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The Dungeon Crawler thread.
- Thread starter Krathoon
- Start date
ReyBrujo
Member
lol, I still got to play both DD, bought them and played maybe one battle of the second one, then decided to get the first one and start from scratch but haven't had the time to spend in them (I remember having also bought a DD clone I think but with vampyres which I can't remember right now but again played like one battle and dropped it because the font was very small).
I dig both styles, I don't really mind anime nor comic nor real-life characters in games but I understand not everyone likes all of them.
I dig both styles, I don't really mind anime nor comic nor real-life characters in games but I understand not everyone likes all of them.
Herbspiceguy
Member
While browsing through upcoming releases, I randomly stumbled upon a dungeon crawler based on the best boomer shooter:
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TintoConCasera
I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
Looks cool. At first sight I thought it was yet another retro FPS but nope, store says it's a "survival horror dungeon crawler". Looks cool!
ReyBrujo
Member
Showing a few of the dungeon crawlers I bought this month. I've already finished two scenarios of Wizardry: The Five Ordeals, was waiting for an ESRB release but since it doesn't seem there will be one and the Japanese copy was running low everywhere I decided to pick one with the sticker from CDJapan. Next is "The Quintessential Princesses: Fantasy, the Abyss, and the Magic Academy". Never played any of the Quintessential Quintuplets but when I saw they had a classic first person dungeon crawler picked it up. Not expecting much, so anything near average should suffice.
Bottom left is "Mon-Yu: Defeat Monsters And Gain Strong Weapons And Armor. You May Be Defeated, But Don't Give Up. Become Stronger. I Believe There Will Be A Day When The Heroes Defeat The Devil King". Just like with Wizardry I already finished this one, it has a western release but the cover is kind of too simple so I went with the Japanese one. Game is pretty blobber, no random encounters since you can see the enemies but they have a level cap per scenario which I'm never fond of (disliked that so much in Tactics Ogre Reborn that I didn't bother with the post-game content). However it has autowalk, 6-member teams and you can reset your skill points without having to give up experience or levels (as in Etrian Odyssey).
Last two I haven't played at all: "KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Labyrinth of Hope and the Gathering of Adventurers!" (again, never bought anything from KonoSuba but can't say no to a dungeon crawler) and Tokyo Clampool which being published by Eastasiasoft is probably more ecchi than what I go for. I just hope it's not as ecchi as Moero Crystal H which was a good dungeon crawler but the rubbing minigames were nonsense.
Bottom left is "Mon-Yu: Defeat Monsters And Gain Strong Weapons And Armor. You May Be Defeated, But Don't Give Up. Become Stronger. I Believe There Will Be A Day When The Heroes Defeat The Devil King". Just like with Wizardry I already finished this one, it has a western release but the cover is kind of too simple so I went with the Japanese one. Game is pretty blobber, no random encounters since you can see the enemies but they have a level cap per scenario which I'm never fond of (disliked that so much in Tactics Ogre Reborn that I didn't bother with the post-game content). However it has autowalk, 6-member teams and you can reset your skill points without having to give up experience or levels (as in Etrian Odyssey).
Last two I haven't played at all: "KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Labyrinth of Hope and the Gathering of Adventurers!" (again, never bought anything from KonoSuba but can't say no to a dungeon crawler) and Tokyo Clampool which being published by Eastasiasoft is probably more ecchi than what I go for. I just hope it's not as ecchi as Moero Crystal H which was a good dungeon crawler but the rubbing minigames were nonsense.
WhamBamThankYouMaam
Member
This looks pretty damn sweet.
My only question is if the soundtrack works well with that kind of gameplay. Easily solved regardless. Will get this.
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ReyBrujo
Member
The lads and lassies over at Nippon Ichi Software are currently working on their version of Darkest Dungeon. But unlike Darkest Dungeon, NIS' take on that type of game doesn't look like shit:
Nippon Ichi Software announces dungeon crawler RPG Curse Warrior for PS5, PS4, and Switch
Publisher Nippon Ichi Software and developer guruguru have officially announced Curse Warrior, a dungeon crawler RPG previously teased under the project name Curse. It will launch for PlayStation 5…www.gematsu.com
Right now it's only announced for PS4, PS5 and Switch and only for Japan. But knowing NIS, an English version will follow, as will a PC port.
