The Fall of the Dungeon Guardians

84%
Game Brain Score Based on 710 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
The Fall of the Dungeon Guardians Game Cover
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"The Fall of the Dungeon Guardians" is a first-person RPG dungeon crawler game, inspired by classics like Dungeon Master and Might & Magic. As a prison guard in a mysterious dungeon, you must pursue escaped prisoners, battling enemies and solving puzzles in a vast, intricate setting. The game features tactical combat and an active pause system, encouraging strategic gameplay.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 710 reviews
gameplay52 positive mentions
grinding36 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique combat system that combines real-time action with tactical pause, allowing players to queue up actions for their party members.
  • There is a high level of customization available, including adjustable difficulty settings and the ability to respec characters, making it accessible for both casual and hardcore players.
  • The level design is well thought out, with plenty of secrets to discover and a treasure hunt that adds an extra layer of engagement.
  • The combat can feel repetitive and tedious, especially with the high health pools of enemies and the reliance on cooldowns.
  • The story is minimal and lacks depth, which may not satisfy players looking for a strong narrative experience.
  • Some players may find the lack of a traditional auto-mapping feature until a map is found on each level frustrating.
  • gameplay228 mentions

    The gameplay of this dungeon crawler is characterized by deep mechanics, including four classes with multiple specializations and skill trees, allowing for intricate party management and combat strategies. While the combat system is engaging and reminiscent of MMORPGs, some players noted issues with repetitive gameplay, level design, and a steep difficulty curve that may deter newcomers. Overall, the game offers a mix of nostalgia and modern mechanics, appealing to fans of classic dungeon crawlers, but may require patience to fully appreciate its depth.

    • “The dev has put a great deal of effort into balancing the gameplay, making both party composition and talent trees intriguing to experiment with.”
    • “Without a doubt, when you figure out the combat mechanics, and how timing plays a critical role in all this, the game truly opens up.”
    • “The combat mechanics are especially good - deep, yet easy to learn.”
    • “However, it failed to kindle any of it after a few levels of repetitive combat, lackluster exploration and puzzles, frustrating level design and non-gameplay enhancing gear.”
    • “Unfortunately, the fall of the dungeon guardians ends up being a mechanical title with some brainless gameplay.”
    • “The downside is probably that, even with the scenery changes and new skills, most people will eventually get tired of the repetitive gameplay and won't finish this very long game.”
  • graphics120 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many users praising the detailed monster artwork, dynamic lighting, and overall visual quality that enhances the dungeon-crawling experience. While some players noted that the graphics may not be cutting-edge or could appear repetitive, they still contribute positively to the game's atmosphere and nostalgia. Overall, the visuals are considered decent to good for the genre, with a few critiques regarding character variety and interface design.

    • “The artwork is good, the animations are good, the lighting is good.”
    • “What I liked: the very essential, old-school start menu - few and basic options for graphics mode, control and eye candy - and the good looks of this game, its visuals taking advantage of light sources and dynamic shadows to add depth to the experience, with environments changing markedly as you proceed in exploration.”
    • “The graphics are very nice, the character models are very well done.”
    • “After reading some of the developers' comments and finding out that the first five levels all look the same graphically, I decided to bow out rather than continuing.”
    • “Everything in this game is repetitive: the visuals, monsters, combat, loot, the 'story' (what there is of a story).”
    • “Visuals: one of these 'Unity Asset Store' looking games with no own style.”
  • story108 mentions

    The game's story is largely criticized for being minimalistic and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that it fails to engage players or provide a coherent narrative. While some appreciate the occasional interesting elements, such as a treasure hunt side quest, the overall plot is described as thin and repetitive, often overshadowed by the gameplay mechanics. Players seeking a rich story experience may find this game disappointing, as it prioritizes combat and exploration over storytelling.

    • “I would have liked a bit more lore and story, especially since we were picking up notes and reading them already.”
    • “Since I spoke of story - it's basically what we hear at the very beginning, a hunt for 15 escaped prisoners, but it does have some surprising twists and is easy to get dragged into.”
    • “The main thing is the content is good, the story is good so far and it is enjoyable.”
    • “But honestly, the story isn't that engaging either.”
    • “The story and sense of adventure isn't there, and the dialog as you enter a level, and boss are not engaging enough to pull a player in to actually care about what is going on.”
    • “There is almost no story to be found and the game doesn't even try to pretend that there is much more than 'beat those guys up.'”
  • grinding36 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, with many battles feeling drawn out due to high enemy health and repetitive boss fights. While some appreciate the option to encounter fewer enemies, the general consensus is that the combat and optional puzzles can become monotonous, detracting from the overall enjoyment. Despite these issues, some players noted that the game encourages strategy over grinding, making it memorable for its clever challenges.

    • “Game is good, but very slow and tedious on default settings.”
    • “Sadly, even at the lowest difficulty, the enemies are tedious sacks of hitpoints that take forever to kill.”
    • “The combat is unbearably tedious.”
  • atmosphere36 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its nostalgic and immersive qualities, effectively capturing the essence of classic dungeon crawlers while incorporating modern elements. However, some players find the atmosphere to be somewhat generic or hindered by excessive darkness, which can detract from the experience. Overall, the level design and varied environments contribute positively to the game's atmospheric appeal, making it enjoyable for fans of exploration and loot-driven gameplay.

