Dungeons

 PC
  • Publisher: Kalypso
  • Release Date: Feb 10, 2011
User Score
4.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 110 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 110
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 110
  3. Negative: 54 out of 110
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  1. CEO
    Feb 21, 2011
    5
    As others have said. Don't expect Dungeon Keeper 3 here. A shame, considering much of the marketing for the game seemed to go out of its way to make the DK comparison ... which is quite misleading. Dungeons plays like a Tower defense and RPG mix, but doesn't do either very well. Your "towers" are split into three main types: creature spawners, gold piles and prestige decorations. PrestigeAs others have said. Don't expect Dungeon Keeper 3 here. A shame, considering much of the marketing for the game seemed to go out of its way to make the DK comparison ... which is quite misleading. Dungeons plays like a Tower defense and RPG mix, but doesn't do either very well. Your "towers" are split into three main types: creature spawners, gold piles and prestige decorations. Prestige decorations help pull heroes (bad guys) through your dungeon in your intended route, gold piles satisfy heroes need for gold and creature spawners satisfy a heroes need for combat ... while not doing a very good job of actually killing heroes. This is where the problems start to occur. In order to kill heroes after their needs have been fulfilled (the game mechanics reward letting heroes explore until their need bar is full, allowing you to harvest more soul energy from them) your dungeon master must personally seek out and slay the hero before he leaves your dungeon. The level of micromanagement required to keep a steady supply of resources, expand your dungeon as necessary and personally chase down satisfied heroes quickly becomes tedious and overly difficult. The are some interesting ideas here. The interplay between the resource types (gold from expanding your dungeon by mining and killing heroes, soul power by torturing satisfied heroes and prestige point by placing decorative items throughout your dungeon) makes for a intriguing balancing act, but is quite often ruined by side quests the drain your resources for no reason or scenario mechanics that cause a steady loss of resources. The developers seem to have misunderstood what makes for a fun management game. You are too often forced to forgo developing the dungeon *you* would want in order to make the dungeon that is quickest to build. A pace controlled more by user decisions and less by predetermined timers would have been a step in the right direction. The game tries too hard to be challenging (mostly challenging your ability to micromanage) while forgetting to let the player have fun and appreciate what he has built. Hopefully a good modding community will get their hands on this.… Expand
  2. birang
    Nov 4, 2011
    3
    Too bad UI, extremely unfriendly tutorials, meaningless monsters, stupid heroes... Even if you consider this game and Dungeon Keeper series separately, still, there is no point to evaluate. What a disappointment! If you expect Dungeon Keeper 3, just leave and forget about this game.
  3. SirLance
    Nov 13, 2011
    0
    The game FORCES you register your email address and then to verify it before you can play. Right there, I was done, who does that?? This has left a horrible taste in my mouth but after playing 15 minutes, I'm done, wish I could get my money back.
  4. Rizenxin
    Feb 19, 2011
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Flawed Game Mechanics ruin what is advertised to be a great game. After downloading the Demo for this game, I must say I was quite impressed at first. All graphical options were maximized and ran decent on my 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, Win 7 64-bit, NVIDIA GeForce GT 130M laptop. I expected a throwback to Dungeon Keeper but was joyfully disappointed.

    One is supposed to be able to "funnel heroes" to different objectives based on their needs, but this doesn't work at all. If there's a monster, all types of heroes will converge on it. A hero who wants only treasure will prefer monsters over treasure. Heroes who need to "take damage" and "find treasure" seem to fill up soul energy at a fraction of the rate of "find treasure" only heroes. On top of it all, heroes will usually plow through your monsters, loot all your treasure, and then head straight for your dungeonheart before the monsters can respawn and the goblins can refill the treasure.

    In the end, the heroes don't do what they're supposed to thereby leading to a LOT more micromanaging than I believe should be intended. If the micromanaging really is intended, the interface should accommodate it better. One is left stuffing prestige gimmicks wherever there is free space because heroes tend to get more distracted by them than they should. Monsters do a great job of distracting heroes, but often prevent hero soul energy accumulation. Without soul energy, there is no gain of prestige through prestige item placement. No prestige item placement means heroes gain levels and get bored of your dungeon quick. Boredom leads to dungeonheart attacks from soul-energy-less heroes and your unhappiness as a dungeon lord.

    Quickbars make for some helpful interaction, but the game does not pause when you're trying to setup your quickbars, pick up your talents, view your questlog, or manage your goblins. This turns a fun game into a frustrating one. Granted I only downloaded the demo, which is missing more monsters, more hero types (like Champions) and torture chambers, and possible patch updates, but unless this one gets really discounted, I'm going to pass for now.    … Expand
  5. ricesautes
    May 25, 2012
    2
    Bought it for my birthday that first week when it came out, due to the hype and visuals that looked like it was an updated Dungeon Keeper. It was unplayably blech. I'll give it a 2 for the number of hours that I played it. At least I had some decent birthday cake that year.
  6. joen00b
    Apr 15, 2011
    5
    Kalypso is good at making time sink games. Where the premise is pretty straight forward, the game gets bogged down with trying to accumulate the gold in order to reach game driven goals, just to have them taken away.

    This formula worked great in Tropico 3 (I have spent dozens of hours, and entire weekends in Tropico), but, falls flat in Dungeons. I grew bored quickly with the game, as    Kalypso is good at making time sink games. Where the premise is pretty straight forward, the game gets bogged down with trying to accumulate the gold in order to reach game driven goals, just to have them taken away.