12 seconds of the battle system.
Hudo
Member
Thank you for this! Looks actually a bit like your standard "4-dudes-in-a-row" combat system but viewed from the side and with a faster pacing. Looks like it could be cool.
SomeNorseGuy
Gold Member
Don't know what to make of this tbh.
Nippon usually has some interesting gameplay design. But it seems like they're mostly supporting/publishing this one.
GuruGuru seems to be the main developer and from what I gather their last/first game was Undying Moon:
So who knows how this will turn out. But judging by Undying Moon, it will at least have gorgeous art.
Plague Doctor
Member
I like Aqua Walrus. Good breakdowns.
ReyBrujo
Member
Demon Kill Demon Yomi 1984, the new dungeon crawler by Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi's maker Experience is releasing on May 28 for Switch.
Looks like it's time for me to play Undernauts.
Looks like it's time for me to play Undernauts.
This thread is great, and I actually joined neogaf because of it! Thanks for a lot of great tips, some of which have added to my collection. 
I've been playing dungeon crawlers since the Amiga-days. I was a huge fan of Dungeon Master, and later I played (and loved) Eye of the Beholder I and II a lot, both on Amiga and MSDOS.
I guess some may consider these a bit far fetched, but I'm a bit surprised they haven't been mentioned in this thread (at least I haven't seen them), as they are (imho) genre defining games:
Zork I
Zork is text based, but I think it can be considered a dungeon crawler. If you have doubts, take a look at some of the great maps
And if you haven't played any IF-games (Interactive Fiction, i.e. text based), I strongly recommend trying it. Try Frotz (available for most OS), and try some of the many free games. IFWiki is one good place to start
Daggerfall was one of the first "open world" games, and really change the perspective of what was possible for a game. God knows I spent many hours on that. It's not a 100% dungeon crawler, but there are "instances" of dungeons, with a great turnbased system. Love it!
I've been playing dungeon crawlers since the Amiga-days. I was a huge fan of Dungeon Master, and later I played (and loved) Eye of the Beholder I and II a lot, both on Amiga and MSDOS.
I guess some may consider these a bit far fetched, but I'm a bit surprised they haven't been mentioned in this thread (at least I haven't seen them), as they are (imho) genre defining games:
Zork I
Zork is text based, but I think it can be considered a dungeon crawler. If you have doubts, take a look at some of the great maps
And if you haven't played any IF-games (Interactive Fiction, i.e. text based), I strongly recommend trying it. Try Frotz (available for most OS), and try some of the many free games. IFWiki is one good place to start
Daggerfall was one of the first "open world" games, and really change the perspective of what was possible for a game. God knows I spent many hours on that. It's not a 100% dungeon crawler, but there are "instances" of dungeons, with a great turnbased system. Love it!
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Guilty_AI
Member
Just beat Disillusion
I'd say this is half dungeon crawler, half visual novel. It's fairly story driven and despite the abstract, psychdelic looks, the story does start to make sense after the initial splash of weirdnesses - which i greatly appreciate since many games that look like this tend to just throw a bunch of nonsense at the player and you can never really figure out what is happening outside some vague interpretations. At the very least you eventually understand more or less what is happening around you and how it involves the recurring characters in the story. You also get a companion throughout the game who is fairly "normal", helping the overall journey feel more grounded (the girl who appears in the store screenshots).
This is all assuming you explore things throughly though, be it map or dialogue choices, as it is possible to miss out on a lot of information if you just storm through everything.
As for gameplay, it's fairly basic turn-based combat and tile-movement through labyrinths, though thankfully no random encounters so it's possible to walk around at leisure.
It's fairly short, can be completed in under 10 hours. Given it's overall aesthetics and soundscape, i'd say it's a good game to chill with at night.
Now, onto the sequel/prequel
I'd say this is half dungeon crawler, half visual novel. It's fairly story driven and despite the abstract, psychdelic looks, the story does start to make sense after the initial splash of weirdnesses - which i greatly appreciate since many games that look like this tend to just throw a bunch of nonsense at the player and you can never really figure out what is happening outside some vague interpretations. At the very least you eventually understand more or less what is happening around you and how it involves the recurring characters in the story. You also get a companion throughout the game who is fairly "normal", helping the overall journey feel more grounded (the girl who appears in the store screenshots).
