Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager
Manage dungeons, recruit monsters, and defend against adventurers.
Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager is a dungeon management game released in 2021. It was created and published by Goblinz Studio, and is available on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Nintendo Switch. In the game, players work for a company that operates dungeons. Their job is to hire monsters and set traps to stop adventurers from getting through. When adventurers attack, players control the monsters in turn-based tactical battles. If any adventurers reach the end of the dungeon, the player must fight them as a final boss. Between adventurer assaults, players can manage their dungeon and choose to trigger random events. Losing the boss fight forces a restart, but players keep any unlocks they earned, and their level-ups can be carried over to a new run.
The game spent about a year in early access. The developers said this helped them get early feedback, which led to prioritizing a free play mode over adding more bosses. It launched on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Switch on April 29, 2021. On Metacritic, the game received positive reviews on Windows and mixed reviews on the Switch. Christopher Livingston of PC Gamer noted that while it wasn’t as polished as *Darkest Dungeon*—which it resembles in reverse—he still found it fun. Nicolas Dixmier of Jeuxvideo.com described it as a funny game that doesn’t break new ground in the roguelite genre.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager
- Developer
- Goblinz Studio
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, MacOS, Nintendo Switch
- Released
- April 29, 2021
- Genre
- Dungeon management
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game was in early access for about a year, during which the developers credited the period with giving them early feedback on how to improve the game, such as prioritizing a free play mode over additional bosses. Legend of Keepers was released for Windows, MacOS, Linux, and Switch on April 29, 2021. Gameplay involves controlling monsters in turn-based tactical combat. If adventurers survive to the end of the dungeon, the player faces them as a final boss. Between attacks by adventurers, players manage their dungeon and optionally trigger random events. If the player is defeated in the boss fight, they must start over, but they retain unlocks when defeated, and their level-ups can carry over to another session.
Reader's Guide
Legend of Keepers received positive reviews on Windows and mixed reviews on the Switch according to Metacritic. Christopher Livingston of PC Gamer said the game was not as polished as Darkest Dungeon, which it resembled in reverse, but he had fun playing it. Nicolas Dixmier of Jeuxvideo.com called it a funny game that does not revolutionize the roguelite genre. The game's development was shaped by its early access period, which allowed the developers to gather feedback and prioritize features like a free play mode. Its significance lies in offering a reverse take on dungeon-crawling games, placing the player in the role of dungeon manager rather than adventurer, though it was noted as not being as polished as similar titles.
Did You Know?
- Players retain unlocks when defeated, and level-ups can carry over to another session.
- The developers credited early access with helping them prioritize a free play mode over additional bosses.
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