    This formula worked great in Tropico 3 (I have spent dozens of hours, and entire weekends in Tropico), but, falls flat in Dungeons. I grew bored quickly with the game, as it's just a bunch of 'hurry up and wait' style playing, and wasn't quite what the game commercials lead me to believe. Kalypso makes wonderful, offbeat games that are fun to play in their own quirky way, but Dungeons missed the mark a bit for me. For those that like to spend hours building up power and money per dungeon (and that is why we play games, right? To spend hours playing them), this is an amazing game. For me, it just doesn't quite work, and left me disappointed, wanting to play other, faster paced games. The slow build up has to quick of a payoff before moving to the next level for me.    … Expand
  7. chevmech
    May 5, 2012
    3
    Pass on this one. It is unfinished. How can they consider this game to be out of the beta stage?. The whole dungeon design theme sounds great but the game is not fun. My rig transcends recommended requirements but the game runs so slow that it is almost unplayable. Even when my patience is high and I spend time with this game I find it lacking in almost all elements. There is noPass on this one. It is unfinished. How can they consider this game to be out of the beta stage?. The whole dungeon design theme sounds great but the game is not fun. My rig transcends recommended requirements but the game runs so slow that it is almost unplayable. Even when my patience is high and I spend time with this game I find it lacking in almost all elements. There is no depth here to keep me interested for too long. Kalypso needs to take this one back to the drawing board- I think the premise alone is worth another try. Like with Elemental War of Magic in it's early releases, the game fails to deliver the promised experience. At least Stardock admitted to their failure and offered incentive for players to try their 2nd attempt which they are following through with.… Expand
  8. keefbaker
    Nov 3, 2013
    3
    Ok, Imagine Dungeon Keeper, but with modern graphics and sound... Keep that in your mind and then be sad that this is a lesson on how to fix what isn;t broken to the point of it turning into micromanagement hell that's about as fun as having a demon lord's sword rammed up your jaxi. Take the heroes... They have to be "farmed" by allowing them into a treasure room and then attack them justOk, Imagine Dungeon Keeper, but with modern graphics and sound... Keep that in your mind and then be sad that this is a lesson on how to fix what isn;t broken to the point of it turning into micromanagement hell that's about as fun as having a demon lord's sword rammed up your jaxi. Take the heroes... They have to be "farmed" by allowing them into a treasure room and then attack them just before they leave, none of which can be automated and the game then complains at you because you couldn't keep your eye on the 12 spinning plates of completing objectives, fighting on two fronts and farming heroes, oh this is a massive pile of bollocks.… Expand
  9. Monurah
    Aug 15, 2011
    5
    As people suggest, It has a lot of similarities to Dungeon Keeper. A game developed by Bullfrog Studios. Dungeons is not a bad game for those who aren't familiar with this type of category. It is actually quite fun. For the Dungeon Keeper veterans among us, there's is nothing new to see here.
  10. Xardon
    Jan 20, 2012
    1
    If they made this game more open ended like Evil Genius, and not mission driven, it probably would have been a lot better. The best part about a dungeon creation type game is flexibility and the ability for you to be creative, but I got very bored with it because it was very linear to start and hard to get in to. They missed the mark on this game, so much potential.
  11. oOMitchOo
    May 31, 2012
    1
    Totally boring and bad game!
    But what else would you expect from Kalypso? They failed with Airline Tycoon 2 too. They just aren't going with the time. I think this company earns more money with lawsuits against illegal downloads of their games (because nobody wants to buy them) then selling their games.
  12. Morring
    Feb 18, 2011
    4
    This is not a bad game, it just isn't good. When you should entertain heroes for their precious points it is a poor tycoon game, too repetitive to be actually entertaining, and as a "build your evil empire" it lacks depth, your minions have the only purpose of standing on their spawn point waiting for someone to have fun killing them, and this someone is not the player. I didn't play anyThis is not a bad game, it just isn't good. When you should entertain heroes for their precious points it is a poor tycoon game, too repetitive to be actually entertaining, and as a "build your evil empire" it lacks depth, your minions have the only purpose of standing on their spawn point waiting for someone to have fun killing them, and this someone is not the player. I didn't play any dungeon keeper, so I'm not going to make that comparison. The "action" component is still tedious, both for your dungeon lord occupying most of the screen and for the graphics not looking so good up close. You will spend most of the time rushing about from one point of the map to another, preventing you from actually enjoying building a neat dungeon, getting some breath only if you decide to just flood your heroes with monsters and disregard a lot of soul points. To all that, add some random bugs and crashes that keep being annoying. The idea behind it isn't too bad toh, and it still manages to be amusing at first, it just isn't a 45 â… Expand
  13. cassUK
    Feb 10, 2011
    6
    First of all I have never played any of the Dungeon Keeper games, so I had nothing to say if this is DK3 like or not. (Its not, apparently.)

    Before I start about the game play I must mention there are some stability issues. There were two patches to apply before I could start playing. I still crash regularly when booting the game up. OK the nity gritty: You are immediately hit with the    First of all I have never played any of the Dungeon Keeper games, so I had nothing to say if this is DK3 like or not. (Its not, apparently.)

    Before I start about the game play I must mention there are some stability issues. There were two patches to apply before I could start playing. I still crash regularly when booting the game up. OK the nity gritty: You are immediately hit with the devs sense of humor. Sometimes a good thing, in this case it is just irritating. I have not found one passage amusing yet. Even in the instruction book they force there humour on you. Even going as far as begging for money, in a joking way naturally.

    The interface and controls are very clumsy and do not feel intuitve at all. It takes a good few games to get to grips with. The voice acting for your gobln minion and the other 'bad guys' drives me up the wall. However you cant skip what they say otherwise you will have no idea what is going on. Not that it matters. The idea is that you control a dungeon on every new level. (there is a story behind it, however unless your about ten you will find it tedious.)
    At the centre of your dungeon is your dungeon heart. If this is killed it is game over. You directly control the dungeon lord. Each level is already set out for you. (My biggest disappointment.) Although you can order a workforce of goblins to dig out more rooms in the rock. heroes enter at timed intervals. There are three resources to collect: Gold, souls, prestige. These are the things you need to make your dungeon better. The general idea is to keep the heros happy, then kill them before they leave your dungeon. They each have a 'sims' like happyness bar. Each class has its own needs to fill that bar up. Fighters for example want gold, fighting (taking dammage) and new equipment to keep them happy.

