Dead Dungeon

Developed by Roenko Games and published by Drageus Games, Dead Dungeon is a simple yet absurdly challenging new 2D platformer. You play as a carefree little chap, whose whole life has been turned upside down upon a villain’s decision to rid the world of sweets - in the process removing the souls from all living creatures.

You must work your way through the levels, collecting keys and yummy donuts whilst avoiding spikes, circular saws and enemies. Some levels appear to be quite straightforward, whereas others look like they were spawned from hell itself. Taking a second to figure out where you need to go and what you need to do in each level can save you, as a mistimed jump can easily lead to death.

Done in a very similar style to games like Super Meat Boy, which has obviously played a huge part in the influence of Dead Dungeon, the simple colour schemes and level designs work well to make things readable and a bit less confusing to look at. Some levels include donuts as an optional collectible, and working out how to reach these can sometimes feel like an impossible task. Trial and error is probably going to make up a large portion of how you approach each level, with a little bit of planning of what route to take. Just when you think you’ve figured it out however, something almost always comes to surprise you (hello unexpected flying saw!) - so trying to remain calm and not panic yourself to an early grave is good, if difficult, advice.

The soundtrack to Dead Dungeon is one of the catchiest I have heard in a long time. With a fantastic chip tune soundtrack, with some tracks having a very Gravity-Falls-vibe, I instantly fell in love with the music. After unlocking all of the collectibles in the game, this further confirmed the Gravity Falls influence as one of the collectibles is Dipper’s hat! You can even find Grunkle Stan’s fez (although admittedly, that could be anyone’s fez!). Other collectibles found throughout the game include Cuphead and Mugman’s heads, Rick’s Portal gun from Rick and Morty and a photo frame with a pic of Super Meat Boy!

Controls are very precise, and due to this requires a lot of very careful timing of your jumps and planning of where you need to be at any specific moment. Some levels include additional challenge in the form of cannons that will aim towards you, wherever you are, which requires extra care when planning out how to make it through. The only controls you require are the A button to jump, as well as the left stick to direct yourself, so it’s a very easy game in concept - but getting used to the timing and placement of traps is where things get tricky.

There’s a tonne of replayability to be had in Dead Dungeon, with all of the donuts and collectible items. A global leaderboard allows for even more replayability as you try to work your way up the ranks. And at the super low price of £4.19, you’d be a fool to miss out. Allan managed 100% completion, with all achievements unlocked, in just under 6 hours of gameplay. So at less than £1 an hour, it’s superb value for money and that’s without counting the hours played afterwards!

In the end, we decided to give Dead Dungeon the Collecting Asylum rating of 7.5/10.

Have you played Dead Dungeon yet? What did you think of it?
Let us know in the comments below!

- V x

Thank you to Drageus Games for the Dead Dungeon Xbox review code!