Die in the Dungeon

Lore & Background

Die in the Dungeon originated as a game jam project for the February 2021 Brackey's Game Jam, initially titled Die in the Dungeon and later renamed Die in the Dungeon CLASSIC, released on itch.io. Developer Atico worked on the itch.io version in their spare time from 2021 to 2023, treating it as a hobby with organic marketing. In 2023, the team shifted focus to a commercial Steam release, and a prologue titled Die in the Dungeon: Origins was released in December 2023. The full game entered early access in February 2025 and was fully released on 1 May 2026 for Windows and macOS, published by HypeTrain Digital and Sidekick Publishing. After release, Atico announced a board game adaptation was in development by Roomiz Games.

Gameplay involves a default 3x3 diamond grid for placing dice. Dice come in four-, six-, and eight-sided varieties, with colors such as red (damage) and blue (blocking). Properties like 'Heavy' cause dice to remain on the board between turns. Between battles, players obtain and upgrade dice, increasing the numbers on a die's faces. Battles are grouped into worlds, each ending with a boss, and a run consists of three worlds. Players can select different characters, each with a unique board, starting dice, and skills.

Reader's Guide

Die in the Dungeon was compared to Slay the Spire by reviewers, both positively and negatively, with gameplay generally described as similar. The game's design, strategic depth, and visual style were widely praised. PC Gamer's Jonathan Bolding described the prologue as 'taking the roguelite framework and applying it in an interesting-looking way by having you place your dice in a grid for synergies and effects'. Rachel Watts of Rock Paper Shotgun called the prologue 'concise and densely packed'. Austin Wood of GamesRadar praised the demo as a fusion of Dicey Dungeons and Slay the Spire, calling himself 'obsessed'. Bolding also criticized the game's marketing as sensational, noting earlier examples of dice-building mechanics in Quarriors (2011) and Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles (2023).

Reviewing the full game, AV Club's Elijah Gonzalez described it as standing out in the crowded roguelike deckbuilder field, citing its 'combining gratifying puzzles with deep customization that lends space for player expression', and complimented the art and soundtrack. The Verge's Jay Peters described the strategy as deep but criticized the length of runs, calling the game derivative of Slay the Spire but 'nevertheless interesting'. 4Gamer.net praised the strategy, build variety, and pixel art. The game's significance lies in its refinement of the dicebuilder concept within the roguelike genre, drawing both comparisons and distinctions from established titles like Slay the Spire.

Did You Know?

• Die in the Dungeon began as a 2021 game jam entry for Brackey's Game Jam, originally titled Die in the Dungeon CLASSIC.
• The game was developed by Spanish indie developer Atico, based in Madrid.
• A board game adaptation was announced after release, developed by Roomiz Games.