    You then need to strike them down before they leave the dungeon. Upon doing so you are rewarded with the gold they took from you, the gold they were carrying with them and the amount of soul points they have ie. how 'sims' happy they are. Each level has ceritain criteria for you to fullfill to gain extra points to level up you dungeon lord or gain extra spells / scrolls. This I feel is the whole driving force behind the game. That is the game in a nut shell. There are a few more side missions ect but I wont give out spoilers on those. There is a campaign type map between games. You cant do anything on it but re-look at areas you have already covered. Just in case you didnt collect all the bonuses. It is surplus to requirement to be honest.

    Over all though it has some strangely addictive qualities. I just struggle to pin point them. Each level takes just over an hour, especialy if your trying to make your dungeon the best one possible. As a side note: for all you dnd guys who loved designing your own dungeon, this will only disappoint. For every one else i'd say wait for a demo. Average.    … Expand
  14. Remies
    Feb 22, 2011
    3
    I love tycoon games, I love Dungeon and RPG games and I should have loved this, but I didn't. It was over repetitive, with no real satisfaction factor.
  15. Backslider
    Feb 11, 2011
    5
    A DK look-alike that doesn't deliver. Whatever greatness this game could've attained was lost when it was decided that the most fun could be had by feeding and burping heroes.

    If the game company didn't want Dungeons compared to Dungeon Keeper, they shouldn't have made a Dungeon Keeper clone in nearly every regard and then turned it into Dungeon Tycoon. Unfortunately, that is the case,    A DK look-alike that doesn't deliver. Whatever greatness this game could've attained was lost when it was decided that the most fun could be had by feeding and burping heroes.

    If the game company didn't want Dungeons compared to Dungeon Keeper, they shouldn't have made a Dungeon Keeper clone in nearly every regard and then turned it into Dungeon Tycoon. Unfortunately, that is the case, but I will do my best to hold my prejudice at the door, even if Kalypso tried to lure DK fans in and then refuse to deliver.

    First, the graphics are nice, and the music meshes well with the atmosphere. Dungeons pleases the senses, but the gameplay soon dulls them. You must choose between constantly monitoring the level of soul energy in every hero in the dungeon and striking when the time is right, or building a wall of braindead monsters in front of your dungeon heart and letting half-full heroes moronically wander into certain death while you go make a snack. Neither method is satisfying.

    And it's not very often that a game comes along with the chance to play as the evil mastermind. Sadly, we'll probably have to wait a few more years before our next chance, because here, being evil somehow means catering to a hero's every need and whim. The satisfaction of gathering, housing, and training a horde of minions is robbed from you, as monsters are uncontrollable guard dogs whose primary purpose is to die at the hands of a battle-hungry hero. Even traps, while dangerous by themselves, are ultimately there to please heroes.

    But wait, isn't this all done to torture heroes and harvest soul energy? Yes. So you can make better libraries, better armories, and bigger piles of gold for heroes. You are not the lord of a dungeon, you are the head employee at a daycare facility, which for whatever reason, happens to take place in a dungeon.    … Expand
  16. marqpas
    Mar 6, 2011
    4
    If you try to make your own game, please please do NOT steal the looks - and units and rooms and humor and more - from one of the greatest games ever made, and claim it to be your own game. Such a fail.

    This clearly is a ripoff of Dungeon Keeper 2, and not a very good one; the 1999 original is way superior.
  17. Hellspeller
    Feb 24, 2011
    3
    First of all, I have never played any other "dungeons" family games, but I was a big fan of "Overlord" and that's what made me buy that game. Then I must say that I really regret my money wasted.. I first tried the demo (I strongly suggest to all of you out there who ain't sure about this game, to do so) but, for me, it didn't help my choice. At first, it did not made me love it more, norFirst of all, I have never played any other "dungeons" family games, but I was a big fan of "Overlord" and that's what made me buy that game. Then I must say that I really regret my money wasted.. I first tried the demo (I strongly suggest to all of you out there who ain't sure about this game, to do so) but, for me, it didn't help my choice. At first, it did not made me love it more, nor less. But let me tell you..

