Dota Underlords

 PC
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 111 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 111
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 111
  3. Negative: 20 out of 111

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  1. ViktorPast
    May 1, 2020
    0
    The worst game in this genre. Awful balance. Random makes result in this game, not you, not your tactic or strategy
  2. Yoolo
    Nov 12, 2019
    8
    wrote by Yoole at 11.11 2019
    In this type of game,
    Underlords maybe the best and the most imagination one !
    can be played both on Pc , Mac ,Mobile~
    but it cost too much time for per game shot.
  3. MosesoM
    Mar 2, 2020
    10
    An excellent game with a dev team that communicates well with the community. Looking forward to see the game further develop and evolve!
  4. jepex61877
    Mar 2, 2020
    10
    Love this game at the current stage: lots of fun playing alone and with friends. Devs are talking back and listen to community. Thats cool
  5. TheDudeAbide
    Mar 2, 2020
    10
    Great game, good dev team, fun community. Ignore the few salty ones. This game is worth playing.
  6. Brilongqua
    Mar 2, 2020
    9
    Great game! Been a huge fan for a while now and with the Season 1 release, it's only gotten better! Would highly recommend!
  7. mooshka_
    Mar 2, 2020
    10
    This game feels like it adds a lot to the genre and provides a rewarding challenge that isn't heavily reliant on RNG
  8. bestpcgamer
    Mar 2, 2020
    10
    It's a fun and addictive game, singleplayer puzzles are a gem and we should really show the devs support by getting their battlepassers which is only a mere $5
  9. Caladian
    Mar 2, 2020
    10
    While not perfect, the game is so much fun to play. They are always trying to improve the game, and they always do.
  10. Raz415
    Mar 2, 2020
    10
    Definitely the best auto battler out there. Great lore filled single player, duos, knockout, fantastic customization options and the price of the battle pass is ridiculously low. Devs very active on social media and take feedback seriously, they clearly love this game.
  11. Stnlndt
    Mar 2, 2020
    10
    This is a good game not deserving the salt it receives: ever-changing meta, decent SP, interesting mechanics and good iOS/macOS client. For a couch gamer like myself, this game is a great companion while watching something else. I recommend it as a companion-game more than anything else.
  12. DragonerDriftr
    Mar 2, 2020
    10
    I love this game, have been playing the genre since it was a mod. Underlords is the only one in the genre willing to try to actually innovate the genre - placeable items, solving HUGE issues with randomization that plagued other Autochess games, and running an ACTUAL beta where they listened to feedback and made serious changes based on that feedback. Valve has done a great job withI love this game, have been playing the genre since it was a mod. Underlords is the only one in the genre willing to try to actually innovate the genre - placeable items, solving HUGE issues with randomization that plagued other Autochess games, and running an ACTUAL beta where they listened to feedback and made serious changes based on that feedback. Valve has done a great job with Underlords, and they have done 99% of it for FREE. The battle pass is cosmetics only and easily ignorable, but after ~200 hours I will happily toss them money for time well spent. Here's hoping they keep up the good work and keep the updates coming!… Expand
  13. PiperAtDawn
    Mar 3, 2020
    9
    I've played the game since the beta, and it's going strong, much stronger than I expected! The devs are doing a great job at fixing balance issues and finding the right implementation for thigs like the Underlords themselves, which have undergone a multitude of iterations and are, I think, in a good place right now. The single player content is excellent, and the Battlepass features add aI've played the game since the beta, and it's going strong, much stronger than I expected! The devs are doing a great job at fixing balance issues and finding the right implementation for thigs like the Underlords themselves, which have undergone a multitude of iterations and are, I think, in a good place right now. The single player content is excellent, and the Battlepass features add a nice sense of progression. It was hard to know how the game's chosen art style would play out in the beta, but it's all come together. The cosmetic drops and board/Underlord customization add a welcome touch of personality. The devs are doing a great job at interacting with the community, responding to feedback and keeping us up to date on changes. It's a fantastic game, and I hope that with further innovation the devs can keep it going for many more seasons to come.… Expand
  14. starknet
    Mar 2, 2020
    0
    A game that tries to be complex by adding convoluted mechanics but ultimately, none of that matters since everything boils down to RNG.
  15. GameCoffee
    Jul 11, 2019
    3
    I probably would rate it higher if valve had actually tried to accomplish something other than just flipping dota assets and making a game around it. It these were complete new characters, and the system wasn't so full of RNG bull crap then I would certainly recommend it strongly... But as of right now, it's just meh at best.
  16. renan2007bra
    Mar 2, 2020
    8
    Pretty cool game with an awesome development team. The only problems are how luck dependent it is and how it gets old pretty quickly.
  17. UnDeadCharger
    Mar 2, 2020
    10
    Season 1 of Underlords Has just been released, and they have nailed as i have been addicted to it for a while due to a more diverse meta that is also quite easy to pick up.
    The city crawl, the single player portion of Underlords, also provided some great tutorial and rewards for both people with or without the battle pass.
    There is also Knockout mode, a faster paced mode, that allowed    Season 1 of Underlords Has just been released, and they have nailed as i have been addicted to it for a while due to a more diverse meta that is also quite easy to pick up.
    The city crawl, the single player portion of Underlords, also provided some great tutorial and rewards for both people with or without the battle pass.
    There is also Knockout mode, a faster paced mode, that allowed you to play the game more casually and over a shorter period of time.    … Expand
  18. sheppard90
    Jun 24, 2019
    2
    OMG, what an amazing game! Besides being a giant Dota 2 asset flippity floppy, the gameplay is fairly sucky, completely RNG based and 0 fun! And the UI is jaw-droppingly horrendous for such a simplistic game. Valve, this is it, keep doing games like this and you will win over Epic Games easily..

