Dungeons
A dungeon sim where heroes must be satisfied before being slain.
Dungeons is a strategy/simulation video game developed by Realmforge Studios and published by Kalypso Media. It was announced on August 12, 2010, and released in Germany on January 27, 2011, and in North America on February 10, 2011. The game is notable for inverting the classic Dungeon Keeper formula by tasking players with caring for heroes rather than monsters.
- Developer
- Realmforge Studios
- Publisher
- Kalypso Media
- Announcement date
- August 12, 2010
- Germany release date
- January 27, 2011
- North america release date
- February 10, 2011
- Metacritic reception
- mixed or average
Lore & Background
Dungeons differs from the Dungeon Keeper series in that the player's goal is to care for heroes, not monsters. To gain Soul Energy for high-end equipment, heroes must be killed only after they are fully satisfied. Heroes are pleased by finding treasure or fighting challenging but not overpowering opponents. Unlike Dungeon Keeper, the player controls an on-screen avatar, the Dungeon Lord, who can teleport bodies to the prison room for Soul Energy harvesting or roam the dungeon defeating heroes. If slain, the Dungeon Lord re-spawns at the dungeon heart at the cost of the heart's health points.
Reader's Guide
Dungeons received mixed or average reviews according to Metacritic. Critics noted the game's focus on caring for heroes rather than creatures, in contrast to the Dungeon Keeper series. GameSpot panned the game as having 'mind-numbing, repetitive gameplay.' A standalone addon and sequel, Dungeons - The Dark Lord, was announced in early June 2011 and released on September 23, 2011. That expansion featured a mirror-perspective campaign casting the player as Calypso fighting her former boyfriend, the Dark Lord, along with other playable characters with unique spells and abilities. It added multiplayer modes for up to four players (survival, deathmatch, and king of the middle) and mod support, plus singleplayer sandbox, tycoon-style amusement park, and survival modes. Gamona's Roland Peters rated The Dark Lord 72%, noting a weak and overly difficult campaign but praising the skirmish and multiplayer additions, well-thought-out in-game gimmicks, and increased environmental variety. A sequel, Dungeons 2, was announced as an easter egg in Dark in July 2013 and released on April 24, 2015. Further sequels include Dungeons 3 (October 13, 2017) and Dungeons 4 (November 9, 2023).
Did You Know?
- The game was announced on August 12, 2010.
- Heroes must be fully satisfied before being killed to gain Soul Energy.
- The player controls an on-screen avatar called the Dungeon Lord.
- A standalone addon, Dungeons - The Dark Lord, was released on September 23, 2011.
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