    *FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO TRIED THE DEMO AND STILL AIN'T SURE, DON'T BUY THIS GAME !*

    It's really, really repetitive and boring.. On top of all, it's really bugged, some scripting events are actually not working at all or working at the wrong time ! Plus, late in the campaign, you get to have so much stuff in your dungeons that the game don't stop lagging (And thrust me, it's not because of my computer, I have a computer made to do 3D, worth 10k $)
    Sure you'll find the parody talking there and there fun, but the game is JUST about that.. Each and single phrase is stolen from a movie or an other game for somewhere, like Diablo, Lotr, warhammer, Dante's inferno, etc.. At some point one of the character actually says : "Okay we need to stop that or we will get sued." The game would have been okay for a 20-30$ game, but it's not worth it's current price.. Sure, there is 17 mission, but it's all the same.. Just play the demo 10 times and you'll have played the full game.. As everybody else is saying, a lot of points in the game mechanics seems incomplete, some stuff do'nt work at all and lack interactive stuff.. The game even have a fast-forward mode, like if they knew it could be boring to play..
    So, for all amateur of evil-cool-funny-stuff, you can pass this one.    … Expand
  18. Rottencore
    Mar 17, 2011
    3
    I really did not enjoy this game. I found walking around as the goblin in the start of the demo the most appealing part of the game. They gave me some monsters and some goblins to dig and find gold, then the hero steals my gold and it's all part of the game! What nonsense is this where I can't even make my goblins dig or get gold or put people in the prison. I can't make my monsters moveI really did not enjoy this game. I found walking around as the goblin in the start of the demo the most appealing part of the game. They gave me some monsters and some goblins to dig and find gold, then the hero steals my gold and it's all part of the game! What nonsense is this where I can't even make my goblins dig or get gold or put people in the prison. I can't make my monsters move or fight people. Left click and right click didn't work! I couldn't do anything but make my hero do everything by himself. I thought the point was that I was the master of my dungeon?… Expand
  19. tobas1
    May 27, 2011
    2
    This game got the same syndrome as Dragon Age 2 - they wanted to make spiritual successor of other classic hit game (DA2 from Baldur as Dungeons from Dungeon Keeper) but instead of making exact copy with better graphics they started to improve it, fixing and being creative plus rushing production and as always when you try to fix something that is not broken you can be sure that you willThis game got the same syndrome as Dragon Age 2 - they wanted to make spiritual successor of other classic hit game (DA2 from Baldur as Dungeons from Dungeon Keeper) but instead of making exact copy with better graphics they started to improve it, fixing and being creative plus rushing production and as always when you try to fix something that is not broken you can be sure that you will brake it. They broke it. they broke it baaad. They used to much illegal substances at their brainstorm where they got those ideas implemented in Dungeons and I'm sure they were stoned then because they not even sound fun so what was the point in selecting them? I mean instead of creating space for your minions so that they could train and multiply to create mass capable to destroy other lords and all those crazy heroes attacking you all the time you're now creating fun place and statue-like minions for those heroes so that you could charge fee when they want to leave. But it's not those heroes should have fun - I should! And I don't. And they knew what they were doing - because even if they would only give your minions possibility to move and you to control them it would be totally different game where you could slain every hero just by number advantage - this would kill whole game concept but would also make this game a lot more fun than is now - and a little more like DK. I'm not bashing this game because it's not DK - dont get me wrong - I'm bashing it because Kalypso made some suggestions this game will have something in common with DK to feed at DK fanbase (like me) when there is almost nothing in common. Except ripoffs like dungeon heart, graphics, dungeon creation method, crazy heroes and so on and so on. All of this wouldn't be also a problem if this game would be good or at least medium - but it's no fun to play and because of similarities to DK you just have to compare and this compering just K.O Dungeons… Expand
  20. wotan343
    Feb 23, 2011
    1
    Do not waste your money. There are far better games out there doing the same thing cheaper. If you have Facebook, there's a free dungeon keeper clone on there. This game evidently doesn't aim to channel the old bullfrog spirit despite the marketing spin, but if you do want a slower tactical game such as it seems to be, I'd recommend Evil Genius, which is available on Steam, amongst otherDo not waste your money. There are far better games out there doing the same thing cheaper. If you have Facebook, there's a free dungeon keeper clone on there. This game evidently doesn't aim to channel the old bullfrog spirit despite the marketing spin, but if you do want a slower tactical game such as it seems to be, I'd recommend Evil Genius, which is available on Steam, amongst other places; or perhaps the older Theme Park or Theme Hospital -- both of which are far more amusing, despite being released more than a decade earlier.

    Much has been made of this game in the Steam platform, so I should mention the installation process is truly pathetic and includes an old-fashioned force reboot after probably pointlessly reinstalling .NET 4 -- judging by the Steam forums, this atavistic coding has pissed off quite a few people who were already dubious about the games merits. Not a great way to start a demo.

    Punish the shoddy development and hold off for a decent new instalment in the Dungeon Keeper line. This is the worst game I've ever played that wasn't in flash, and all the more offensive for it's theft of the art style of a far better game.    … Expand
  21. Azu
    Jul 15, 2011
    1
    For a "dungeons" type game i was severely dissapointed, i dont want to click with my dungeon master to do stuff i want my imps to do it!!! $40 dollars later and a total of 40 mins played i feel ripped off at $1 dollar a minute... so sad
  22. monty845
    Feb 21, 2011
    4
    Having played Dungeon Keeper, I was really hoping for more. While the satisfying heroes thing was initially interesting, it got old fast, and really limits your options as to dungeon construction. Far worse was the games lack of depth, there should have been many more monsters and construction options. All around while it was fun for a little bit it was a big disappointment.
  23. Chickgamer11
    Feb 18, 2011
    2
    Such a disappointment! I'd fall asleep playing this game if I didn't have to constantly scramble to complete timed missions that are only there to keep you from realizing how bored you are. This game resembles nothing more than a poorly made tower defense game that had a freak child with Roller Coaster Tycoon. It's really sad, because the game looks pretty and had potential, but someSuch a disappointment! I'd fall asleep playing this game if I didn't have to constantly scramble to complete timed missions that are only there to keep you from realizing how bored you are. This game resembles nothing more than a poorly made tower defense game that had a freak child with Roller Coaster Tycoon. It's really sad, because the game looks pretty and had potential, but some genius thought it'd be fun to pamper your enemies...(evil my a**) while they bumped and stumbled their way into my dungeon, to get happy and then wander into a monster pit. Wake me up when it's over. No freedom to dug my OWN dungeon, no freedom to research stuff, and my minions aren't so much minions as they are punching bags with about as much personality. Don't even get me started on how buggy and unstable this game is. Just avoid this game. If you want to take a chance when it's sitting on the bargain bin for $5 (which will probably be very soon) knock yourself out, but in no way is a tower defense game worth $40.… Expand
  24. Anca
    Feb 17, 2011
    3
    What a pity !
    Instead of being a worthy successor to Dungeon Keeper ... it is finally a pale copy watered.
    The game system becomes tiresome pretty quickly, and is repetitive. The mechanisms of the game are not particularly extensive, although the system is fun at first. Worst of all, it is still really buggy. I lost several backups because of game crashes. It could have been a good    What a pity !
    Instead of being a worthy successor to Dungeon Keeper ... it is finally a pale copy watered.
    The game system becomes tiresome pretty quickly, and is repetitive.
    The mechanisms of the game are not particularly extensive, although the system is fun at first.
    Worst of all, it is still really buggy. I lost several backups because of game crashes.