    • “The atmosphere of the dungeon is great, and nostalgic if you used to play dungeon crawlers in the 80's/90's.”
    • “The level design and atmosphere is fantastic, the loot plentiful, and the puzzles won't keep you from finishing the game (they mostly give more loot).”
    • “Grid-based dungeon crawler with great atmosphere, modernized with MMO style combat which absolutely works.”
    • “The atmosphere is rather generic, story is minimalistic, but gameplay is solid: exploration, puzzles and combat all offer an enjoyable challenge.”
    • “What this game lacks in atmosphere compared to Grimrock, it makes up with vast content.”
    • “What I didn't like: mood and atmosphere.”
  • music20 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the fitting ambient tracks that enhance the atmosphere, others criticize the lack of a dynamic soundtrack, particularly during boss fights. Many noted that the music is subtle and serves its purpose, but there are calls for more epic themes and unique tracks for significant encounters. Overall, the sound design is considered decent, though some players felt it was sparse and occasionally lacking in variety.

    • “There are several environments in the game, each with its own music that builds a good atmosphere and fitting set of enemies; however, overall I felt some transitions between them were a bit weird.”
    • “As I mentioned, the music, or maybe rather the ambience, was really fitting, but I wish there were some more epic tracks during boss fights.”
    • “The soundtrack is subtle, but quite fitting.”
    • “Two things I didn't like: no music (I had to mute the ambient sounds and play with my own music) and HP-bloated bosses - fighting them is tedious and cranking up the difficulty makes it even more tedious.”
    • “It does have a few lows, mainly the loot system and nonexistent music, but these are minor complaints.”
    • “As I mentioned, the music or maybe rather the ambience was really fitting, but I wish there were some more epic tracks during boss fights.”
  • character development18 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its depth and variety, offering multiple optimization options for a party of four characters through well-implemented talent trees. While it draws comparisons to World of Warcraft in terms of character mechanics, some players feel that the overall experience lacks engagement due to other gameplay elements. Overall, the character development is considered a strong aspect, though it may not fully integrate with the game's other features.

    • “There is a surprising amount of depth in character development.”
    • “Character development offers plenty of options.”
    • “The character development (talent trees) feels good enough, and also the mechanics are quite well implemented.”
    • “While they were good, I did not like being forced to find a map before I could automap. My interest is in character development rather than spending time going around in circles, so I did not get into the game.”
    • “Fall is an interesting idea, combining tried-and-true dungeon master level design with tried-and-true WoW character design, but in action, it does not come together in an engaging whole.”
    • “Take Legend of Grimrock, tone the square dancing and puzzles way down, add actual character development options and role-based combat mechanics.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    The game boasts excellent replayability, offering players the option to choose from 12 different classes across various roles (tank, DPS, healer) and play on multiple difficulty levels. The ability to purchase skills from other class trees further enhances the replay value, ensuring a diverse and engaging experience with plenty of content to explore.

    • “There's good replay value too, because you can play the game on different difficulties and with different classes for tank (2 classes), DPS (7 classes), and healer (3 classes).”
    • “12 different classes plus the ability to buy skills in other classes' skill trees offers solid replayability.”
    • “+ a lot of content, and good replayability.”
  • humor8 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, described as funny and interesting enough to enhance the experience, particularly during combat. However, some players find the repetitive nature of the dungeons detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to mixed feelings about the humor's effectiveness over time.

    • “Combat is generally well balanced, and you won't die often at normal difficulty - if you don't think that pitfalls are just funny names for secret rooms, as I do.”
    • “The dungeons are hilariously repetitive and I just can't go on.”
    • “Good enough, funny and interesting to survive.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The game's stability has been inconsistent, with some players experiencing significant freezing issues, particularly after defeating enemies, which can last up to 30 seconds. However, others report that the game runs smoothly on certain systems, such as an iMac with Big Sur, suggesting that performance may vary based on hardware and updates. Frequent saving is recommended to mitigate potential data loss during freezes.

    • “I'm now playing the game with no freezes.”
    • “Runs great on my iMac with Big Sur.”
    • “The game freezes for 30 seconds every time I kill an enemy.”
    • “Know, going in, that you have to save often or lose it all when it freezes on you.”
    • “The game freezes for 30 seconds every time I kill an enemy.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game's optimization is generally satisfactory, maintaining around 60fps during gameplay, though players experience occasional performance dips to 20-30fps. The combat system is well-designed, featuring continuous player control and various unit roles, which enhances the overall experience despite the minor frame rate issues.

    • “Fun combat featuring characteristics of continuous time under full player control, tank-healer-DPS unit roles, unit ability cooldowns, mana bars, order-queueing, and item and equipment optimization.”
    • “Performance seemed okay, maintaining around 60fps with occasional dips to 20-30fps.”
    • “Performance seemed ok, plodding along at 60fps with occasional dips to 20-30fps.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

28hMedian play time
28hAverage play time
20-38hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs

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