    Seriously, I'd rather play Direct Strike in Starcraft 2, you can adjust your troops    OMG, what an amazing game! Besides being a giant Dota 2 asset flippity floppy, the gameplay is fairly sucky, completely RNG based and 0 fun! And the UI is jaw-droppingly horrendous for such a simplistic game. Valve, this is it, keep doing games like this and you will win over Epic Games easily..

    Seriously, I'd rather play Direct Strike in Starcraft 2, you can adjust your troops according to your enemy (since you can 1v1, 2v2 or 3v3) the factions and commanders are pretty easy to learn and predict, there is free and premium customization and the mod is FUN because there is almost no RNG. Both Starcraft 2 and Direct Strike mod is free and you can install the mod within half a minute inside the game.

    I might try the Auto Chess in Epic Games store, but seems like Dota Underlords is not for me at all.    … Expand
  19. Legitplayer
    Aug 6, 2019
    5
    valve legally "stole"another game&added to their company collection.
    Game itself is more polished/balanced than the autochess in dota 2 client but still game is basically a lottery you need 30% knowledge 70% dice roll first people who succeeds making a strong combo with 3star heroes gets top 3 rest die like flies
  20. Cenogandia
    Mar 28, 2020
    9
    Dota Underlords is a shockingly amazing experience. Very rarely do I get addicted to a video game, but this one has pulled it off. First, if you're expecting it to be like DOTA 2, of course, it's not. It's more like a chess game, where you make decisions during a waiting period and then watch the action automatically unfold. It's very much a strategic luck game, as you'll have momentsDota Underlords is a shockingly amazing experience. Very rarely do I get addicted to a video game, but this one has pulled it off. First, if you're expecting it to be like DOTA 2, of course, it's not. It's more like a chess game, where you make decisions during a waiting period and then watch the action automatically unfold. It's very much a strategic luck game, as you'll have moments where a bad draw of characters will cost you the match. However, where the game shines is how a skilled player can even make a bad set of characters into a great combination. It's simply thrilling. The game is filled with content, as it has multiple game modes to hold you through. With duo, challenging missions and quick battles giving you hours of fun. In the main mode, however, matched could last up to an hour so it's patience but one that is rewarding. Presentation wise, the game is simply great. Colorful, great animations, amazing music and audio. For a free to play game, it's simply excellent. The only downside, is that the game still needs a bit of work with balancing but it's surprisingly well-done.
    Overall: Dota Underlords, will give you hours of fun. It's about skill, but also luck, and yet that's what makes it so exciting. With top-notch presentation, I can't wait to see what the future holds for this promising title.    … Expand
  21. spacecowboiiii
    Mar 3, 2020
    10
    Amazing game!! You don't have to be a dota player/ fan to enjoy this game! It's free to play and great for casual, or serious gaming. People might think that the game is luck-based but that is totally untrue! At first, I used to think it's luck-based because I always lost but after few days and several matches, I learned how to play properly. One of the best games ever!
  22. BingusBap
    Mar 4, 2020
    4
