Soda Dungeon
- February 6, 2017
- Poxpower
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam"Soda Dungeon is a free-to-play game where players manage a tavern and recruit heroes to delve into a dangerous dungeon. The game features a variety of enemies to fight and loot to collect, which can be used to improve the tavern and attract better-equipped adventurers. With no paywalls or timers, it offers a relaxed, enjoyable experience for fans of dungeon-crawling RPGs."
iPad
iPhone
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- Soda Dungeon is a fun and addictive idle game that combines RPG elements with a unique tavern management system.
- The game is free to play with no pay-to-win mechanics, allowing players to enjoy the full experience without spending money.
- The pixel art style and catchy music create a charming atmosphere that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
- The game can become repetitive over time, especially after reaching higher levels where content feels limited.
- Auto-battle mechanics can sometimes lead to poor decision-making by the AI, resulting in unnecessary losses.
- Some players may find the lack of depth in character progression and variety in enemies disappointing.
- graphics46 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are predominantly described as retro, featuring 8-bit pixel art that evokes nostalgia for classic titles. While some players appreciate the charming simplicity and consistency of the visuals, others criticize them as generic or underwhelming, suggesting that they lack modern polish. Overall, the graphics are seen as a fitting choice for the game's casual and nostalgic theme, though opinions vary on their execution and appeal.
“The pixel graphics affirm that this game can stick in your mind for quite a while.”
“The graphics are retro, but consistent.”
“It has a retro pixel art style that I think fits this game perfectly.”
“You could argue that this goes for a lot of other free games in the Steam store, but Soda Dungeon makes it easier, being a turn-based RPG style pixel graphic game, making it seem extremely underwhelming at first sight.”
“But no, they had to be lazy and resort to 1980's graphics.”
“The game is fairly ugly for modern retro sprite graphics.”
- music44 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising its catchy and immersive soundtrack that enhances the gaming experience, particularly in dungeon settings. While some find the music repetitive over time, others highlight specific tracks as standout moments, contributing to the game's overall enjoyment. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant asset, complementing the retro graphics and gameplay.
“This is possibly the best free game I have ever played; the graphics are retro and the soundtrack is absolutely amazing!”
“This game has one of the greatest soundtracks; my personal favorite is from the water temple.”
“It has an amazing soundtrack (each area is different and it loops) and it actually feels rewarding to upgrade your items.”
“The graphics are fairly generic and the music is a bit grating.”
“I really like the music, but of course it tends to get repetitive after a while.”
“Music and sounds are not entertaining, nor epic - you don't get a feel to listen to it for more than 20 minutes in a row.”
- gameplay39 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Soda Dungeon is characterized by its addictive and engaging mechanics, blending turn-based and auto-battle elements that keep players invested in dungeon crawling. While it offers a retro charm and depth through character and gear progression, some find the gameplay repetitive and simplistic, making it more suitable for casual play rather than extended sessions. Overall, it provides a fun experience with a solid rewards system, though it may not appeal to those seeking more complex mechanics.
“The gameplay is addictive, making you want to get right back to dungeon crawling.”
“The game has unique mechanics that make it feel fresh and independent, like it didn't take anything from other games.”
“Overall: good game with very few cons, very fun, and addicting gameplay with lots of weapons, armor, etc. to fight monsters.”
“Soda Dungeon's whole mechanic is like Darkest Dungeon, making it feel ripped from the game.”
“The only sensible thing about its endless dungeon delve gameplay is to turn auto battle and never bother with it again.”
“Gameplay consists of repeatedly boring clearance of endless dungeons filled with the same opponents and loot per run.”
- monetization25 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is primarily based on optional in-game purchases, which are not necessary for progression and do not disrupt gameplay with ads. Players can enjoy the game fully for free, with microtransactions available for cosmetic items and enhancements, but many reviewers feel these purchases are unnecessary and view the model as a cash grab. Overall, the game is praised for being ad-free and allowing players to progress without spending money.
“Never felt like I had to buy any microtransactions.”
“There are in-game purchases but they are not required to win the game and all of them can be acquired through normal methods not involving real money.”
“You are never forced to spend any money on microtransactions and I was able to progress without paying anything.”
“It just feels like a massive cash grab as this game is loaded with microtransactions!”
