Dwarven Realms

86%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,349 reviews
  • gameplay
  • grinding
  • graphics
Dwarven Realms Game Cover
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"Dwarven Realms" is a third-person ARPG that features innovative gameplay through its dynamic itemization system and strategic combat. With a community-centric development approach, the game offers a unique skill tree for diverse weapon professions, ensuring an immersive and personalized experience for each player. Players can expect constant updates aligned with community feedback, enhancing the overall gameplay and providing a labor of love from the developers.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,349 reviews
gameplay74 positive mentions
grinding96 negative mentions
  • Highly addictive gameplay loop that combines elements of ARPGs and bullet heaven games.
  • Great value for the price, offering hours of entertainment and a variety of builds to explore.
  • Active and responsive developers who engage with the community and frequently update the game.
  • Frequent crashes and performance issues, especially in later levels, detracting from the overall experience.
  • Lack of meaningful tutorials and documentation, making it difficult for new players to understand game mechanics.
  • Seasonal character wipes can be frustrating, as players lose all progress and characters at the end of each season.
  • gameplay185 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a simple yet addictive loop of killing enemies, collecting loot, and upgrading characters, reminiscent of both action RPGs and survival mechanics. While many players appreciate the engaging combat and diverse crafting systems, some criticize the janky mechanics, lack of depth, and repetitive nature of gameplay. Overall, the game shows potential for improvement and offers a fun experience, especially for fans of grinding and character customization.

    • “Gameplay is fun, fast-paced, and addictive.”
    • “The gameplay loop hits all the right dopamine buttons, but then doesn't go anywhere with it.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth and enjoyable.”
    • “This game is very janky - the controller barely works, the UI is a mess, and the game mechanics feel patched together with nothing explained.”
    • “Gameplay is completely mindless to the point where you could get up to take a dump after triggering the auto-attack bug, then return to find you have gained levels and not lost a single hit point.”
    • “The core gameplay loop just falls a bit flat.”
  • grinding96 mentions

    The game is characterized by its heavy emphasis on grinding, appealing to players who enjoy repetitive gameplay loops for loot and character progression. While many find the grinding addictive and rewarding, some criticize it for becoming tedious and lacking depth, especially when attempting to change builds mid-game. Overall, it offers a fun, albeit grindy, experience reminiscent of classic ARPGs like Diablo, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre.

    • “The game is grindy and not always in a fun way, and it does not really like players trying to change their build midway through the game.”
    • “Bosses are spongey, and if you die, the entire run is bricked, which can be anything from a few minutes of effort to several hours of grinding for a boss key instantly lost if you die, fall off, or run out of time.”
    • “Just grinding to increase pointless negligible numbers up to nothing.”
  • graphics63 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they are dated, often likening them to early 2000s titles or even mobile games. While some appreciate the art style and find the visuals charming, others criticize the poor optimization and graphical glitches, suggesting that the overall quality detracts from the gameplay experience. Despite these shortcomings, some players argue that the fun and depth of the game compensate for its graphical limitations.

    • “It looks awesome, with a very strong World of Warcraft art style vibe.”
    • “Visuals, sound, and animations all just look great.”
    • “The visuals are pleasing; the game actually looks better than its trailer.”
    • “Very poor optimization for a game that has pretty dated graphics.”
    • “All in all, it just feels like a cheap mobile game with outdated graphics.”
    • “Clunky and boring combat, with boring loot, boring crafting, boring enemies, identical-feeling 'builds', a gigantic but incredibly uninspired passive tree, and graphics so bad and charmless that I'm left wondering if this is a school project.”
  • optimization18 mentions

    The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players reporting severe performance issues, including low frame rates and graphical glitches, even on high-end hardware. Many users express frustration over the lack of optimization for a game with relatively dated graphics, suggesting that the performance does not meet expectations, especially during intense gameplay scenarios. While some players find enjoyment in the game despite these issues, the consensus is that significant improvements are needed to enhance the overall experience.

    • “I know this is a two-man project, which is impressive, but if your game is about having hundreds of enemies and sound effects on the screen, you should at least offer some level of optimization.”
    • “The game deserves a little more optimization.”
    • “The game is really good; I was pleasantly surprised at the level of depth the game offers the further you progress. I've had no performance issues other than the occasional frame drop when nuking a particularly large pack of enemies and would recommend it to ARPG enjoyers.”
    • “Very poor optimization for a game that its graphics are pretty dated.”
    • “Optimisation and performance is terrible in this game, I have a 7800x3d and 4070ti. An indie game like this should work flawlessly on my rig. It does not; when I'm in rapture farming (where you spend 99% of your gameplay time), my FPS drops to 15-20, which is unacceptable. Even in base, my FPS isn't shocking, and all that is on low settings.”
    • “Game is terribly optimized.”
  • story18 mentions

    The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting the absence of a coherent narrative, quests, or meaningful missions. While some appreciate the graphics and the gameplay loop focused on combat and loot, the overall sentiment is that the game feels like a repetitive grind without a compelling storyline or character development. Players express a desire for more varied missions and a richer narrative experience to enhance the gameplay.

