The diamond in the rough created by indie game developer QCF Design, Desktop Dungeons is a slimmed-down, archetypal recreation of the classic role playing game (RPG), complete with experience points, magic, goblins, gold pieces, and wizards. What makes Desktop Dungeons stand apart is that a single game can be completed in 10-20 minutes, including all experience gain, leveling, battling, and dungeon exploration. No dice required.
Whereas typical RPGs are very much about time management (especially for leveling and experience gain), Desktop Dungeons is about resource management. Each level is randomly generated, and only so many spells, potions, and enemies are available to develop a character through its short yet exciting career.
Exploration Tips for Desktop Dungeons
It is a common rule of thumb in role playing games: don’t blindly plunge into dungeons. There are traps and powerful enemies about. In Desktop Dungeons, building up a character is a matter of timing, luck, and making the best use of the limited resources available on the map.
- Explore Slowly – Do not reveal too much of the map at once. As tiles are revealed, characters regenerate life and mana. Once all available tiles have been revealed, there is no way to naturally regenerate. Be sure to take the time to fight some battles and level, using the map as a source of healing.
- Conserve Potions – Potions can be a critical component to finishing dungeons, especially when it comes to killing the boss (or bosses) at the end of the stage. If possible, utilize skills, abilities, and the regenerative qualities of the unexplored map first. Save those potions to help you endure your final battles.
- Choose Deities Wisely – Praying to the gods is not always about sunshine happiness and power-ups. You can piss them off too. Choosing to worship the wrong god can lead to consequences that may hinder your character class, such as being punished for using magic or dealing physical damage to an enemy. Tailor your prayer to the conditions of the dungeon and your character class.
- Discretion is the Better Part of Valor – If you feel you cannot beat the dungeon, then bow out gracefully. There is no sense committing suicide and losing any gold you may have accumulated. Remember, retiring is not just for seniors.
Combat Strategy for Desktop Dungeons
In order to progress in each game and develop your character, you must fight and kill monsters. Pacifism and diplomatic brunches just won’t cut it. All RPG classes have their strengths and weaknesses, but there are some general strategies that can be put to use.
- Do the Math! – Fighting battles against tough opponents is about guts, but winning them is about the numbers. Every hit point counts, and knowing just how much damage your character can dish out before death will help you determine if you can actually take down particular monsters. Do the math first and spare yourself costly experiments.
- No Guts, No Glory – When possible, pick a fight with higher level monsters that you know you can kill. Defeating monsters that are a higher level than your character will result in bonus experience points, and thus faster level gain.
- Be Prepared and Get Ahead – Making use of items purchased or stored in town can give your character a jump start in their development and help overcome early game hurdles. Investing some gold before a dungeon run can often pay out big in bounties and loot.
- Beware of Poison and Mana Burn – Both of these conditions can be extremely debilitating to most character classes. Poison makes it impossible for your character to regenerate health unless you use a potion or healing magic. Mana burn reduces your mana to zero and represses regeneration until a potion is used or your character levels. In effect, both conditions force the player to expend their precious resources.
The most important weapon in any warrior’s arsenal is perseverance. Desktop Dungeons is a challenging indie game, and all challenges exist to puzzle us and force us to improve our skills. Wedding imagination with raw survival strategy will give you the edge necessary to pull through even the toughest dungeons. Desktop Dungeons is a role playing game that will challenge and entertain beginners and advanced strategists alike.
Aaron Guzman - Aaron Guzman currently lives in Eureka, California and works as a freelance writer. He spends his spare time writing fiction, playing ...
Join the Conversation