Dungeons (video game)

Last updated
Dungeons
Dungeons cover.png
Developer(s) Realmforge Studios
Publisher(s) Kalypso Media
Director(s) Benjamin Rauscher
Designer(s) Christian Wolfertstetter
Programmer(s) Korbinian Abenthum
Artist(s) Alexander Schonka, Joachim Segler
Engine OGRE
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Release
  • DE: January 27, 2011
  • NA: February 10, 2011
[1]
Genre(s) Strategy, simulation, dungeon management
Mode(s) Single-player

Dungeons is a strategy/simulation video game developed by Realmforge Studios and published by Kalypso Media. It was announced August 12, 2010, and was released on January 27, 2011, in Germany [2] and February 10, 2011, in North America.

Contents

Gameplay

Although similar to the Dungeon Keeper [3] series, Dungeons differs in that the purpose is to care for heroes and not monsters. In order to gain the Soul Energy needed to purchase high-end equipment for the dungeon, heroes need to be killed only after they are fully satisfied. Heroes are pleased if they, for example, find treasure or fight challenging, but not overpowering opponents. Unlike Dungeon Keeper, the player also has an on screen avatar, the Dungeon Lord, who can teleport bodies to the prison room to have their Soul Energy harvested or roam the dungeon defeating heroes. He will re-spawn at the dungeon heart if he is slain, at the cost of the dungeon heart's health points. [4]

Reception

Dungeons received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic. [5] Critics noted that the game was more about taking care of the heroes rather than your own creatures, in contrast to the Dungeon Keeper series.[ citation needed ] However, GameSpot panned the game as having "mind-numbing, repetitive gameplay." [3]

Addon

A standalone addon called "Dungeons - The Dark Lord" was released in September 2011. [6]

Sequels

A sequel Dungeons 2 was announced as an easter egg in DARK in July 2013. [7] It was released on April 24, 2015, for Microsoft Windows, OS X and SteamOS. [8]

Dungeons 3 is the sequel to Dungeons 2. It was released on October 13, 2017. [9]

Dungeons 4 released on November 9, 2023.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>XCOM</i> Video game series

XCOM is a science fiction video game franchise featuring an elite international organization tasked with countering alien invasions of Earth. The series began with the strategy video game X-COM: UFO Defense created by Julian Gollop's Mythos Games and MicroProse in 1994. The original lineup by MicroProse included six published and at least two canceled games, as well as two novels. The X-COM series, in particular its original entry, achieved a sizable cult following and has influenced many other video games; including the creation of a number of clones, spiritual successors, and unofficial remakes.

<i>King of Dragon Pass</i> 1999 video game

King of Dragon Pass is a 1999 strategy simulation fantasy video game published by A Sharp. Set in the fictional world of Glorantha, the player controls the fate of a barbarian clan settling in the dangerous frontier region of Dragon Pass.

<i>Dungeon Keeper</i> 1997 strategy video game

Dungeon Keeper is a strategy video game developed by Bullfrog Productions and released by Electronic Arts in June 1997 for MS-DOS and Windows 95. In Dungeon Keeper, the player builds and manages a dungeon, protecting it from invading 'hero' characters intent on stealing accumulated treasures, killing monsters and ultimately the player's demise. The ultimate goal is to conquer the world by destroying the heroic forces and rival dungeon keepers in each realm. A character known as the Avatar appears as the final hero. Dungeon Keeper uses Creative Technology's SoundFont technology to enhance its atmosphere. Multiplayer with up to four players is supported using a modem, or over a local network.

<i>Dungeon Keeper 2</i> 1999 video game

Dungeon Keeper 2 is a strategy game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1999 for Microsoft Windows. The sequel to Dungeon Keeper, the player takes the role of a 'dungeon keeper', building and defending an underground dungeon from the would-be heroes that invade it, as well as from other keepers. In the campaign mode, the player is charged with recovering the portal gems from each area in order to open a portal to the surface. The player can also construct a dungeon without strict objectives, and multiplayer is supported over a network.

Tactical role-playing games, also known as strategy role-playing games and in Japan as simulation RPGs, are a video game genre that combines core elements of role-playing video games with those of tactical strategy video games. The formats of tactical RPGs are much like traditional tabletop role-playing games and strategy games in appearance, pacing, and rule structure. Likewise, early tabletop role-playing games are descended from skirmish wargames such as Chainmail, which were primarily concerned with combat.

<i>Dungeon Lords</i> (video game) 2005 video game

Dungeon Lords is an action role-playing game developed by Heuristic Park, originally published by DreamCatcher Interactive and Typhoon Games, and released in 2005. However, many features were left out from the original release in an effort to meet the release date. In 2006, they re-released the game as Dungeon Lords Collector's Edition with more complete features.

<i>Company of Heroes</i> (video game) 2006 video game

Company of Heroes is a 2006 real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by THQ for Windows and OS X operating systems. It is the first installment of the Company of Heroes series, and was the first title to make use of the Games for Windows label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liquid Entertainment</span> American video game developer

Liquid Entertainment was an American independent video game developer based in Pasadena, California. The studio was founded in April 1999 by Ed Del Castillo and Mike Grayford.

