Developed by: Terry Cavanagh
Published by: Terry Cavanagh
Platforms: PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch & Switch 2, iOS, Android and Windows PC

Created by Irish video-game developer Terry Cavanagh, Dicey Dungeons is a roguelike deck-building game that features anthropomorphic dice traversing through randomly-generated dungeons filled with all manner of odd creatures. Lured to the dungeon by “Lady Luck”, each of the unlucky characters are competing in a TV gameshow to win their hearts desire and their own freedom. Each of the six characters is named after a specific class type – Warrior, Thief, Inventor, Witch, Robot & Jester – which determines their starting equipment and play style. The Warrior is the standard play style, which each subsequent character adding new quirks and rulesets that require fresh strategies in order to win. In fact, the game is consistently changing its rules – both across its characters and within the different dungeons themselves – meaning that each playthrough is always engaging.

Players can curate a deck of cards – each one representing an action – and they must allocate dice rolls to each card to create a variety of effects in turn-based combat. For example, a card might deal a certain type of elemental damage based upon whether an odd or even die is attached to it. The dice rolls are random, but certain cards and special abilities may allow players to customize strategies on the fly, literally dealing with the cards they’ve been dealt with. With a significant reliance on luck, the game’s difficulty can vary greatly between playthroughs and sometimes I could easily coast through a whole dungeon and sometimes I could get “soft-locked” into an unwinnable situation and have to restart from the beginning. There is an option to reduce enemy HP to make the game slightly easier, but the random nature of the dice makes the game extremely volatile.

Each of the dungeons consist of multiple floors – each one randomly generated for each playthrough, so no two runs are identical – and players move from space to space, where there are various encounters with monsters, treasure chests, health items, shops, and upgrade stations, along with exits to the next level. Again, the random design can result in some playthroughs being much harder than others; in some later challenges, the game also imposes some random rules and status effects, which can also increase the difficulty. Some may find these random modifiers to be fun, but others may dislike how much sheer luck and chance can affect their playthrough.

Throughout these dungeons are a mix of quirky creatures – often humourous subversions of typical dungeon-dwelling monsters – the design of them reminded me of the card game Munchkin, which also uses a deck-building mechanic to explore randomly generated dungeons. I particularly liked the Sontaran-inspired Space Marine; the hedgehog with a cold who would sneeze its spikes at you, and the girl scout boss. The eclectic animation style suits the game’s light-hearted tone and its indie game origins; and while they do look peculiar, each of the characters is extremely well-designed. The six dice, themselves, are brilliantly brought to life and capture the essence of the game whilst also communicating their personalities.

In total, there are thirty-seven chapters; each of the six dice characters receive six chapters, with a final “big boss” battle at the end. This means there are plenty of gameplay hours here – especially since each of the chapters offers a slight twist on the rules that keeps things players learning and adapting to new strategies. Even once you have completed the main game, there are two pieces of free DLC: “Halloween Special” and “Reunion” that extend the game even more with additional chapters and brand-new rulesets and monster variations.

I played my version of Dicey Dungeons on the Nintendo Switch, and I think this platform was a perfect fit for the game as it suits short “pick-up and play” portable gaming sessions. The game is also available on mobile devices and because of the turn-based structure of the combat, I can imagine it working really well on touchscreens and being popular game for the morning commute to work.

With its colourful visuals and goofy character designs, Dicey Dungeons looks deceptively simple, and while it is easy to play, it will take quite some time to become a master. It is hard to believe that a game that looks this polished and professional would come from a one-man developer, but Dicey Dungeons is the very definition of an indie game phenomenon. It nails the addictive gameplay elements, whilst also maintaining gorgeous visuals that serve the tone and vibe of the whole product.

Fans of deck-builder games such as Munchkin will find plenty to like here, from the game’s irreverent sense of humour to the broad mix of different rulesets to get to grips with and learn. The multiple layers of random generation (dice, cards, dungeons) can sometimes result in some unfair combinations that make gameplay an impossible chore, but it also encourages players to rely on strategy to deal with those bad hands when they occur. Dicey Dungeons thrives on unpredictability, and that’s exactly what makes it so hard to put down.

Dicey Dungeons is available on PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eStore, Steam, Google Play Store and Apple App Store.