“- the ever-present fact that microtransactions exist in this game.”
“Lastly, there are microtransactions.”
- grinding25 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, especially after reaching higher levels, where it can feel like a chore rather than an engaging experience. While some enjoy the initial grind for resources and upgrades, many express frustration with the lengthy and monotonous nature of grinding later in the game, often resorting to auto-grinding or leaving the game running in the background. Overall, the enjoyment of the game diminishes significantly as players progress, primarily due to the excessive grinding required to advance.
“After playing for 2.5 hours, I was able to get to my first warp, which seems to be the 'end-game' content. The game begins to get progressively more difficult, and there's no grinding involved; progression is linear enough that it's enjoyable.”
“The game gets really grindy and repetitive after dimension 3 and lacks new/interesting things to do when progressing further.”
“Kinda fun at first, but quickly turns into one of those games you just leave on in the background grinding for resources while you do something else.”
“You start the game off innocently enough grinding gold to upgrade your tavern so that you may hire more (and better) party members, this grind is fun for a fair bit but after the 3rd or 4th prestige the grind becomes inexcusably long; I can only assume this is to entice a player to buy micro-transactions given this is a free game and all, but the grind gets absurd later in the game.”
- story11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it virtually non-existent or simplistic, while others appreciate its engaging plot and RPG elements. Despite the lack of depth in some areas, many users enjoy the fun and addictive nature of the storyline, which features a classic fantasy setup and a variety of characters and quests. Overall, the narrative may not be the game's strongest aspect, but it still offers an enjoyable experience for RPG fans.
“Be sure to pick this game up, you RPG lovers, as it gets addicting, with a good plot to it, and has a wide array of classes to choose from.”
“It has a bunch of enemies and heroes and an interesting storyline.”
“The story is virtually non-existent, and the game doesn't throw many new combat options, making it a total button masher.”
“This is a simple enjoyable free mobile idle game with no story.”
“The story goes like this: you're a coward without a penny to your name; luckily, there's a tavern that has soda which makes people easy to convince to do dangerous things for you.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players praising its originality and the comedic elements found in gear, achievements, and flavor texts. However, some critics find the humor to be bland and suggest that it could benefit from improved graphics and less campy jokes. Overall, the game is considered funny and addictive, appealing to a wide audience.
“The gear is pretty original, and some of it is hilarious.”
“Even the achievements are funny.”
“Also, some of the flavor texts are hilarious.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players praise its engaging mechanics that encourage continuous play, others find it lacking depth and variety, leading to a sense of staleness over time. Suggestions for improvement include adding new enemy types, loot, and upgradeable classes to enhance the replay value.
“Replayability is fantastic; it goes on forever, but it has a genius game mechanic (you'll see if you play) that keeps you going on and on without feeling pointless.”
“The idea of the game is great; I have no problem with it. However, the reason I'm not recommending it is because of its appalling replayability value.”
“I would like if they added more things to it, like new enemy types, more loot types, and maybe an upgradable classes option or skill tree for classes that can unlock new skills and passives; it would give the game much more replayability.”
“For a game so based on farming and replayability, that's a lot to ask.”
“The idea of the game is great; I have no problem with it, however, the reason I'm not recommending it is because of its appalling replayability value.”
“The game is kind of simplistic and after a while gets rather stale, but it still is fun to play if you have nothing else to do. I would like it if they added more things to it, like new enemy types, more loot types, or an upgradable classes option or skill tree for classes that can unlock a few new skills and passives; it would give the game much more replayability.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is well-aligned with its artistic style, though some players find it can become repetitive. Despite this, the option to automate gameplay allows for a more relaxed experience. Overall, the atmosphere is rated 6/10.
“The style of the game really fits its atmosphere, but the game can get grindy at times. That's fine with me, as you can just set it in the background, put it on automode, and do something else while checking back later.”
“The style of the game really fits its atmosphere, but the game can get grindy at times. That's fine to me as you can just set it in the background, put it on automode, and do something else, checking back later.”
“Atmosphere: 6/10”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its optimization, particularly highlighting its successful adaptation from a mobile platform, making it one of the best in its category.
“Optimized from a mobile game; it's the best one out there so far.”
“The game's optimization is impressive, making it run smoothly on various devices.”
“I love how well-optimized this game is; it enhances the overall experience.”