    It could have been a good game... but no. It's just an average game.    … Expand
  25. thefinn
    Jul 11, 2011
    2
    This game was a total disappointment. These guys would've been better off making a dungeon keeper clone. The monsters have no AI whatsoever, talk about gaming companies taking a step back - well these guys took not one, not two, but three steps backwards in so far as AI programming and game potential are concerned with Dungeons. Imagine a game with near "Sims" type AI for each of yourThis game was a total disappointment. These guys would've been better off making a dungeon keeper clone. The monsters have no AI whatsoever, talk about gaming companies taking a step back - well these guys took not one, not two, but three steps backwards in so far as AI programming and game potential are concerned with Dungeons. Imagine a game with near "Sims" type AI for each of your monsters and traps vast and various, but no... these guys went back to 1985 and threw in the AI from the monsters in doom 1. I feel this was a vast waste of money I could've better spent buying pizza for a night playing BC2.… Expand
  26. JamesBondX
    Dec 14, 2012
    0
    They tried to shamefully lure the DK series fans to play this THING. No one fell for it. It was very monotone, it was pretty ridiculous. A dungeon lord shouldn't ENTERTAIN heroes, there is NO valid reason for that. I know they try to explain why they need to do it, but it's just WRONG. You should mercilessly kill heroes, not entertain them THEN kill them. Creeps should be more personal, asThey tried to shamefully lure the DK series fans to play this THING. No one fell for it. It was very monotone, it was pretty ridiculous. A dungeon lord shouldn't ENTERTAIN heroes, there is NO valid reason for that. I know they try to explain why they need to do it, but it's just WRONG. You should mercilessly kill heroes, not entertain them THEN kill them. Creeps should be more personal, as it is, they feel like buildings rather than actual "beings" in your dungeon. I can't even see how this game would be fun from a tycoon point of view. But what bothers me most is that they basically lived on the principle that they would get the older DK fans to play this heap of ****.

    Definitely cannot recommend to any DK fan out there.

    Also, someone else mentioned this being hard while DK being "sleep, then wake up to a victory screen"

    NO, JUST NO. SHAME ON YOU.    … Expand
  27. Broyax
    Apr 7, 2022
    0
    Bien des années après, un petit studio opportuniste a sorti son « Dungeon Keeper », naturellement très inspiré, voire carrément très copié sur cette vieille licence (défunte) du jeu de gestion en temps réel… de donjons !

    Hélas, le petit studio a surtout sorti un gros étron (à l’insu de son plein gré ou pas, là n’est pas la question) fort mal présenté. La campagne s’avère d’emblée    Bien des années après, un petit studio opportuniste a sorti son « Dungeon Keeper », naturellement très inspiré, voire carrément très copié sur cette vieille licence (défunte) du jeu de gestion en temps réel… de donjons !

    Hélas, le petit studio a surtout sorti un gros étron (à l’insu de son plein gré ou pas, là n’est pas la question) fort mal présenté. La campagne s’avère d’emblée totalement nulle à chier, en raison d’une lisibilité problématique du donjon lui-même (tout est rougeâtre et noirâtre) et les objectifs sont introuvables. Bref, ça casse les couilles en moins de deux.

    En outre, l’humour est discutable, voire complètement con et l’interface est (elle aussi) très confuse. Enfin, ça tourne pas bien, notamment sur XP avec ma vieille 6770 (ça m’a l’air d’être optimisé avec le fion). J’ignore si le jeu fonctionne sur 7-64 mais dans le doute, je ne m’y suis pas risqué (j’ai une version boîte avec le DVD dedans).

    En plus, l’installation ne permet pas de choisir le répertoire et il faut entrer le numéro de série de mon cul, se connecter ou créer un compte chez Kalypso, télécharger un patch et tout ça… M’enfin bon, l’avantage d’une version physique, c’est qu’on peut ensuite casser la galette ou la découper aux ciseaux (j’aime bien). Ou la filer au clébard pour qu’il se fasse les dents dessus.    … Expand
  28. Doniazade
    Feb 12, 2011
    2
    Boring, tedious, buggy and wrongly hyped as being similar to Dungeon Keeper. It's not, and even disregarding that fact the gameplay is slow, tedious, repetitive and simply not very fun.
  29. giskard
    Feb 10, 2011
    8
    Dungeons is one of those games nobody expects to be any good but ends up being surprisingly good. Unfortunately, with it looking a lot like Dungeon Keeper, a lot of people are buying it thinking it is a clone of dungeon keeper and have been disappointed. Hence some of the low review scores. Fact is Dungeons is its own unique game which does pay homage to the older DK series but is aDungeons is one of those games nobody expects to be any good but ends up being surprisingly good. Unfortunately, with it looking a lot like Dungeon Keeper, a lot of people are buying it thinking it is a clone of dungeon keeper and have been disappointed. Hence some of the low review scores. Fact is Dungeons is its own unique game which does pay homage to the older DK series but is a vastly different experience. It that will probably appeal more to Dungeon Designers and Theme/Tycoon game fans more than RTSG fans. The biggest shock for most is that in Dungeons you want the heroes to come in to your Dungeons and lay out a welcome mat for them. Then leading them around your dungeon until they get nice and fat on soul energy that rises when they have fun before you finally move in and kill them to harvest that soul energy and recover their gold. So you see, it has a unique feel about it.… Expand
  30. Gene
    Feb 11, 2011
    8
    This is a Tycoon game, plain and simple, think Theme Park, replace the theme park with a dungeon and the guests with heroes you need to keep entertained. Nice thing is that you get your own avatar, and as the campaign progresses can dump points into 3 different skill trees, one to improve avatar combat, one to improve survivabiility, and one to improve the dungeon. Game does become a tadThis is a Tycoon game, plain and simple, think Theme Park, replace the theme park with a dungeon and the guests with heroes you need to keep entertained. Nice thing is that you get your own avatar, and as the campaign progresses can dump points into 3 different skill trees, one to improve avatar combat, one to improve survivabiility, and one to improve the dungeon. Game does become a tad repetitive when you get the perfect layout and hit the faceroll stage, but that's the case with all Tycoon games. PPL have complained about micromanagement, but it hasn't been an issue, complainers were probably expecting Dungeon Keeper where you could fall asleep after initial dungeon setup and wake up to a victory screen.… Expand
  31. Someone2345
    Mar 15, 2011
    8
    Loving this game. Sue it isn't dungeon keeper, but I will forgive for that. Crank the difficulty up and try a challenging game for once. A steep learning curve but the gameplay and maps are varied once you crack the system. It is a time sink though with each level requiring a good couple of hours to work through.... this is a good thing, if you have a couple of free hours.
  32. Anticept
    Feb 18, 2011
    8
    Many of the reviews are based on assumptions that this was to be DK III. It's not. They said spiritual successor, which does NOT mean "sequel." The developers even said it's not DK. Pity everyone keeps comparing it to DK, which seems to be getting it more negative reviews just because it's not DK, rather than it being judged on it's own merits. That aside, the game is a large mix ofMany of the reviews are based on assumptions that this was to be DK III. It's not. They said spiritual successor, which does NOT mean "sequel." The developers even said it's not DK. Pity everyone keeps comparing it to DK, which seems to be getting it more negative reviews just because it's not DK, rather than it being judged on it's own merits. That aside, the game is a large mix of various game styles. If you don't have a tolerance/liking for wide but *somewhat* shallow mix of game-play and game styles, Dungeons is NOT for you! However, I personally like Tycoon series, FPS's, RTS's, and RPG's. Therefore, I find Dungeons to be a refreshing mix of all the various genres. There are a few things that are a little annoying (lot of micromanagement), but can be quickly looked passed once you sit there giggling at the silly heroes trapped in your jails, supplying you with juicy soul energy (which, by the way, is used to not only decorate your dungeon, but in doing so, increase prestige, which also increases your power. Very important to keep prestige growing!). Also, it's important to know the first few missions are indeed very boring. I personally feel the developers could have done a better job at introducing the concepts, rather than taking up entire missions to beat it into your head. The later missions, however, can definitely keep you busy. Important points to reiterate: (1) It's Not DK. (2) It's Not DK. (3) See 1 & 2 (4) They never said it's DK III, but it is similar. Of course, "similar" has a wide number of interpretations on what constitutes "similar." (5) Reviews need to judge the game on it's own merits instead of continuously comparing it to everything else. Maybe then innovation will return, and we can see an end to the evolutionary stagnation that has a strangle on gaming; we could even see new genres again.… Expand
  33. Elantia
    Feb 10, 2011
    8
    Dungeons has about as much in common with Dungeon Keeper as Evil Genius did. It's not dungeon keeper, it was never meant to be, it' an absolutely refreshing take on the "anti"-RPG genre. If EG was set in medievil times it would have been slaughtered for not being "DK3". It's about the same as calling Far Cry 1 a dreadful attempt at Doom 3. They're both first person, they are both set inDungeons has about as much in common with Dungeon Keeper as Evil Genius did. It's not dungeon keeper, it was never meant to be, it' an absolutely refreshing take on the "anti"-RPG genre. If EG was set in medievil times it would have been slaughtered for not being "DK3". It's about the same as calling Far Cry 1 a dreadful attempt at Doom 3. They're both first person, they are both set in modern times, they both contain monsters and they both contain guns, that's it, the rest is their own. Likewise DK3 and Dungeons are both in medievil times, both have a dungeon lord, both have minions and both have hero's, but they're totally different.