Dungeon Keeper 3: War for the Overworld is a cancelled PC strategy game by Bullfrog Productions for Microsoft Windows. Dungeon Keeper 3 was set to be the next installment in the Dungeon Keeper franchise. Players were charged with managing evil creatures in an underground dungeon and protecting it against the stereotypical righteous and goodly adventurers that conventionally appear in role-playing video games. The series won praise from reviewers for its innovative design and devilish humor. The sequel to Dungeon Keeper, and Dungeon Keeper 2, it was set to lead the player to do battle in the surface realm of the goodly heroes. A short trailer for the game is included in Dungeon Keeper 2.

<i>Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim</i> 2009 video game

Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim is a real-time strategy game developed by 1C:Ino-Co and published by Paradox Interactive. The game was released on September 18, 2009. It is a sequel to Cyberlore's Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim.

<i>Dungeon Defenders</i> 2010 video game

Dungeon Defenders is a hybrid multiplayer video game developed by Trendy Entertainment that combines the genres of tower defense and action role-playing game. It is based on a showcase of Unreal Engine 3 named Dungeon Defense. The game takes place in a fantasy setting where players control the young apprentices of wizards and warriors and defend against hordes of monsters. A sequel titled Dungeon Defenders II was released in 2015.

<i>War for the Overworld</i> 2015 video game

War for the Overworld is a real-time strategy video game developed by Brightrock Games based in Brighton, UK. The game started as a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, which ran from November 29, 2012, to January 3, 2013. In the game, players build dungeons containing deadly traps to kill adventuring heroes that enter. The game is inspired by Dungeon Keeper, StarCraft, Overlord, and Evil Genius. It includes a campaign, sandbox mode, and online multiplayer.

Hero Academy was a two-player turn-based tactics video game created by the developer Robot Entertainment, known for their previous series Orcs Must Die!. The game was first released for the iPhone iOS platform on January 11, 2012, with ports later being released for the Microsoft Windows, OS X and Android platforms. In the game, players take turns moving units on a board and attacking enemy units with the objective of being the first to destroy the other player's crystal or eliminate all of the other player's units. The game received generally favorable reviews from critics. In his review for Ars Technica, Andrew Webster noted that the gameplay was simple and easy to learn, but that the game also offered a satisfying depth within each turn. The game also features cross platform play across all installed platforms. A sequel to the game was launched in January 2018. On January 9, 2019, Robot Entertainment announced in a blog post that Hero Academy and its sequel would cease operations on April 8, 2019 as one had been long defunct and its sequel had been operating at a financial loss for several months.

<i>Mind Zero</i> 2013 video game

Mind Zero, stylized MIND≒0, is a dungeon crawler role-playing video game developed for the PlayStation Vita portable video game console. It was developed jointly by Acquire and Class of Heroes developer ZeroDiv, and published by GungHo Online Entertainment. It was released in Japan on August 1, 2013, and in May 2014 in Europe and North America by Aksys Games.

<i>Darkest Dungeon</i> 2016 video game

Darkest Dungeon is a roguelike role-playing video game developed and published by Red Hook Studios. The game was first released for Microsoft Windows and OS X in January 2016, which followed a year-long early access development period. Later that year, it was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Linux, with a port for iOS being released in 2017, and ports for Nintendo Switch and Xbox One being released by 2018.

Dungeon Keeper is a series of strategy video games released by Electronic Arts. Two games were developed by Bullfrog Productions for the PC in the late 1990s, and a third was in development but was cancelled before release. A Chinese MMO was in development from 2008–2013 and achieved open beta release, but was cancelled before full launch. A free-to-play game for Android and iOS was developed by Mythic Entertainment and released in 2013.

<i>Dungeons 2</i> 2015 video game

Dungeons 2 is a strategy simulation video game developed by Realmforge Studios and published by Kalypso Media. It has been released through retail and on Steam on April 24, 2015. It is the sequel to Dungeons.

<i>Beholder</i> (video game) 2016 video game

Beholder is a Russian adventure video game about life in a totalitarian police state. The game was developed by Warm Lamp Games and published by Alawar Entertainment on November 9, 2016. The game is supported on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

<i>Company of Heroes 3</i> 2023 video game

Company of Heroes 3 is a real-time strategy game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sega for Windows. A sequel to Company of Heroes 2, the game features new mechanics and modes and is set in the Italian and North African theaters of World War II.

References

  1. "Dungeons". Steam. 2011-02-10. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
  2. "Dungeons - PC" (in German). Gamestar . Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  3. 1 2 Wallton, Mark (2011-02-07). "Dungeons Review". GameSpot . Retrieved 2012-01-02. Dungeons' mind-numbing, repetitive gameplay never reaches the greatness of Dungeon Keeper, its classic inspiration.
  4. Park, Andrew (2010-10-05). "Dungeons Exclusive Impressions - Building Gimmicks and Luring Heroes to Their Demise". GameSpot. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
  5. 1 2 "Dungeons for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  6. "Gamona". Gamona.de. 2011-09-23. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
  7. "Вот так парни анонсировали Dungeons 2".
  8. Porter, Matt (February 21, 2015). "Dungeons 2 Gets A Release Date". IGN . Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  9. "Dungeons 3". Steam. Retrieved 18 October 2017.