Overview
Each game or round consists of one dungeon floor, randomly created, that you must navigate through, gaining levels until you can defeat the boss. As you move more of the dungeon is revealed, allowing you to find hidden treasure or power ups. Once you have defeated the boss, a score screen is shown and any game rewards are given to you. These rewards include new game modes, classes, or races. There is only a single floor to each dungeon, and no persistent characters from dungeon to dungeon. Long term progression in the game comes in the form of collecting gold and unlocking new game elements, which can open up new strategies.
Although the game is heavily informed by roguelike design, each level is akin to a tactical puzzle game. The primary way for the player to regain health and mana is by exploring squares; if one uses up this resource recklessly, it is easily possible to lock oneself out of being able to defeat the level's boss. More difficult levels often require more complex strategies, such as targeting monsters of much higher level than the player, or carefully timing a level up to take best advantage of the free health and mana restoration associated with it.
Versions
After the initial freeware release of the alpha version in 2010, QFC Design turned their efforts toward an enhanced, full version of the game, which they have rewritten in the Unity Engine. The full version was commercially released in 2013 on PC, Mac, and Linux with iOS and Android ports following.
The full version features enhanced graphics and expanded gameplay. It uses a world map with multiple dungeons, and each of these dungeons contain distinguishing features, such as different level layouts and different selections of monsters. This provides a much expanded selection compared to the level types available in the alpha. The player undertakes a series of quests to unlock new dungeons, as well as items, classes, races, altars and other features. Dungeons may now include sub-dungeons, branches that often contain rewards or puzzles. A "preparation" system was introduced in the beta, which allows the player to spend gold in exchange for certain advantages at the start of a dungeon run. The preparation system includes item banks, which allow the player to store items they have found and reuse them in later dungeons.
Due to extensive rebalancing, some gameplay elements including class abilities and gods now operate quite differently in the full version, compared to their counterparts in the freeware version.
Availability
The alpha version of the game is freeware and is currently available for download at
desktopdungeons.net.
The full version of the game is now available for purchase on Steam and on the the creator's website. The game retails for $14.99 and was officially released on November 7th 2013.
Races
Name | Description | Unlocked at... |
---|
Human | +10% Damage Bonus | Start of game |
Elf | +2 Maximum Mana | Start of game |
Dwarf | +1 Max Health per level* | Start of game |
Halfling | +1 Healing Potion | Start of game |
Gnome | +1 Mana Potion | Start of game |
Goblin | +10 gold | Defeating the Crypt dungeon with any race |
Orc | +5 experience | Defeating the Library dungeon with any race |
Classes
Name | Description | Unlocked at... | Class Tier |
---|
| - Can see monsters of equal or lower level to the player on the map
- Gains 1 additional XP point per monster kill
- Survives 1 killing blow for free
| Start of game | 1 |
| - First attack on all monsters deals 30% more damage
- Map contains 33% more items
- HP and MP potions act as both in one
| Start of game | 1 |
| - Bonus of 2 HP per level
- HP potions heal 100% HP
- Deals 200% damage to Undead
| Start of game | 1 |
| - Can see all glyph locations
- -1 MP cost to use glyphs
- -25% to own melee damage
- Map created with 1 extra glyph slot
| Start of game | 1 |
| - 30% more damage vs higher level monsters
- -50% magic damage taken
- 30% more damage at all times
- Adds 2 MP cost to all glyphs
| Defeating normal dungeon using Fighter | 2 |
| - First Strike enabled at all times
- 20% base dodge rate
- 50% more damage at all times
- -5 HP per level up
| Defeating normal dungeon using Thief | 2 |
| - Melee damage done of -50%
- Magic and physical damage taken of -50%
- HP regeneration from exploration is doubled
| Defeating normal dungeon using Priest | 2 |
| - Heals 2 HP per 1 any MP spent
- Begins with 5 additional MP
- Does 1 magic damage to monster per character level when hit
| Defeating normal dungeon using Wizard | 2 |
| - Begins with CYDSTEPP (cheat death) glyph
- 30% more damage when HP is below 50%
- Drinking MP potions gives a 30% damage on the next hit
| Defeating normal dungeon using Berserker | 3 |