    The core gameplay is fun once you start, but the more you play the more you realize that it's horribly balanced, with all builds funneling into one or two viable alliances while others aren't purchased at all. Certain units are woefully overpowered, and others will never see the light of day. The game is riddled with bugs, mobile suffering the worst from it. Menus are finicky, frustratingThe core gameplay is fun once you start, but the more you play the more you realize that it's horribly balanced, with all builds funneling into one or two viable alliances while others aren't purchased at all. Certain units are woefully overpowered, and others will never see the light of day. The game is riddled with bugs, mobile suffering the worst from it. Menus are finicky, frustrating match making that pairs you with someone you've lost to multiple times in a row, quests not completing or tracking, achievements not working, no steam achievements, etc. Most of the rewards the players earned from the beta have been wiped away, and frequent balance changes make the game frustrating to keep up with, having you need to check the radical changes they've made on the patch notes every three days. On one hand it shows Valve is at least trying, but it doesn't mean much when they're just passing the torch of a broken mechanic to another alliance/character.… Expand
  23. SolemnD
    Mar 27, 2020
    10
    I'm a Magic the Gathering player that loves this game!

    It takes the best format of Magic and turns into a very smooth online 'auto-chess' game that has the perfect combination of luck and strategy. The developers seem to care a lot too with regular updates and maintenance. I played it for months in Beta and have found the $8 or so Battlepass now that it is in release very good value.    I'm a Magic the Gathering player that loves this game!

    It takes the best format of Magic and turns into a very smooth online 'auto-chess' game that has the perfect combination of luck and strategy. The developers seem to care a lot too with regular updates and maintenance.

    I played it for months in Beta and have found the $8 or so Battlepass now that it is in release very good value.

    While my 2017 iPad crashed sometimes (I"m not sure why this is just listed as a PC release here?), my iPod Air 3 runs very smoothly and very prettily (upgrading my iPad was strongly catalysed by this game!). Highly recommended.    … Expand
  24. EpicRenaissance
    Mar 3, 2020
    10
    I've put 90 hours into the game & still enjoying it a lot! Can recommend to Dota players as well as non-dota players.
  25. Wanted123
    Mar 3, 2020
    9
    Amazing game, fastest fixes in the wild west.
    The developers really go out of their way to make the best auto-chess possible and are not afraid of quick balance changes or complete reworks of some mechanics.
  26. BestNoob
    Dec 4, 2020
    3
    No rewards for Beta Players, complete wipe of stats etc.
    Same inbalance as before. When u need 1x unit and u dont get it in 25 Rounds than u know what Valve made balance is.
    R.I.P. the game. Beta Review: There now some games to compare with: Riot Games: LoL Teamfight Tactics Valve DotA 2: Auto Chess Epic Games: Auto Chess (a lot issues, better to play on Smartphone)    No rewards for Beta Players, complete wipe of stats etc.
    Same inbalance as before. When u need 1x unit and u dont get it in 25 Rounds than u know what Valve made balance is.

    R.I.P. the game.

    Beta Review:
    There now some games to compare with:

    Riot Games: LoL Teamfight Tactics
    Valve DotA 2: Auto Chess

    Epic Games: Auto Chess (a lot issues, better to play on Smartphone)
    Blizzard: Hearthstone Battlegrounds (not really a Auto Chess)

    They are all not very fair or balanced, but Underlords & Teamfight Tactics are the best in handling, bugs etc. also both are avialable for Smartphones iOS & Android

    Actually there less cheaters, some guys use assist tools that tell them what to buy and what a build they should use. But there no other hacks at the moment.