    • “It's great if you are looking for something to pass the time and don't really need to think too hard to play, but I have no idea what the story is behind the game.”
    • “Your only mission here is to conquer and control the realm and keep peace between the dwarven kingdom.”
    • “Will love to see how this evolves as a more rich set of graphics; maybe a story and variety of enemies would make this game even more fun.”
    • “Ever heard of a storyline?”
    • “The game has no real story (insofar as I can tell), it has no quests, no campaign...nothing.”
    • “It's an ARPG with all of the story/adventure stripped away.”
  • stability11 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and a multitude of bugs affecting gameplay, including issues with collisions, attacks, and UI. Many describe the game as feeling unfinished and unoptimized, with graphical glitches and performance drops detracting from the overall experience. Overall, players express significant frustration with the game's lack of polish and stability.

    • “Either fatal error or just freezes and crashes with no window informing you why it crashed.”
    • “Very buggy, (collisions, attacks, spells, UI, every aspect of the game is buggy).”
    • “Be aware though - the game is buggy, you can (and will) get stuck sometimes on geometry, and the game is quite unbalanced.”
  • music10 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it forgettable and basic, while others appreciate it as a pleasant backdrop for gameplay and social interactions. While a few users enjoy the soundtrack and find it enhances their gaming experience, others express disappointment over its lack of impact and presence. Overall, the music seems to serve more as a secondary element rather than a standout feature.

    • “This game is great to play while vibing to some music.”
    • “Loving the soundtrack.”
    • “I love to just turn on the music and grind.”
    • “Music is pretty basic.”
    • “I can't actually recall what the music sounds like during a rupture; it's that forgettable.”
    • “The music kind of sucks.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with standout elements like a humorous dwarf guide and hilarious voice acting that enhance the experience. While some attempts at humor may fall flat, the game features amusing mechanics, such as funny ragdoll physics and quirky mounts, contributing to an overall lighthearted atmosphere. Players appreciate the comedic aspects of build diversity and the occasional amusing bugs, which add to the fun despite some technical issues.

    • “The dwarf guide is very humorous.”
    • “It really is a lot of fun and the voice acting is absolutely hilarious.”
    • “The leveling felt nice, the mounts were funny (I ended up riding a chicken around) and just a ton of monsters spawning and slashing them all down.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is highlighted as a strong point, with many players enjoying the addictive gameplay loop and diverse character builds that encourage multiple playthroughs. However, some critiques mention that the streamlining of certain elements has diminished the complexity that typically enhances replay value. Seasonal content and a robust passive skill tree further contribute to keeping the experience fresh and engaging.

    • “Simple gameplay loop with endless replayability.”
    • “Combining Dynasty Warriors with Diablo 2, this game has amazing replayability and it is so easy to get lost in the grind in the best way possible.”
    • “The seasons and ladder system makes the game replayable and there is enough content to keep you occupied for a good while.”
    • “The problem with it is that it has streamlined literally everything and in the process removes a lot of the texture and complexity that makes these kinds of games so replayable.”
    • “Some full-price games do not offer this playtime and replayability opportunities!”
    • “The depth is very replayable for how long this game has been in production, with more to come that I personally am looking forward to.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The game's monetization model has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the upfront payment structure over typical mobile game practices like microtransactions and ads. However, the presence of numerous paid cosmetics and significant day-one microtransactions has drawn criticism, leading to a perception that the monetization approach detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “A single-player, indie, vampire survivor-like game with around $500 worth of day-one microtransactions (one of them costs $100, so not all that micro).”
    • “The only potential upside compared to a mobile game is that you pay up front; instead of microtransaction pay-to-win, some sort of gacha system, or loads of ads.”
    • “A single player, indie, vampire survivor-like game with around $500 worth of day-one microtransactions (one of them costs $100, so not all that micro).”
    • “It seems like the game wants to have a monetization model like a clicker/idle game, but it doesn't land and it just sucks the fun out of the game.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players find the game surprisingly emotional, as its engaging systems and active developer foster a sense of community and belonging. Despite initial reservations about graphics and gameplay, the overall experience is described as heartwarming and fulfilling, highlighting the game's hidden depth and the supportive player base.

    • “He was open to talking for a bit, and made me feel like a part of the community.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
4-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 16 analyzed playthroughs

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