Desktop Dungeons (PC/Mac)

Noob halfling wizards shouldn't worship Taurog... probably.

Desktop Dungeons is a rougelike game where players navigate their hero through a hidden maze. Each level the player chooses a hero to explore the dungeon, gathering equips and leveling up, until they can defeat the boss. With a variety of possible race and job combinations, loads of different enemies, an assortment of magic glyphs, and petty gods to please each level becomes a challenging puzzle. Often, players must struggle tooth and nail in their quest to slay the dungeon boss.

The original prototype version of Desktop Dungeons (still free to download from www.desktopdungeons.net) featured very pixely retro graphics and the same core game mechanics. The pure nostalgic fun of the alpha version was lost for me in the new version, but it was well compensated for with the improved game balance, extra features, and smoother gameplay.

Aside from the mechanical and balancing improvements, the retail version includes some interesting extra features. The gold collected during your adventures can be used to build your kingdom which unlocks new races, jobs, and bonuses. Instead of entering every dungeon as a naked level 1 hero the player can opt to purchase equipment, glyphs, potions, and other bonuses from their kingdom shops before starting the adventure.

I've been hooked since the original IGF version in 2011. Desktop Dungeons is a great ten minute time killer and well worth the price.

Summary:

• + lots of variety
• + great replayability
• + cheap price
• + good sense of humor throughout
• + Easy to play. Difficult to master.
• • can become monotonous if you play it too much

Desktop Dungeons is available online at http://www.desktopdungeons.net.