Dome Keeper

Did You Know?

• Dome Keeper was originally named Dome Romantik when submitted to the April 2021 Ludum Dare 48 game jam.
• It achieved 9th place overall in that game jam.
• The game's development as a full Steam release was prompted by its Ludum Dare success.

Gameplay

Dome Keeper is a tower defense game with roguelike elements. Players control a character managing a glass dome that serves as their spacecraft after crashing on an extraterrestrial landscape. The player uses a jetpack to move and a drill to mine through the ground for iron, cobalt, and water beneath the dome. A timer shows the time before the next enemy wave, and the character must return to the dome with resources before aliens arrive and damage it. The main weapons are a rotating laser beam or a sword-like appendage that extends to hit enemies; both can be upgraded for greater damage. The character can also spend resources to increase movement speed or drill power. In the default "Relic Hunt" mode, the goal is to fight off waves, mine resources, and dig deep enough to find an ancient relic to eradicate the aliens.

Reception

Metacritic rated Dome Keeper as receiving "generally favorable reviews." PC Gamer described it as a "simple yet nuanced roguelike," praising the weapons and resource management but noting short playtime and minor technical issues. Shacknews appreciated the simplicity of gameplay design and execution, though it said the gameplay could become predictable after several playthroughs. Eurogamer offered a more critical view, stating the game was "as divided as my thoughts are on it" and that the mining and tower defense gameplay struggled due to the game dividing its attention between both genres.