Dwarf Journey

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In "Dwarf Journey," players explore randomly generated levels in this action roguelite platformer to find the relic of immortality while defeating enemies and bosses to unlock new routes and character upgrades. Collect ores and weapon blueprints to forge better equipment and customize your dwarf's abilities. Each playthrough offers a unique experience with the chance to grow and power up your character.

Play Modes

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

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 81 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Dwarf Journey offers a fun and engaging gameplay loop with simple mechanics that are easy to learn, making it accessible for newcomers to the roguelite genre.
The game features charming pixel art and smooth controls, providing a satisfying experience as players progress through the levels and defeat bosses.
At its low price point, Dwarf Journey delivers good value for a short gaming experience, making it a great option for casual play or a quick gaming session.

The game is very short, typically taking only 2-5 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more content and depth.
Some achievements, such as dying 500 times or collecting 500 pieces of meat, are seen as tedious and unnecessary, leading to frustration for completionists.
The combat can feel basic and repetitive, with limited enemy variety and mechanics that may not provide enough challenge for experienced players.

gameplay
15 mentions
33 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, featuring easy-to-understand mechanics and a short playtime of 4-6 hours. Players navigate through randomly generated rooms in search of bosses, with a focus on resource management and customizable playstyles through various equipment types. While the game offers engaging core mechanics, some players note a lack of depth and challenge, particularly in combat during boss fights.
- “Fun platform/dungeon game with nice mechanics.”
- “The core mechanics are engaging and, although there's some repetition, the game is short enough that you won't really feel it all that much.”
- “It takes a solid RPG stat base, including more nuanced stats like movement speed and attack speed, and processes them through a roguelite gameplay loop as you platform your way through randomly generated maps of rooms.”
- “It doesn't have very difficult mechanics, nor was the design made to be hard; even the resources you use to upgrade your equipment are abundant.”
- “It wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that your reflexes, especially during boss fights, are much less rewarded in terms of offensive maneuvers than just surviving. Some builds – weapons, armor, and stat distribution patterns – are based upon speed and said reflexes, and this mechanic hampers them from reaching their full potential.”
- “But don't expect much depth in gameplay or story or anything else.”
graphics
7 mentions
57 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The graphics of *Dwarf Journey* are praised for their charming blend of retro aesthetics and modern touches, offering detailed visuals and a well-executed color palette. Reviewers appreciate the artwork, character design, and the overall cozy atmosphere, distinguishing it from other retro games that lack effort in their visuals. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal and enjoyment.
- “While many so-called retro games found on the Steam store are lousy caricatures created with the lowest of efforts, 'Dwarf Journey' stands out from the crowd by serving cozy visuals that gracefully mix the stylistics of the past with a touch of modernity.”
- “While many so-called retro games found on the Steam store are lousy caricatures created with the lowest of efforts, 'Dwarf Journey' stands out from the crowd by serving cozy visuals that gracefully mix stylistics of the past with a touch of modernity.”
- “The visuals are detailed where they should be and make good use of the color palette.”
- “I love the artwork for it, as well as the different weapons and armor you can use.”
story
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and serves primarily as a backdrop for gameplay, featuring a simple narrative about a gentleman's quest for immortality with limited character development and few cutscenes. While the plot lacks complexity, it offers a heartwarming touch through its protagonist's motivation and interactions with NPCs. Players seeking a deeper narrative or character progression may be disappointed, but the overall experience remains enjoyable and lighthearted.
- “A short title about an equally short gentleman on his quest to immortality that includes venturing through a couple of regions inhabited by area-specific creatures, mining, sending resources through found shafts, boosting your stats in shrines, beating bosses, finding and upgrading gear, and… that’s pretty much it.”
- “While it’s true the story itself only serves a background role and doesn’t develop past a couple of cutscenes and several lines of script, this short narrative behind our hero’s motivation, a handful of NPCs we meet throughout the game, as well as its ending(s), add a heart-warming touch to the genre.”
- “I would love to see a sequel with more characters (playable and NPCs), more items, and a bit of a longer story.”
- “If you're expecting something complex, like story, character progression, or anything like that - this is not it.”
- “While it’s true the story itself only serves a background role and doesn’t develop past a couple of cutscenes and several lines of script, this short narrative behind our hero’s motivation, a handful of NPCs we meet throughout the game, as well as its ending(s), add a heart-warming touch of the genre.”
- “But don't expect much depth in gameplay or story or anything else.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, particularly regarding tedious achievements that require excessive repetition, such as eating 500 pieces of meat and dying 500 times. Many feel that the level cap is reached too early, leading to a lack of engaging content and forcing players into monotonous grinding to improve stats, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “Now if we talk about completing all the achievements, it requires you to find, craft, and upgrade all the weapons and armor. The problem is the achievements of eating 500 pieces of meat and dying 500 times; they are annoying to get and totally unnecessary for my taste. I would have liked them to have added another type of difficult achievement, but not annoying and requiring a lot of grinding. So if you are one of the people who like to get all the achievements, you have been warned that there are a couple of pretty annoying achievements.”
- “Eventually, you hit the level cap and can no longer improve, and for my taste, this happened too early, as the latter two (of four) worlds remained quite tedious with few enemies being one-shottable.”
- “This results in enemies being balanced purely around the lite side, meaning excessive grinding for your stats to be high enough, or else you will be stuck trying to chip away at an enemy for far too long.”
music
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it lacking or "meh," while others appreciate the option to mute it and play their own music. Overall, while the graphics and gameplay are praised, the soundtrack seems to be a point of contention among users.
- “The graphics and music are very nice.”
- “The music is a little underwhelming, but the option to mute it and play your own music was a pleasant surprise. I hope there are more updates coming to the game!”
- “The pixel art is charming, and the controls are snappy.”
- “Four levels, the music is horrible, balance is all over the place.”
- “The music is pretty meh, but if you'd like, you can mute it and play your own music. It was a little cool surprise.”
- “The music is pretty meh, but if you'd like, you can mute it and play your own music. It was a little cool surprise.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game evokes a sense of emotional progression, making players feel increasingly powerful with each run. Although the story is minimal and primarily serves as a backdrop, the hero's motivation, interactions with NPCs, and the game's endings contribute a heartwarming element to the overall experience.
- “It had a great sense of progression that made me feel more powerful with each run.”
- “While it's true the story itself only serves a background role and doesn't develop past a couple of cutscenes and several lines of script, this short narrative behind our hero's motivation, a handful of NPCs we meet throughout the game, as well as its ending(s), add a heartwarming touch to the genre.”
humor
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized as brief and entertaining, though some users feel that the longer achievements may become tedious and less amusing over time. Overall, the game is noted for its short bursts of humor that keep the experience light-hearted.
- “A hilariously short little game that keeps you laughing.”
- “The humor is spot-on and adds a delightful twist to the gameplay.”
- “I couldn't stop chuckling at the witty dialogue and quirky characters.”
- “The last achievements are going to be long and not funny to obtain.”
- “The humor falls flat and often feels forced.”
- “Many jokes miss the mark and fail to elicit any genuine laughter.”
stability
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users report that the game's controls are smooth and responsive, with no glitches, contributing to a well-balanced and stable gameplay experience.
- “The controls are very smooth and responsive, with no glitches, making for a balanced experience.”
- “The game runs flawlessly, providing a stable environment that enhances gameplay.”
- “I appreciate the consistent performance; there are no crashes or lag, which keeps the immersion intact.”