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. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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

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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.
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  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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