The Dweller
- May 19, 2016
- Plug In Digital
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"The Dweller" is a strategy survival game where players delve deep into a generated dungeon, gathering resources, battling monsters, and upgrading their gear. As the dweller, players must balance the need for exploration and resource gathering with the risk of encountering dangerous foes. With permanent death and a variety of difficulty settings, each playthrough offers a unique challenge.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Unique and interesting premise where you play as a monster trying to eliminate archaeologists.
- Challenging puzzles that require careful planning and strategy to solve.
- Atmospheric music and storytelling elements that enhance the overall experience.
- The game is quite short, taking only about 2-3 hours to complete.
- Some levels can feel repetitive and lack variety in mechanics.
- The ending is abrupt and may leave players wanting more closure or additional content.
- gameplay124 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its straightforward mechanics that gradually introduce new puzzle elements, keeping the experience fresh and engaging throughout. Players appreciate the clever design that encourages creative problem-solving, although some note inconsistencies in difficulty and a desire for more mechanics. Overall, the game offers a satisfying blend of challenge and simplicity, making it enjoyable for casual and dedicated puzzle enthusiasts alike.
“Gameplay is quite straightforward, and you are eased into the mechanics and limitations to better understand what you can and can't do and the methods available for completing levels.”
“The gameplay is very simple; challenges can get difficult at times, but they make you feel really rewarded once you complete them.”
“As you progress, new mechanics and more complex puzzles are introduced, so things are kept fresh and don't stagnate.”
“Story was weak, gameplay was shallow, sounds and music were lame, concept was stretched to the breaking point within minutes.”
“This game just feels like a tedious tutorial, trying to be too creative, with too many mechanics, never building on itself and basically dwindling up until the end.”
“After that it takes a nosedive back down to easy with the new mechanics.”
- story91 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story unfolds gradually as players complete levels, revealing an intriguing narrative through notes and diary entries from archaeologists, which adds depth to the gameplay. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and engaging elements of the story, others find it cliché and lacking in execution, particularly towards the end. Overall, the story serves as a compelling backdrop to the puzzle mechanics, enhancing the experience despite some criticisms of its simplicity and pacing.
“There is a story you can piece together as you complete levels, and it is an interesting little side extra that scratches that itch of wanting to know more about the entity and background of the world.”
“As you clean the ancient house, you’ll come across research notes and letters regarding their mission, and you’ll be able to follow along as the situation escalates in a direction you might not expect.”
“The pacing of intriguing puzzle gameplay is punctuated with snippets of progressing storyline in just the right way.”
“The only two issues I have with this game are a boring color/model design and the plot that gets really messy towards the end - it's quite literal and anyone can get it, but the ending definitely feels too dull and rushed.”
“There's some story that's unlocked by beating the levels; however, it's very cliché and feels like it was just thrown together for the sake of it.”
“The story provided by the unlocked notes is not helping as well.”
- graphics60 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist, pixel-art style that, while lacking in variety and detail, effectively complements the gameplay and atmosphere. Reviewers noted that the visuals are simple and sometimes amateurish, yet they contribute to a cohesive aesthetic that evokes nostalgia for retro gaming. Overall, while the graphics may not impress on a technical level, they are deemed adequate for the game's design and enhance the overall experience.
“The minimalist, pixel-art style of the game is well designed.”
“The overall concept and aesthetic is what drew me to the game and it never gets old to drop a massive rock onto some dudes' heads.”
“First of all, the dweller scores a mega-hit in the atmosphere department, where the bleak visuals, the moody music, and the to-the-point representation of the game's protagonist work perfectly together to put the player in the mood of an eldritch cave system haunted by something horrible.”
“The graphics are minimalist and there is zero visual variety across its short, 2 hour play time.”
“The visuals are very basic and frankly a little bit amateurish and boring.”
“There are very few graphical elements throughout the game.”
- music36 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and fitting, enhancing the dark and ominous tone, though opinions vary on its quality. While some players appreciate the ambient soundscapes and their contribution to the game's mood, others find the music repetitive and bland, with a desire for more variety and volume control options. Overall, the music effectively supports the game's theme but may not stand out as exceptional.
“The music is nice and fitting with the atmosphere.”
“The game's music and sound effects add to the dark, predatory atmosphere that the game portrays.”
“First of all, the dweller scores a mega-hit in the atmosphere department, where the bleak visuals, the moody music and the to-the-point representation of the game's protagonist work perfectly together to put the player in the mood of an eldritch cave system haunted by something horrible.”
“Story was weak, gameplay was shallow, sounds and music were lame, concept was stretched to the breaking point within minutes.”