    It is better than DotA Auto Chess but still......

    Unfair, Inbalanced, nothing explained, no learning by doing
    same crap as DotA 2 Auto Chess

    Its an interesting and good idea and gameplay but i really really hope some other developers will pick it up and do a much better game out of it.    … Expand
  27. ileamare
    Mar 5, 2020
    10
    Dota Underlords is pretty cool and addictive game and is probably the best autobattler out there.

    First of all, it's about the way the it handles basics. There are no item recipes, random item drops, even neutrals are gone here - you get one item that you like out of random three (and you can reroll instead to get another three). This can guarantee you that you get item that you like    Dota Underlords is pretty cool and addictive game and is probably the best autobattler out there.

    First of all, it's about the way the it handles basics. There are no item recipes, random item drops, even neutrals are gone here - you get one item that you like out of random three (and you can reroll instead to get another three). This can guarantee you that you get item that you like more. The game is fair even if you're behind (and playing from behind is an actual strategy) without weird carousels and other out-of-place stuff. The main gameplay works perfect in this regard.

    The "random" formula itself is far from being "pure random" and "luck". The actual game requires you to have a good strategy, a good use of your gold resources and a good priorities. You don't just get things by pure luck: all players in a match have a shared pool of heroes (so you have lower chance to get popular heroes that everyone is going for), you get higher chances for better units if you have a higher level (so you need to understand when you want to go for levels and when for new units) and you get money for both of these when you don't spend it mindlessly. And even when everything is not going as well for you - you can get a reroll option which compensates that.

    The game also has pretty good tutorial, bots AI and a lot of quality of life improvements. ALl of that makes learning the game and keeping up with it easier.

    Another great thing is addition of Knockout game mode. Autobattlers are clearly at their best as mobile games, but at the same time matches usually take way too much time and strategy to play them and normal matches usually last for 30-40 minutes.
    BUT Underlords has the Knockout mode - the "turbo" of autobattlers. It is the fast and a bit more casual version of the main game mode and it's perfect. Match lasts for 4-10 minutes, you can just play it on mobile to kill time.

    There's even a more challenging competitive mode - Duos, where you play as a team of two players. And that allowes you to have fun with your friends.

    People tend to point out that "it's just a cheap lazy game mode rip-off with dota assets that brings nothing new", but the truth is - it already brought to the genre formula a lot of improvements and it's far from just reusing Dota assets. While there are hero models (which are a bit changed anyway), you have a ton of new art, models, characters, sounds and responses, even lore. And reused models are just like 5% of it.

    And so we came to the actual Underlords. The current implementation of the Underlords allowes you to choose one of four only after a certain round and you don't get the same set every time since every Underlord has two different playstyles - and there's no guarantee you'll get the playstyle you want, but you can change your playstyle and strategy with what you've got.

    There are also Battle Pass and City Crawl. They are not required to play the core game, but they are important pieces of it. Battle Pass brings a lot of new content and cosmetics (and joy of getting them) which in turn makes playing so much more fun and make the board feel alive.

    City Crawl is, well, a city crawl themed campaign and is divided into three kinds of missions: puzzles (you solve a puzzle with a set of rules and against a set of enemies - you win), then you get some challenges against a thematic opponent and then you get a challenges that you complete by playing matches against people or hardcore bots. This thing not only lets you to feel all the mechanics and learn to make a good team composition. It also provides some interesting challenges and brings a lot of fun.

    So all of these things just make the game feel great for me. After it came out of beta I didn't really feel like it was missing something and was bad at anything. You could probably say something about balance - but you still have City Crawl, and the devs are actively listening to community, communicating with players and release balance patches pretty often, so balancing is not really an issue. You also get a "seasons" system and the Underlords team had plans to have 3-4 seasons each year, and each season changes the roster of available heroes and alliances.

