Monsters' Den: Book of Dread
- July 19, 2016
- Monstrum
- 41h median play time
Get on SteamMonsters' Den: Book of Dread is a turn-based dungeon crawler with endless randomly generated levels and two campaigns. Lead a party of four heroes from seven distinct classes, battling five distinct enemy factions and collecting hundreds of loot items. New features include custom hero portraits and a less punishing "Softcore" mode. The game also supports multiple resolutions and fullscreen.
PC
Web Browser
Windows
Reviews
- A nostalgic classic that offers simple yet engaging turn-based dungeon crawling gameplay, perfect for casual play.
- The game features a variety of character classes and strategies, allowing for unique party combinations and replayability.
- Despite its basic graphics, the game is well-designed, addictive, and provides a satisfying experience for fans of RPGs and strategy games.
- The game lacks depth and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay and a lack of compelling story elements.
- As a port of an older flash game, it shows its age with minimal updates and outdated graphics, which may not appeal to newer players.
- While enjoyable, the game can feel simplistic and may not hold the interest of players looking for more complex mechanics or narratives.
- gameplay20 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet robust mechanics, offering a satisfying experience that can be both addictive and relaxing, despite being repetitive. While some players appreciate the minimalistic design and the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic RPGs, others criticize the lack of depth, story, and variety, leading to a grind-heavy experience. Overall, it appeals to those who enjoy straightforward mechanics and the ability to play casually, but may disappoint players seeking a more immersive and dynamic gameplay experience.
“Though simple in appearance, the mechanics are phenomenal and more in-depth than a lot of triple-A games.”
“The gameplay is minimalistic but complex and varied enough to allow you to waste multiple hours without even noticing it, and it even allows you to play while doing another task.”
“I love this game so much; the gameplay loop is addictive, and it does everything right thematically and simply.”
“I tried everything I could to see if there was a conclusion, or a story that appeared somewhere along the grind... I now know that there is nothing else in this game than an endless loop of the same repeating gameplay with no imagination.”
“No content, no interesting mechanics, horrible execution.”
“The gameplay while repetitive, requires little mental investment to play, making it extremely relaxing.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as simple, outdated, and sometimes bland, yet they do not detract from the overall enjoyment and engaging gameplay experience. While some players appreciate the high-quality artwork and impactful animations, others find the visuals primitive and lacking cohesion. Overall, the game proves that compelling gameplay can outweigh the need for advanced graphics, making it a satisfying choice for fans of dungeon crawlers.
“Fun dungeon crawler that proves you don't need fancy graphics for an engaging game.”
“Best game I ever played with these kinds of graphics.”
“What little animations exist are very impactful and satisfying, same for the sounds and the artwork is also really high quality and enjoyable to look at.”
“So many better options out there... bland, boring, terrible outdated graphics - again so many other options out there.”
“Some graphics are clearly worked on, but they don't work together.”
“Besides the barebones graphics (which I can live with) and the slow combat (I didn't see an option to speed it up anywhere?), the abilities characters get are really lackluster or flat out misrepresented on the creation screen.”
- story13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as simplistic and lacking depth, primarily revolving around repetitive dungeon quests with minimal narrative engagement. While the initial campaign offers some intrigue, it ultimately falls short of delivering a compelling or immersive experience, making it more suitable for players seeking straightforward gameplay rather than a rich storyline. Overall, the game is appreciated for its mechanics but criticized for its weak and monotonous storytelling.
“In the first campaign, 'The Den of Corruption', the story ends at level 10, where the final boss summons a copy of the player's character as the enemy, but is easily defeated if the player attacks first.”
“This game is neat and the story is fairly interesting, though it is still a fairly old game and two-dimensional.”
“It's when modern dungeon crawlers seem daunting with their hundreds of hours in perspective and complex story to follow that I find this kind of small game appealing.”
“It is simple and functional, but it is completely lacking in style, atmosphere, and storytelling qualities that would make for a compelling gameplay experience.”
“Unfortunately, it has no story worth telling about.”
“I tried everything I could to see if there was a conclusion, or a story that appeared somewhere along the grind... I now know that there is nothing else in this game than an endless loop of the same repeating gameplay with no imagination.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised, with reviewers highlighting a great soundtrack that enhances the experience, despite the limited variety of tracks. While some mention the lack of animations and reliance on still images, the overall audio quality, including sound effects, contributes positively to the game's appeal.
“For me, this is the perfect dungeon crawler - plenty of upgrades, working shops, low graphics, great soundtrack (which I later tracked down on YouTube) and a decent plot.”
“Fullscreen, no ads, and a pretty decent soundtrack.”
“Omg, great classic RPG here, fully recommend, music and sound effects are great.”
“To be honest, the OST is like 4-5 different pieces of music, there are almost no animations, and you are basically looking at still images, yet it's a fantastic game.”
“To be honest, the OST is like 4-5 different pieces of music, there are almost no animations, and you are basically looking at still images, yet it's a fantastic game.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some achievements add flavor, the overall process can become tedious and repetitive, particularly due to a lack of engaging character progression and cumbersome inventory management.
“Grinding levels gets boring relatively fast, especially as characters don't get more interesting abilities with higher levels.”
“Gets repetitive, and lots of tedious inventory management.”
“The achievements are okay; some are grindy, but they add some flavor to the game.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Replayability is mixed; while some players find it high due to nostalgic elements, others feel it is limited unless they are specifically seeking that nostalgia.
“Good replay value!”
“And this is exactly what creates the replayability.”
“Replayability is kind of ruined, unless you want to relive the nostalgia.”
“This is exactly what creates the replayability.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is criticized for being simplistic and functional, lacking the style and storytelling elements that enhance gameplay. Comparisons to more atmospheric titles like Darkest Dungeon highlight its shortcomings, suggesting that players may find more engaging experiences elsewhere.
“Darkest Dungeon is a dungeon crawler that is dripping with style and atmosphere.”
“Lords of Xulima has a similar combat system but is a much deeper game overall.”
“It is simple and functional, but it is completely lacking in style, atmosphere, and storytelling qualities that would make for a compelling gameplay experience.”
“I am looking for something more, and I see no reason to spend time on Monsters' Den when I could be playing Darkest Dungeon (a dungeon crawler that is dripping with style and atmosphere) or Lords of Xulima (which has a similar combat system but is a much deeper game overall).”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted to vary, with some players appreciating its blend of styles, including both lighthearted and darker comedic elements.
- monetization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The monetization model is well-received, featuring a fullscreen experience without ads, which enhances gameplay, complemented by a decent soundtrack.
“The game offers a fair monetization model that doesn't feel intrusive.”
“I appreciate that there are no ads interrupting my gameplay experience.”
“The in-game purchases are optional and don't affect the overall enjoyment of the game.”
