3 days of...Dungeons of Dredmor!

The Humble Rogue-like Bundle: Game 2

The opening screen foreshadows what is ahead.

I'm not going to pretend this is the first time I've played Dungeons of Dredmor by Gaslamp Games. I will talk about the first time I saw it though. I honestly was not a big fan of the art style at first. When I saw it in the Steam Store it looked sloppy, unfinished, the creatures looked ridiculous, and the raised overlapping sprites looked confusing when it came to dungeon crawling.

Boy, was I wrong.

Smashing goop with axes has never
been more fun.

Dungeons of Dredmor is by far my favorite modern day rogue-like. I've played quite a few that piqued my interest, and many that delivered on the promise of an exciting and truly random experience. However, DoD takes the cake hands down. It is a legacy that others should attempt to live up to in the future no matter how they may fail, and they will. 

Those unfinished art pieces turned out to be thematically paired with a wonderful sense of humor. The game takes the ridiculous concept of "dungeon crawling" and uses it to make fun of itself. Every tool tip and item description holds a new quip that you can read to pass the time and chuckle to yourself while you slay monsters. That alone will take you a long while, because there are so many unique weapons I don't think I've run across the same one twice in 10 hours. 

Did I mention the Numbers?

And the NUMBERS. Your character is defined by 3 classes, which helps define 6 major stats, combined with the thousands of items in the game to make up 18 minor stats. Did I mention I love statistics? Dungeons of Dredmor plainly lays all this out for the dedicated player to investigate, and adds tool tips to each stat so you can see what they do. Optimization and customization has never been more fun in a rogue-like. 

As you crawl through Dredmor, equipping gear and slaying monsters, you'll be doing so to a snappy Jazz track that changes for each level and sometimes for different situations you're in. Every single track is fun to listen to and fits in with the quirky mood of the game. The music puts you in the spirit for a relaxed, albeit challenging and fun, journey. When it's time to set the computer down, you'll be humming the tracks you've been spelunking to for days. 

Through and through, Dungeons of Dredmor held surprises for me; and suprisingly was not what I expected from it. It is a gem wrapped in a package that is waiting to be unwrapped by the willing, if only the willing have a keen eye and can see past the initially rough looking style. Depth and intensity are hidden by a keen sense of humor taking a light heartened approach to dungeon crawling. Beware however, it will take a strong will to reach the depths, and return successful. 

You will like this game if: You ever enjoyed dungeon crawlers, or have a quirky sense of humor, and need a game to sate your need for casual laughs. Also for those who enjoy a challenge and constantly changing character classes to try something new.