    Then you also get an ability to actually play it as a mobile game, get your non-dota friends (or just jump in and have fun without playing dota), it also allowes you to play with your friends as well. The game brings joy, the game brings challenge, the game brings these little details that show how the devs love their game. It's all here and you can enjoy it.    … Expand
  28. Cymen
    Mar 3, 2020
    10
    The only game in the AutoBattler genre that actually innovated and expanded the concept to a fully fledged game with single-player content, voice-acting, story, puzzles, and many challenges. And this is only seasons 1! We already know there are more Underlords and a whole new set of changes coming!
  29. Tk4Bullet
    Nov 1, 2020
    0
    I am mostly playing duo with my friend, and the RNG is abysmal. Gotta love how you are waiting for a last unit to complete for your 3 star hero - Phantom Assasin in my case and it never came. 3 slots are taken because you will never complete it even though nobody is playing her except for me. Is it a bad game? No. Is it a good game? No. Sometimes you have a blast having 7 3-star heroes.I am mostly playing duo with my friend, and the RNG is abysmal. Gotta love how you are waiting for a last unit to complete for your 3 star hero - Phantom Assasin in my case and it never came. 3 slots are taken because you will never complete it even though nobody is playing her except for me. Is it a bad game? No. Is it a good game? No. Sometimes you have a blast having 7 3-star heroes. Sometimes you get one 3-star and you are done. Warlocks got deleted, and so did bugs (weaver, broodmother etc). The amount of 3-stars is not really the only thing that wins, but certainly a player having 6 3-stars will win against someone with only one. The systeam of damage calculation is often not counting properly - my two-star furion dealt 1 damage to enemy player instead of two damage. The AI targeting is also **** up. Getting stunned resets the target for autoattacks - even if the attacked unit has less than 5% HP - your unit will change his target after stun. And so you lose another HP because of the moronic system the game has - or rather the lack of a system as everything is random. Searching for a match sometimes takes longer than the match itself.… Expand
  30. Shtern
    Jul 3, 2020
    4
    Ну что тут можно сказать? Валв как обычно из крутых игр делает гробовозки и последнее обновление над которым они 2 месяца бедолаги трудились тому доказательство. Я с удовольствием играл в игру до патча, но теперь у меня нет желания в нее играть, потому что они все уничтожили что было хорошего в ней до патча с лордами, которых всего два.
    Как итог, я бы поставил палец вверх и рекомендовал    Ну что тут можно сказать? Валв как обычно из крутых игр делает гробовозки и последнее обновление над которым они 2 месяца бедолаги трудились тому доказательство. Я с удовольствием играл в игру до патча, но теперь у меня нет желания в нее играть, потому что они все уничтожили что было хорошего в ней до патча с лордами, которых всего два.
    Как итог, я бы поставил палец вверх и рекомендовал бы игру, если бы откатили обновление, потому что в противном случае ее ждет участь Артефакта.
    P.S Для тех кто не знает, тоже игра от Валв, которую они убили с 0 минуты игры в игру :)    … Expand
  31. Beck_
    Mar 3, 2020
    10
    Really enjoying this game. Played it quite abit in beta but now that its fully released its much better. Can also play on mobile.

    Its free to play, so give it a try yourself.
  32. maxtodie
    Mar 3, 2020
    10
    LOVE THIS GAME, Time Killer, and Addictive
    You Can Play on Pc and Mobile
    Crossplay between PC and Mobile
    Best Autobattler, Outstanding