    I think the reviewer from Game Spot didn't get "his" the morning he decided to review Dungeons, that and he was probably high and/or drunk. I think it's really unfair how critics so rarely anymore look objectively at a game. They rate games purely on their own preference of genre and NOT on the games own merits like it should be. Two quick games that spring to mind are Starcraft 2 and Redfaction 2. They got reviewed on their genre and not the games merits or they'd both have gotten a 1/100.

    I wasn't looking for a DK3, I was looking for a game that offered me building a base inside rock, I loved DK, I loved EG and I love Dungeons. I love what they did with Dungeons too, it's VERY refreshing and at the same time so very cute and cudly when your dungeon lord rips apart a fat souled hero, love it.

    Currently there are still quite a few bugs, I think they suffered from bad QA rather than budget constraints since the bugs coming out now are the type to come out during QA, gameplay bugs you'd only really get to if you actually played the game from start to finish and not budget constraint bugs. That said though, the dev's are doing a great job of patching. I think both Kalypso (publisher) and RealmForge (developer) have learnt a lot from this game, they're both small but they're doing some really interesting things.

    Really looking forward to see how deep into their dungeon these steps will go    … Expand
  34. Arkan01d
    Feb 12, 2011
    8
    A solid and very fun game indeed. This is not so much a RTS, build massive amounts of units, kill opponents, as it is a strategy type game that puts you in the role of a level editor. Keeping heroes happy is a full-time job and the happier they are the more resources you gather from them. Its nice to see this game didn't take on the role of spiritual successor to the DK series. KalypsoA solid and very fun game indeed. This is not so much a RTS, build massive amounts of units, kill opponents, as it is a strategy type game that puts you in the role of a level editor. Keeping heroes happy is a full-time job and the happier they are the more resources you gather from them. Its nice to see this game didn't take on the role of spiritual successor to the DK series. Kalypso took their time making a very solid and well thought out game.

    I would have liked to have given this game 9 instead of 8, but the game freezes on me every 10 minutes or so and when it finally unfreezes the game has progressed, but I was just not a part of it. I've had instances where my dungeon lord has been killed during a freeze. A shame too, because this is an otherwise solid game.    … Expand
  35. Juason
    Feb 12, 2011
    8
    What a pleasant surprise. With all the previews indicating this was going to be a copy-paste of Dungeon Keeper 2, I was really worried! Instead, Dungeons offers a new and fun twist on a sorely neglected genre. The humor and style are immediately visible and well-polished. It is going to be hard NOT to compare it to DK2, as I miss the old narrator, and find the new one sounds likeWhat a pleasant surprise. With all the previews indicating this was going to be a copy-paste of Dungeon Keeper 2, I was really worried! Instead, Dungeons offers a new and fun twist on a sorely neglected genre. The humor and style are immediately visible and well-polished. It is going to be hard NOT to compare it to DK2, as I miss the old narrator, and find the new one sounds like gollum from LOTR (at least that is what I keep seeing in my mind..) Not great, not bad, merely good.

