Dwelvers

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Dwelvers is a single-player strategy game with good graphics, where you assume the role of Dungeon Lord, managing logistical challenges to satisfy the Dark Mother's hunger for domination. Create production chains to transform natural resources into useful materials, cater to minions' needs, and engage in brutal skirmishes to eradicate the human race. Cultivate resources, tend to minions, and manage their needs to lead your forces to victory.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 331 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game is a charming ode to the Dungeon Keeper genre, featuring a complex resource-based economy and a unique Z-axis for dungeon building.
The developer has shown commitment to the game, fixing bugs and promising multiple updates for 2024, which has pleased long-time followers.
Gameplay is easy to learn and fun, with a powerful editor and random map generator that enhances replayability.

The game has faced criticism for being in early access for an extended period, leading many to label it as abandoned or incomplete.
There are reports of bugs and performance issues, with some players experiencing crashes and unresponsive mechanics.
The user interface and overall presentation are considered rough, with a need for more polish and clarity in gameplay mechanics.

gameplay
32 mentions
13 % positive mentions
78 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally enjoyable and features straightforward mechanics reminiscent of classic dungeon keeper games, with a focus on supply chain management and unique map generation. However, some players find it can become tedious over time due to a lack of clear goals and clunky UI, which may require additional research to navigate. While there are some initial issues and a learning curve, the game offers originality and depth that can appeal to fans of the genre.
- “I've played all the Dungeon series games, and played War for the Overworld as well as A Game of Dwarves, and can confidently say I was pleasantly surprised at the originality and unique gameplay mechanics that the game introduced; especially the unique map generation.”
- “The actual gameplay is essentially your normal Dungeon Keeper gameplay, but it's very supply chain focused.”
- “It also absolutely smashes games like Nahbluk Dungeon Master, Evil Genius 2, and other similar titles out of the water without needing flashy graphics or some wonky 'game-changing' mechanic.”
- “Multiple issues with gameplay and inability to even load the game are not being addressed.”
- “The menu's still ugly, the UI just got an update, it's still tacky and ugly, and that's before you get to the gameplay, which is much like the old Dungeon Keeper classics, only... less polished and with more micro-management.”
- “Don't get me wrong, there is gameplay, but you'll pick it up, play it a few hours, put it down, and barely ever touch it again.”
graphics
24 mentions
33 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a charmingly simple and unique art style, with some users appreciating the fun animations and solid performance despite technical limitations. While the visuals are not highly polished or flashy, they are considered better than similar titles, and improvements have been noted since the game's early days. Overall, the graphics are described as decent for an alpha version, with a cartoonish aesthetic that enhances the dungeon-building experience.
- “The UI and graphics have improved a lot since its first days, and I'm sure they will continue improving.”
- “The graphics are not technically fancy, but the art style is fantastic and the performance is rock solid, bar the odd crash that (at least for me) has become very rare by now.”
- “Graphically, the game has a charmingly simple cartoonish look.”
- “The graphics look compressed, cheap, tacky (missing some shaders tharr?), the options are very limited; aa?”
- “Art- and graphics-style is dusty but totally okay for a game like this.”
- “The graphics are not polished but the animations are interesting and fun to watch.”
story
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The story is engaging, with players expressing enthusiasm for the missions, particularly noting that while the first mission is brief, subsequent missions significantly increase in length and complexity. Overall, the narrative seems to captivate players early on, encouraging positive early impressions.
- “I played the first three missions so far and I loved it.”
- “Ich habe die ersten drei Missionen gespielt und war begeistert.”
- “The first mission is short, but each mission after it has been increasing significantly in length.”
- “I have completed the first 3 missions and wanted to leave an early review.”
- “The first mission is short but each mission after it has been increasing significantly in length.”
- “Not really, there's no 'high' details; there's obviously a launcher option for it, but whether you can call it 'high' is another story.”
stability
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is highly inconsistent; while some users report a relatively bug-free experience for an alpha version, others highlight significant issues with numerous broken features and a lack of updates for nearly a year. Overall, the game is described as overly complex and plagued by bugs.
- “For an alpha, my experience has been relatively bug-free, and the experience has been delightful.”
- “Unfortunately, it's still extremely buggy, with many features broken or unimplemented, and there have been no updates in nearly a year.”
- “The game is overly complex and very buggy.”
optimization
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is solid, with improved performance and a commitment to four updates in 2024. While the graphics may not be cutting-edge, the unique art style is well-received, and crashes are infrequent, enhancing the overall experience.
- “He has also increased performance and promises four new updates for 2024.”
- “The graphics are not technically fancy, but the art style is fantastic and the performance is rock solid, barring the odd crash that (at least for me) has become very rare by now.”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a dark, DK-style wit that resonates well with players, enhanced by the fitting voice of 'mother'. The comedic elements are complemented by gameplay mechanics that allow for vertical digging and swarming human villages with unique minions, adding to the overall enjoyment.
- “The perfectly fitting voice of 'mother', hilarious dark humor in the style of DK, the possibility of digging vertically and even swarming the surface and human villages with your minions (which differ in most parts from those in DK, which is a good thing in my opinion).”
music
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's music features a limited soundtrack and quiet sound effects, which some players find to be a minor issue. Overall, while the audio experience may not be robust, it does not significantly detract from the gameplay.
- “The game's sounds are pretty quiet and the soundtrack is limited, but that's not a big deal.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game initially enjoyable, but it soon becomes tedious and monotonous due to a lack of clear objectives.
- “Gameplay is fun at first but quickly grows tedious and boring as there is no real goal here.”
- “Gameplay is fun at first but quickly grows tedious and boring as there is no real goal here.”
replayability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Players express optimism about the game's replayability, noting that future updates and additional features, such as a surface world, are expected to enhance the experience.
- “I am hopeful that as this game progresses in its development, its replayability will improve, because apparently a lot of extra features like a surface world are planned.”