Dungeon Scavenger Review

What Lurks Below

You arrive at a dismal town that resides next to a strange dungeon. You quickly learn the dungeon mysteriously changes every night, and many adventures have entered its depths, never to be seen again. As the dungeons have grown more dangerous, the local Lord has hired adventures to seal it, but none have returned. That’s where you come in. The Lord promises you a hefty fortune if you succeed in sealing the dungeon. 

Dungeon Scavengers by Vidama Software allows players to dive deep into a magical dungeon and battle ferocious enemies. The game offers an old school dungeon crawler experience.  While the graphics are nothing to write home about, the turn-based gameplay provides a fun challenge. Other than when in direct combat, graphics are 2D. 

Choose Carefully

 As you traverse the dungeon, you’ll come across tons of RPG-style choices.  Do you steal gold even though you might get caught by guards or run away before they notice you? Some choices depend on your armor class or inventory. Light armor can let you fall without taking damage, but if your character is wearing heavy armor, this option will be grayed out. The D&D like decisions are not only engaging; they also cause the player to strategize. However, the choices are repetitive and become dull after a few hours of gameplay.

Rather than simply serving up the typical Warrior, Mage, and Rogue classes, Dungeon Scavenger offers players the choice of eleven nuanced classes. From Necromancer to Monk, there is a class to suit every player’s taste, each with its own strengths. The Templar, for instance, uses life steal to replenish health while the Knight excels in physical combat. Refreshingly, every class, even those that best fit into the warrior category, can cast certain spells. The Hunter can charm animals while the Necromancer can tame the undead.  

Dungeon Scavenger keeps things fresh with its randomized dungeon. There are no memorizing layouts in this RPG. Whenever your character sleeps or dies, the dungeon resets. This can be frustrating when you have nearly swept an entire floor searching for a quest item and die in battle. However, it adds a sense of urgency to the game. 

Remember to Stock Up

If you want to survive Dungeon Scavenger, you had best stock up on supplies in town before heading into the dungeon. At the item shop, stock up on potions, rations, town portals, chest keys, and return cages. Rations allow you to rest while in the dungeon, regaining health and stamina without resetting it. If you’ve captured a pet, you can use a return cage to send it to the zoo. Throughout the dungeon, you’ll come across boobie trapped chests. Chest keys allow you to open these chests without risk of injury. 

Whether battling Goblin Rogues or evil bunnies, Dungeon Scavenger’s combat is its most rewarding feature. Each class is equipped with spells and a weapon. It takes tactical reasoning to win battles as certain spells and abilities will have little to no effect on some enemies. 

If you’re looking for a dungeon crawler with retro vibes, then Dungeon Scavenger is for you. The combat system is well thought out, and the game throws a plethora of diverse enemies your way. Though the text-based choices get repetitive overall, Dungeon Scavenger is a fun and challenging game well worth its $0.99 price tag.