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
64%
10%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro aesthetic that evokes nostalgia for classic pixel art, reminiscent of Atari-era and early PC games. While many players appreciate the unique art style and atmospheric presentation, some criticize the visuals as being unattractive or lacking in resolution options. Overall, the graphics successfully complement the game's point-and-click and survival RPG elements, appealing primarily to fans of old-school gaming.
- “Really cool retro aesthetic, good atmosphere.”
- “That said, this game looks pretty stunning in both its presentation and utilization of these old pixel graphics.”
- “The art style is very retro, and the eye to design has been thoughtful and considered.”
- “Atmosphere is ok but overall the graphics burn my eyes out.”
- “Ugly even by pixelated graphics standards.”
- “But you may be disappointed by the complete lack of graphics options, as you are forced to play in a window at a locked resolution.”
gameplay
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
59%
10%
The gameplay of Dustbowl is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of old-school point-and-click mechanics, exploration, and light survival elements, but marred by repetitive combat and awkward controls. While some players found the initial grind frustrating, subsequent updates have improved balance and introduced new systems, leading to a more enjoyable experience for many. Overall, the game offers an evocative atmosphere and engaging story, though it suffers from janky mechanics and a lack of depth in certain gameplay aspects.
- “Gameplay is a mashup of old-school point-and-click adventuring, looting, exploration, questing, and combat.”
- “Dustbowl is a fantastic game and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it is; the storyline and, to some extent, the gameplay is as good as Fallout 1 or 2.”
- “Genuinely interesting dialogs and a strong variety of gameplay options - the art and music are great too.”
- “Massively boring repetitive gameplay.”
- “However, the controls are atrocious, movement is awkward, the writing bland, combat is poor and within the first 5 minutes of gameplay I'm hit with a plethora of mundane side quests which I have no desire of doing.”
- “Gameplay: 3/10 (it's not bug nor crash free, combat is boring, map-traveling is wonky, lacks loot content)”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its retro aesthetic and haunting quality, effectively immersing players in a minimalist, eerie world reminiscent of Atari-era graphics. While some users note issues with graphics and polish, the overall ambiance, complemented by a fitting soundtrack, enhances the exploration experience and contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “It's a point-and-click adventure game meshed with a survival RPG using Atari-era graphics done by what I assume is a one-man team, and by some miracle it is mostly bug-free, atmospheric, and good.”
- “It's a really fun minimalist, retro-styled thing with a great haunting atmosphere and, somehow, a heart of its own.”
- “Like Fallout, Dustbowl is more about the exploration on a world map than it is its mazes and monsters (although the game has plenty of those) and exploring an empty and eerily quiet world that is as strange as it is hostile, with a great atmospheric soundtrack to boot.”
- “It feels very unpolished overall, even unfinished in certain areas, although the setting and atmosphere really appeals to me and makes up for its shortcomings.”
- “Created in AGS, it suffers from the engine limitations (like map traveling), but it makes up for it in story and atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere, first of all, is something that I look for in all my games.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The music in the game is praised for its atmospheric quality, with a dynamic soundtrack that adapts to the player's location and story progression, enhancing the exploration experience. However, some users find the sound effects repetitive and prefer to mute them in favor of the soundtrack. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, despite some minor issues with combat audio.
- “You get stock sounds for combat and such, and some really cool background music that changes depending on where you are on the map or in the story progression itself.”
- “Like Fallout, Dustbowl is more about the exploration on a world map than it is its mazes and monsters (although the game has plenty of those) and exploring an empty and eerily quiet world that is as strange as it is hostile, with a great atmospheric soundtrack to boot.”
- “Genuinely interesting dialogues and a strong variety of gameplay options - the art and music are great too.”
- “I mute the in-game sound and play the soundtrack in the background using my media player.”
- “Combat occasionally freezes with the character readying his weapon, the combat music starting, but no enemy appearing.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite tedious, particularly due to the unique but frustrating combat mini-game and the inability to skip certain sequences, especially during permadeath runs. While developers have made efforts to improve the experience with balance patches and an experience point system, many still feel that the overall gameplay remains grindy and lacks sufficient options to avoid repetitive battles.
- “It gets incredibly tedious.”
- “The main focus of the combat is trying to get the moving line-thing to be in the middle, and it gets extremely tedious when there is a one-second delay when you click it.”
- “However, the battle system falls short of expectations and is overall tedious without a way to 'run away' from battle.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting significant bugs, including combat freezes and game-breaking glitches that disrupt quest lines. While some players acknowledge that the experience can still be enjoyable despite these issues, the overall consensus highlights a concerning level of instability.
- “Buggy mess.”
- “Combat occasionally freezes with the character readying his weapon, the combat music starting, but no enemy appearing.”
- “Occasional glitches that end up freezing the game and a broken quest line puts the final nail in the coffin.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The game features a monetization model free from microtransactions, loot boxes, and in-app purchases, which has been positively received by users.
- “There are no microtransactions, loot boxes, or in-app purchases.”
- “The game is refreshing because it has no microtransactions, loot boxes, or in-app purchases.”
- “I appreciate that there are no microtransactions, loot boxes, or in-app purchases in this game.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by genuine, amusing moments that can occur during gameplay, often leading to unexpected laughter and enjoyment for players.
- “Here is a little funny moment that actually happened on stream.”