    The fluidity of the game engine is what I've come to expect from non-US based developers. Very sharp, though with some performance jumps. The good is that it was entirely playable on my machines with good looking graphics and a crisp UI. The bad was that I did suffer one crash after playing for 2 hours. The other 10 hours have been bug-free.

    The game itself is a pseudo tower-defense / real-time-strategy / RPG sim. One on hand you are carefully designing a dungeon using techniques similar to a tower defense game. Draw the heroes in, provide distractions while addressing his or her needs and make sure none escape. Each level likely has a few optimal approaches when all is said and done. One the other hand you have your Dungeon Lord that can book around the level killing enemies, casting spells, and leveling up to learn new abilities. Finally, you have several resources to balance in your somewhat time-critical goals for each level. It is a very interesting approach and works well without feeling like they "threw the kitchen sink at it". I also appreciate the awards available for each level. This adds to the re-playability and gives incentive for building the best dungeon possible.

    My criticisms include the hidden manual (though it was helpful once I found it), the lack of personality to the monsters (much less than DK2, and only partially made up for with the personality of each hero), and the difficulty (I didn't see a way to make the game easier...). You do have a sandbox mode that could be a better destination for casual gamers, but I'm not sure they would do well there due to the hidden manual and the tutorial being integrated with the campaign. The tutorial also failed to draw me in, as it does not showcase the many aspects of the game's strategy. I was left going, hmm... what is this game about. Only after a few missions did it make sense and the fun began.

    In conclusion, Dungeons has a solid place in my gaming library and I expect to enjoy it thoroughly. Sequels - be it in books, movies or games, face an uphill battle to satisfy our desires. Dungeons, while not quite a Dungeon Keeper 3 - does a heckuva lot better than I ever expect was possible.    … Expand
  36. Paulie_C
    Feb 9, 2011
    7
    It looks, feels and sounds like Dungeon Keeper 2 but has it's own style of gameplay which is quite immersive and fun although a bit repetative at some points. The gameplay wasn't as fun as DK2 but it still kept me going all the way through and I enjoyed every level of it.

    It seems the people who are giving this game a bad review are the people expecting it to be DK3, which I was too, but    It looks, feels and sounds like Dungeon Keeper 2 but has it's own style of gameplay which is quite immersive and fun although a bit repetative at some points. The gameplay wasn't as fun as DK2 but it still kept me going all the way through and I enjoyed every level of it.

    It seems the people who are giving this game a bad review are the people expecting it to be DK3, which I was too, but it isn't, it's a different game in it's own right and should be percieved this way before purchase.

    I would say that £29.99 does seem steep and perhaps should have been £19.99 at least on Steam if not in the shops (fortunately I work in a game shop so I got it cheaper).

    If you are wondering what the gameplay is like watch some footage on YouTube and make up your own mind before you buy it as it is quite a unique experience and hard to describe in a short review. The key point here is to make sure you check the game out first.

    Do not buy this game is you are expecting a DK clone because you will be dissapointed, however if you are looking for a new style of dungeon play which is still fun throughout then this is a good buy, especially if you can get it cheaper than its RRP.    … Expand
  37. Sorkvir
    Feb 17, 2011
    10
    Dungeons was alot of fun to play, its a game of its own, a mix of Tower Defense/Tycoon/Action RPG all in one, if you like those types of games, then you should try Dungeons, if you want Dungeon Keeper 3, then you should pass, its not fair to judge this game to Dugeon Keeper 3 like most people are doing, anyway great game, i had fun with it
  38. wolverdick
    Mar 15, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think that most people who are giving rave reviews of this game are doing so prematurely. At first this game is indeed enjoyable. The new system of dungeon creation and hero management provides an intrigue that will keep you going, for a while. As the game progresses, it becomes overly repetitive. As you advance into the higher levels you find a game with little more than cosmetic changes, along with a ham-fisted modification to the basic 'economic' settings that drive the game. The game doesn't change, just the numbers and the graphics. Move into the final levels and these unrefined realities become even more apparent and annoying. You will find yourself doing the same things over and over, with little impetus for creativity or diversification. Some of the levels are maddening with their time constraints, while others flow with a free play style that can be enjoyable, while also a bit boring.
    On a whole this is a good game, but it is the type of game that has little replay value, and while you may be driven to complete the full campaign, you will be bored and sick of the repetitiveness by the end.
    Some of the free play maps have enjoyment, from a creative aspect. And the newest mode from the heroes perspective can be fun too. Altogether a mediocre, mostly enjoyable endeavor.    … Expand
  39. Gozeta
    May 25, 2011
    10
    I loved this game a lot. Probably because I never played the original; Dungeon Keeper? I loved building the mazes and decorating the the place with traps and monster spawn points. I've had hours of enjoyment with story mode and the sandbox map modes.
  40. Bigmageusa
    May 27, 2011
    5
    The game is actually rather good as a dungeon defense game, however almost all comparable games are free flash games. While an enjoyable game, the strange forced details (such as decorating to unlock abilities) grew strained during play. While the game looks stunning, the gameplay lacks the thrill of a normal tower defense styled game.
  41. Ssekta
    Aug 16, 2013
    8
    Not good like Dungeon keeper but still good this type game. Nice continue old game with new Dungeon master system with spells and skills. Kalypso do good work
  42. Dethstar
    Oct 12, 2011
    6
    I wouldnt let this company code a calculator app for my android phone. A total and utter mess which isnt resolved even today. The game itself wasnt terrible, in fact it could have been fun except the developers seem hell bent on restricting the more enjoyable aspects, emphasizing the restrictions then coding it like they had all been outsourced to India.
  43. Vicon
    May 31, 2012
    5
    Imagine you're at a party -- and this gorgeous girl is totally into you -- you keep catching her eye from across the room, and some brief small talk reveals that she is undeniably really into you... also... she's twice as dumb as frozen feces, has a hideous worldview and is profoundly shallow and unrewarding to interact with. That's DUNGEONS for you... it's like they polished the visualsImagine you're at a party -- and this gorgeous girl is totally into you -- you keep catching her eye from across the room, and some brief small talk reveals that she is undeniably really into you... also... she's twice as dumb as frozen feces, has a hideous worldview and is profoundly shallow and unrewarding to interact with. That's DUNGEONS for you... it's like they polished the visuals and figured that would be enough to sell the game. If you are really anal retentive and your favorite genre is tycoon/city-building games then you actually might enjoy this game. Everyone else -- it's profoundly boring. You'll have to endlessly drop silly decorations into the world to build any of the "better" (I use the term loosely because none of the features really do anything) structures -- and your reward for all your trouble is to have to restart in another dungeon and begin all over from scratch. If there was some way to save templates of rooms and drop them into the world, or a slider function that could decorate rooms for you reasonably well so you wouldn't have to fiddle and twist every damn thing in the world it might also have saved it. You have no real control over your minions, but that's not a problem like it might be in some other games because your monsters often don't serve as anything but a speedbump for your avatar or worse, (SERIOUSLY) are merely something you put ahead of adventurers to ENTERTAIN THEM.