    I love KNOCKOUT mode, fast and fun
  33. GamixDZ
    Mar 3, 2020
    9
    The game is the perfect embodiement of the autochess genre, its fun by trying and discovering different tactics everygame + the games arent too long anymore, also the support from the dev is exaotraordinary ! Duo mode and knockout mode are game changers and the battle pass is just incredible for its price.
  34. jokab
    Mar 3, 2020
    8
    Very fun game that with a very low skill ceiling but which demands quick decision making in order to get better. The single-player mode is not where this game shines though.
  35. NearHaven
    Mar 3, 2020
    10
    Tremendously improved during the open beta, the game is currently amazing. Season launch was polished, graphics were upgraded, gameplay good as ever. Good stuff Volvo.
  36. Sika
    Mar 3, 2020
    10
    The best game in the auto chess genre. Variety of game modes including duos, knockout, & city crawl combined with great customisability, unique mechanics (underlords/contraptions)... It makes the other auto chess games look pale.
  37. SixiS
    Mar 3, 2020
    10
    I have sunk many hours into this game - it just released and it got even better!
    Really enjoying the city crawl!!
  38. Expedite
    Mar 3, 2020
    9
    I love this game, if you enjoy DoTA and the universe it is set in it offers extra lore and some amazing interaction. I've poured hours into the game and I'm not going to stop anytime soon. Obviously no game is perfect but the devs are amazing and constantly doing balance patches and communicating with the community
  39. Peter774
    Mar 3, 2020
    10
    DotA underlords defines this genre. The declining userbase of the beta times are hopefully over. The quality of this game is unmatched by it's competitors.
  40. amirrezaveis
    Mar 4, 2020
    10
    best chess game. complicated and easy to learn.android poorly optimized but steam version is great!!!
  41. ShubhRathi
    Mar 9, 2020
    10
    This game is getting better and better after each updates. City crawl and knockout are fun ways to play but I prefer standard rank matches.
  42. lapahappa
    Mar 22, 2020
    1
    Another unnoptimized casino from Valve. Test your luck or use meta which everyone uses.
  43. IdlePenguin
    Jun 11, 2020
    4
    its an alright game. Ive played for about 140 hours and there a many pros/cons. First of all, the game is well developed. It runs mostly problem-free and looks fine. It gets regular balance and content-updates. Its free to play with optional monetization if you choose to.

    The big problems with this game lie in balancing of heros/alliances/items. Because of this awful balance, in order    its an alright game. Ive played for about 140 hours and there a many pros/cons. First of all, the game is well developed. It runs mostly problem-free and looks fine. It gets regular balance and content-updates. Its free to play with optional monetization if you choose to.

    The big problems with this game lie in balancing of heros/alliances/items. Because of this awful balance, in order to prevent everyone from playing the same combos every game, they introduced another frustrating mechanic: The shared hero pool. It means that you can (and have to in ranked) deny other players their desired strategy by purchasing and selling towers they would require. This is widely considered frustrating for all participants.

    This game is only fun, if youre playing with bad players unfortunately.    … Expand
  44. Usb_Fish
    Jul 3, 2020
    9
    the game is simple and complex at the same time, for an autochess it’s a good game, it has several modes that don’t make it repetitive and nauseating, it has good graphics in addition to working well on any machine and cell phone, cool game to pass the time, fun and fast to learn mechanics
  45. Traxillion
    Jan 18, 2023
    6
    Could have been a really good game but I feel like Valve took the wrong direction with updates and eventually caused the demise and death of underlords
  46. shostakn
    Oct 15, 2020
    5
    Summary: Hire a crew and destroy your rivals in this new strategy battler set in the world of Dota. Join the Beta Season, with crossplay on PC and mobile
  47. matomato
    Nov 22, 2020
    0
    The game aims to produce massive shots of dopamine/adrenaline because of RNG and limited time but since the mechanics are so buggy it often leads to frustration-full-throttle. If you require players to do multiple things simultaneously and give them bugged mechanics, just f.u.
  48. TheSikvel
    Sep 28, 2021
    6
    Nice game, but it gets boring incredibly quickly. Tactics and your decisions are important enough, but the random factor sometimes gets in the way of playing.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
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No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. CD-Action
    Apr 17, 2020
    80
    The Underlords themselves, among with a bunch of different changes in game mechanics and a robust progression system, make Valve’s auto battler a compelling evolution in the genre. [05/2020, p.66]
  2. GameSpot
    Mar 3, 2020
    90
    Dota Underlords is a diverse and constantly captivating experience where no match plays out the same way twice. Having been with the genre since it was a custom map mod, it's heartening to see it executed as well as it has been here. Outwitting your opponents and the odds through clever thinking is always immensely satisfying, and the game's complexity means that there are plenty of interesting strategies to try. Dota Underlords is a wonderfully robust and well-crafted strategy game that is very easy to lose yourself in.
    Read full review
  3. Multiplayer.it
    Feb 29, 2020
    60
    DoTA Underlords has a confusing interface and it is too much unbalanced to work properly.
    Read full review