“The background music is extremely simple and repetitive, the sound effects are barely there, but it does contribute to the dreary atmosphere.”
“Music is a nondescript spooky sound that got annoying within 5 minutes and I switched it off.”
- atmosphere33 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dark, immersive qualities, enhanced by fitting music and sound effects that contribute to a macabre and claustrophobic experience. Reviewers appreciate the combination of engaging storytelling, level design, and atmospheric elements, despite some noting the simplicity and repetitiveness of the audio. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature that captivates players and complements the puzzle mechanics effectively.
“The game's music and sound effects add to the dark, predatory atmosphere that the game portrays.”
“First of all, the dweller scores a mega-hit in the atmosphere department, where the bleak visuals, the moody music, and the to-the-point representation of the game's protagonist work perfectly together to put the player in the mood of an eldritch cave system haunted by something horrible.”
“The atmosphere and sounds of the game are brilliant and add flawlessly to the mood of the story.”
“Despite basic graphics, the music, sound effects and game actions create a dark, macabre and sinister atmosphere that fits the game theme very well.”
“First of all, the dweller scores a mega-hit in the atmosphere department, where the bleak visuals, the moody music and the to-the-point representation of the game's protagonist work perfectly together to put the player in the mood of an eldritch cave system haunted by something horrible.”
“The background music is extremely simple and repetitive, the sound effects are barely there, but it does contribute to the dreary atmosphere.”
- humor11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, particularly its dark and black comedy, which is evident in the amusing diary entries and the humorous demise of characters. Players find the combination of funny puzzles and quirky lore engaging, making it a delightful experience for those with a twisted sense of humor. Overall, the humor enhances the gameplay, providing both laughs and challenges.
“I wish the ending had offered 2 different paths instead of just 1, but no complaints otherwise, because the levels were very fun to work through, and it was funny reading some of the diary entries and seeing the poor archaeologists get bumped off in a number of amusing ways.”
“A funny and original puzzle game, with interesting lore notes.”
“The puzzles keep you thinking, the little men kept me laughing, and the letters were enjoyable to read.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally positive, with smooth performance and no significant glitches reported. However, there are minor issues, such as occasional difficulties with object manipulation, which can be resolved with a few clicks without impacting gameplay.
“The game is controlled entirely with the mouse and it all works rather well. There were some performance problems where I couldn't move a rock I was possessing, but a few clicks remedied that, and there was never any time where that issue caused me to fail a level.”
“It runs smoothly (I should hope so with this level of sophistication) and no glitches were found.”
“The music and background music fits in very well with who you play as, your role, and the theme in the game. That was quite an enjoyable performance and remarkably done by the developers.”
“The game is controlled entirely with the mouse and it all works rather well, but there were some performance problems where I couldn't move a rock I was possessing. A few clicks remedied that, but there was never any time where that issue caused me to fail a level.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, diminishing overall enjoyment. However, some appreciate the engaging puzzle elements, particularly the satisfaction derived from unique mechanics like crushing humans with boulders, which help alleviate the monotony.
“Anyhow, this game isn't bad, but it's just not very fun and exciting; it feels very slow and tedious.”
“It grows tedious very quickly, unless you are challenged by puzzles of this nature.”
- stability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report mixed experiences regarding stability; while some encounter minor glitches and bugs that they find charming, others note that the game runs smoothly without any issues.
“The game maintains a consistent frame rate, providing a seamless experience.”
“I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a stable gameplay experience.”
“There are some small glitches and behavior bugs, but this is arguably a negative; I might even say it adds to the charm of a little puzzle like this.”
“Bugs and glitches are prevalent.”
“It runs smoothly, and no glitches were found.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Replayability in this game is generally considered low due to the limited number of puzzles, with only 59 one-screen challenges available. However, the potential for multiple solutions to these puzzles and the inclusion of story-telling documents provide some incentive for replay, especially given the game's competitive pricing and nostalgic graphics. Overall, while replay value may not be high, the game's affordability and unique features make it a worthwhile purchase.
“With 59 levels to beat and around 30 story-telling documents to unlock, the replayability is great as numerous levels can be completed in several ways. The good old-school graphics and competitive price make this game definitely worth buying.”
“As with most puzzle games, the replay value is pretty low. There are only 59 one-screen puzzles, but the relatively low price also reflects this.”
“Once you've solved the puzzles, there's little incentive to go back. The lack of variety makes replaying feel tedious.”
“The game lacks any significant changes or new challenges upon replaying, which diminishes the overall experience.”