This is all assuming you explore things throughly though, be it map or dialogue choices, as it is possible to miss out on a lot of information if you just storm through everything.
As for gameplay, it's fairly basic turn-based combat and tile-movement through labyrinths, though thankfully no random encounters so it's possible to walk around at leisure.
It's fairly short, can be completed in under 10 hours. Given it's overall aesthetics and soundscape, i'd say it's a good game to chill with at night.
Now, onto the sequel/prequel
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StreetsofBeige
Member
Just picked this up a few days ago when it was on sale for I think $7 CDN. Based on a board game I never heard of. A dice rolly kind of game, so not a true RPG or anything.
It's funny how you find so many random games just scrolling around sale sections. I always skim Steam for board and card games and never saw this game pop up. Probably not classified properly to show up in searches.
It's funny how you find so many random games just scrolling around sale sections. I always skim Steam for board and card games and never saw this game pop up. Probably not classified properly to show up in searches.
DavidGzz
Member
This thread is great, and I actually joined neogaf because of it! Thanks for a lot of great tips, some of which have added to my collection.
I've been playing dungeon crawlers since the Amiga-days. I was a huge fan of Dungeon Master, and later I played (and loved) Eye of the Beholder I and II a lot, both on Amiga and MSDOS.
I guess some may consider these a bit far fetched, but I'm a bit surprised they haven't been mentioned in this thread (at least I haven't seen them), as they are (imho) genre defining games:
Zork I
Zork is text based, but I think it can be considered a dungeon crawler. If you have doubts, take a look at some of the great maps
And if you haven't played any IF-games (Interactive Fiction, i.e. text based), I strongly recommend trying it. Try Frotz (available for most OS), and try some of the many free games. IFWiki is one good place to start
Daggerfall was one of the first "open world" games, and really change the perspective of what was possible for a game. God knows I spent many hours on that. It's not a 100% dungeon crawler, but there are "instances" of dungeons, with a great turnbased system. Love it!
Daggerfall was THE reason I bought my first gaming PC. It blew my fucking mind. Then Diablo 1 came out...
Cyberpunkd
Member
I think I will try Undernauts. Dungeon crawlers were one of the very first genres I played, I have the original big box of Dungeon Master, and I still remember the terror 10 year old me had when crawling through Ishar 2 catacombs.Demon Kill Demon Yomi 1984, the new dungeon crawler by Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi's maker Experience is releasing on May 28 for Switch.
Looks like it's time for me to play Undernauts.
KanKamAndNob
Member
I've always wanted to get into dungeon crawler games, but I feel that the options are limited on consoles and consoles have always been my preferred platform. I recently started getting into PC gaming, but most of my library is on my Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo devices. Some dungeon crawlers I have played are Bard's Tale 4, the Persona series, and Torchlight. Anyone have any suggestions for a more classic, dungeon crawler where it's first person and your character is actually moving through the dungeon?
I loved Bard's Tale 4 so the more similar to that, the better. I don't mind a challenge, but I'm hoping for a more beginner-moderate level of difficulty and then work my way up to the more difficult ones. I would love to hear some suggestions for both retro games and modern ones too.
I loved Bard's Tale 4 so the more similar to that, the better. I don't mind a challenge, but I'm hoping for a more beginner-moderate level of difficulty and then work my way up to the more difficult ones. I would love to hear some suggestions for both retro games and modern ones too.
ReyBrujo
Member
The more retro the harsher they usually are. For newer games I liked Potato Flowers in Full Bloom, it's very simple, you don't really need to mess up with equipment or spells or equipping and unequipping stuff, you mostly equip the best item and are set to go, it doesn't have random encounters, you can ambush enemies from behind. The only twist is that some puzzles require you to go up or down, so you can switch to a third person view to see where everything is, and battles are in 2D though you can rotate the scene to make it isometric or from behind to see where everything is, not first person. But the labyrinth section is first person. Story is simple but endearing and characters are simple but serviceable. I think it's one of the most beginner-friendly ones in modern age.