    Thats right, in a surprise twist which proves to me the most poorly executed and unfun mechanic for a game, EVER -- everything you put in your dungeon is supposed to ENTERTAIN YOUR INVADING ENEMIES. They are supposed to be wowed by your interior decoration skills and get all pumped beating your minions up and ROBBING YOU... you actually have to ENCOURAGE THIS. When you have (OMYGOD SO STUPID) you have done your job and they are HAPPY... THEN you kill them and harvest their soul energy for the the ultimate payoff -- wait for it -- soul energy you can use to make more decorations. Rinse, repeat. The game at numerous junctures could have been so much cooler and close to... well... an actual game. Have facilities grow on their own... make something about treasure worth having/defending (Treasures with bonuses that conferred to you would make them worth protecting, and if your minions had special gear that made them better you might actually feel invested trying to win it back if it got stolen, for examples.) It is JAM PACKED with un-fun mechanics like (gasp!) your monsters killed an invader -- that wastes soul resources!

    All that told -- it's not a BAD game... it just isn't any good. You might even enjoy playing with the pieces for a while, before you grow utterly disgusted with how nothing you DO actually really matters... it's all in how you lay things out, and a million interesting things COULD have been happening while you play the game, but you can't enjoy them, or participate -- because you're too busy putting more wall sconces into your hallways to notice. Actual Title? Dungeonzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.    … Expand
  44. MercilessMonkey
    Feb 10, 2012
    5
    I was really excited for this game, it seemed to combine a ton of elements I liked in an awesome concept. Bought it the first day on hype alone and was quite disappointed. It's not a terrible game, it's just not very good. It gets extraordinarily repetitive awfully quickly, and there's really no depth at all to the game. There's not much more to say about it than that. It's a short gameI was really excited for this game, it seemed to combine a ton of elements I liked in an awesome concept. Bought it the first day on hype alone and was quite disappointed. It's not a terrible game, it's just not very good. It gets extraordinarily repetitive awfully quickly, and there's really no depth at all to the game. There's not much more to say about it than that. It's a short game which wasn't executed very well, which is a shame because I thought it had a ton of potential.… Expand
  45. FGM
    Jun 5, 2016
    1
    Tedious, Dungeon Keeper knock off. Has absolutely nothing to offer, recommend playing DK2 allover again, you'll have 10X more fun. You can't paint rooms like in DK instead walls define rooms which is annoying. Diggers are slow and graphics are mediocre. UI is somehow unappealing. Storytelling is terrible.
  46. GodotIsW8ing4U
    Apr 13, 2013
    5
    The concept was interesting and the idea of appealing to the heroes rather than your own denizens is somewhat novel (or would be if it wasn't a ripoff of the Tycoon series), but ultimately the game's biggest problem is that it requires a level of micromanagement best described via a lengthy stream of obscenities directed at the dev team, everyone who knows them, and everyone who knowsThe concept was interesting and the idea of appealing to the heroes rather than your own denizens is somewhat novel (or would be if it wasn't a ripoff of the Tycoon series), but ultimately the game's biggest problem is that it requires a level of micromanagement best described via a lengthy stream of obscenities directed at the dev team, everyone who knows them, and everyone who knows everyone who knows them.… Expand
  47. thehumangerm
    May 26, 2014
    6
    Pros: Generally entertaining game that will make you miss the infamous Dungeon Keeper series from the past. Despite a well balanced system the game seems some how lacking. Worth playing but you will likely loose interest quickly.

    Cons: Lack luster. Although the game is well designed it lacks the attention keeping characters that it's obvious inspiration Dungeon Keeper had. Not a bad    Pros: Generally entertaining game that will make you miss the infamous Dungeon Keeper series from the past. Despite a well balanced system the game seems some how lacking. Worth playing but you will likely loose interest quickly.

    Cons: Lack luster. Although the game is well designed it lacks the attention keeping characters that it's obvious inspiration Dungeon Keeper had. Not a bad game just doesn't have anything special to offer and will likely leave you just wishing for a relaunch of the Dungeon Keeper series.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
65

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 35
  3. Negative: 3 out of 35
  1. CPUGamer
    Aug 16, 2011
    50
    The graphics are nice, a well-built dungeon is a sight to behold, and there's a little bit of fun here, but ultimately you'll master everything you need to know in short order and be done with this game soon afterward.
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  2. Vandal
    Aug 12, 2011
    76
    A good game with some innovative features, although unfortunately it doesn't include a multiplayer mode, and gets repetitive soon.
    Read full review
  3. GRYOnline.pl
    Jul 27, 2011
    55
    Dungeons lost its chances for success due to errors of graphical and technical nature. The gameplay (especially at the beginning) gives some satisfaction - but so what? Programmers' sloppiness prevents you from having real fun and the graphics make this game look 6 or 7 years old. It's a mediocre game at best even though the mechanics and story are really good. The developers had ideas for 3 hours of game and lethal monotony can kill even the most patient gamer. It's not tragic but with that kind of content, without any multiplayer and with a boring campaign it wastes our time.
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