As for old games, the remake of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is hard but has lots of QoL options, you can setup restore drained levels at temple, don't make your character lose status points with age, don't make your characters be eaten by monsters while they are dead for example and opt in for a map when casting Dumapic instead of just the coordinates.
Another that's hard but simple is Labyrinth of Zangetsu, though you might not like the black & white screen. This follows D&D rules like Wizardry but you can play a "normal" mode where your dead characters are returned to the temple instead of you having to retrieve them from the area in which they died.
All these games can be found in consoles too, I played them all on Switch.
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Lots of new dungeon crawlers on Steam that also have demos:
Underkeep - seems very pickup and play. Demo out
Queens domain - more like Kings field. Demo out
Mystic Land - Might and Magic/Eotb inspired. Looks really promising
Cralon - Dungeon immersive sim style game. Demo out
Nox Mortalis - Open world Kings Field. Demo out
Relics of the Oracle - Seems more Hexen?
Descent of lunaris. Sci fi style crawler. Demo out
Dverghold. Oldschool blobber. Demo out
Underkeep - seems very pickup and play. Demo out
Queens domain - more like Kings field. Demo out
Mystic Land - Might and Magic/Eotb inspired. Looks really promising
Cralon - Dungeon immersive sim style game. Demo out
Nox Mortalis - Open world Kings Field. Demo out
Relics of the Oracle - Seems more Hexen?
Descent of lunaris. Sci fi style crawler. Demo out
Dverghold. Oldschool blobber. Demo out
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ReyBrujo
Member
I finished it a couple of days ago, took me around 8 hours I think. It was such a nice experience, it takes a while til you get the timing correct for combat but once it does you can survive most battles. I thought there were 7 levels but I thought it was 0 (the tutorial) and then 7 levels, didn't count level 0 as one so the final boss arrived quite abruptly but beat him on first try. Unfortunately the Switch version has a bug where you cannot see the credits roll (literally, music plays but screen stays black).
At first I got quite lost and was going to map in pen and paper as old times but then decided to go with the "place a hand on one wall and walk" and it worked for most of the levels, so while it took a while (because you sometimes activate a switch that opens a door way back at the beginning and you need to traverse all the map to reach it) it made playing it in handheld a wholesome experience.
It's not perfect, it lacks enemy variety (literally you find the rat from the tutorial to the last level), there's no way of knowing which weapon or armour is better until you literally sell it to see how much it did cost and compare with the cost of others, you learn maybe a dozen spells but it's impossible to cast some of them unless you are extremely good with quick patterns and trained your mentals quite a lot (I used only three spells, I tried a couple more that I could cast but never used them again). Dodging is cool but spends so much stamina that it's better to just cover or even just walk, most enemies can't hit you if you walk from one side to the other when they attack. The system to improve your skills is fair, the inventory cap forces you to use everything and carry as little as possible but at the same time you want to carry as much as possible to sell or donate, there's only one cheap death (as in, "instant death upon entering room") but it was okay since it doesn't affect you that much, and there's variety in the dungeon design with poisonous streams, lava, spikes, etc. And hidden doors which can be spotted if you pay attention.
Since I bought the collection because of this game I decided to try a few others before because I thought I would just drop them all once I finished Valbrace. However I got cooked with 3 others (Overbold which took me 20 hours to beat, Night Manor and RockOn! Island) before starting Valbrace in earnest. Valbrace is still my favorite game (and most likely stay that way) but I will continue playing this collection for months to come.
Herbspiceguy
Member
Demos dropped!
Herbspiceguy
Member
Finished both demos (just the levels on Vampire Crawlers), both are insta-buy for me.
It's quite funny and amazing how well the devs were able to translate these games to dungeon crawlers.
Plague Doctor
Member
Found this on Nextfest
This is... and I shit you not... King's field meets Mullet Madjack short time focused loop that doubles as a garden sim to grow plants to get your stats up to run the dungeon's faster
This is... and I shit you not... King's field meets Mullet Madjack short time focused loop that doubles as a garden sim to grow plants to get your stats up to run the dungeon's faster
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Itchy Tickles
Member
A Bards Tale 4 absolutely came out of nowhere for me and I absolutely loved it. I really hope we get a sequel in the same style, what a game.