| - Begins with APHEELSIK (poison) glyph
- Exploring all squares around monsters enables First Strike
- 1 hit KO on all lower level monsters
| Defeating normal dungeon using Rogue | 3 |
| - Begins with HALPMEH (heal) glyph
- Killing the Undead restores 50% HP
- -25% physical damage taken
| Defeating normal dungeon using Monk | 3 |
| - Begins with BLUDTUPOWA (HP to MP) glyph
- MP potions give 100% refill (at the cost of 6 HP per level)
- Heal 15% HP from blood pools
| Defeating normal dungeon using Sorcerer | 3 |
| - Begins with ENDISWAL (break wall) glyph
- Gains 2 HP per level for wall destruction
- ENDISWAL costs 1 MP, no HP regeneration
| Defeating Snake Pit with any character | Special |
| - Monster kills give 10% damage bonus on next hit (can chain up to 100%)
- Immune to Poison and Mana Burn
- Deals 300% attack damage to type of monster that killed the player
| Defeating Factory with a Wizard | Special |
| - Map created with 6 extra shops
- 20% item discount
- Gold for monster kills
| Defeating Factory with any character | Special |
| - Starts with ENDISWAL glyph
- -50% damage at start
- 50% physical resist
- Poison attack
- Death Gaze immunity
- Adds 2 MP per kill
- Petrifies defeated enemies
- 10% to death gaze
- Converts glyphs to additional 5% death gaze
| Defeating Snake Pit with a Monk | Special |
| - 200% health at start
- Magical attack
- Increased sight radius
- BURNDAYRAZ prohibited
- 20% knockback damage
- Converts glyphs to 20% additional knockback damage
| Defeating Library with a Warlord | Special |
| - 7 damage per level
- -1 HP per tile explored
- First Strike
- Poison immunity
- Mana burn immunity
- Sense monster locations
- Spells use health instead of mana
- Restore 10% health from blood pools
- 5% life steal
- Converts glyphs to additional 5% life steal
| Defeating Crypt with an Assassin | Special |
Glyphs
Name | Mana Cost | Description |
---|
APHEELSIK
| 5 | Inflicts poison status on a monster, preventing it from regenerating HP while you explore. The effect will wear off if attack anything. The Undead are immune to this glyph
- Unlocked by completing a normal game as an Assassin
|
BLUDTUPOWA
| 0 | Switches health regeneration for mana regeneration on one undiscovered tile
- Unlocked by completing a normal game as a Bloodmage
|
BURNDAYRAZ
| 6 | Throws a fireball at a monster, causing 4 points of damage per each of the player's levels |
BYSSEPS
| 2 | Player gets an additional 30% damage bonus during the next physical attack |
CYDSTEPP
| 10 | Rather than dying, the player will be protected from the next fatal blow and will be reduced to 1 HP instead
- Unlocked by completing a normal game as a Warlord
|
ENDISWAL
| 8 | Destroys a section of wall |
GETINDARE
| 3 | First strike status is enabled in the next physical attack |
HALPMEH
| 3 | Restores 3 HP per player level and cures any poison status - Unlocked by completing a normal game as a Paladin
|
IMAWAL
| 5 | Transforms a monster into a section of wall. It will not grant the player with any XP points, nor will it trigger any kind of reward/punishment from deities, however |
LIMMISI
| 3 | Fully reveals 3 random unexplored tiles, awarding the player the usual HP and/or MP bonus for revealing a new tile |
PISORF
| 10 | Teleports a monster to any random empty tile in the map |
WEYTWUT
| 6 | Teleports the player to any random empty tile in the map |
WONAFYT
| 6 | Teleports a random monster of the same level as the player's to any random empty tile next to the player's character |
Enemies
Name | Attack | Health | Abilities | Boss Name |
---|
Animated Armour | 160% | Always 1 | - Death protection (1 point per level)
| --- |
Bandit | 70% | 80% | | Nine Toes |
Dragonspawn | 100% | 125% | | Matron of Flame |
Goat | 100% | 75% | | Gharbad the- whoah! |
Goblin | 120% | 100% | | Lord Gobb |
Golem | 100% | 100% | | The Iron Man |
Goo blob | 100% | 100% | | Tower of goo |
Gorgon | 100% | 70% | - First strike
- Death gaze (when the player's health is lower than 50%)
| Medusa |
Imp | 100% | 80% | | --- |
Meat man | 65% | 200% | | Super Meat Man |
Naga | 100% | 100% | | --- |
Serpent | 100% | 100% | | Jormungandr |
Vampire | 100% | 100% | - Undead
- Life steal upon discovery (brings the hero's health down to 60% of his current maximum HP)
| --- |
Warlock | 135% | 100% | | Aequitas |
Wraith | 100% | 75% | - Undead
- Magical attack
- Mana burn
- 30% Physical resistance
| Tormented One |
Zombie | 100% | 150% | | Frank the zombie |
Stores & Store Items
Stores are placed randomly at the beginning of each dungeon and are revealed whenever you uncover the tile next to it.
At the early stages of the game, only Items from ranks 1 to 5 will be available to purchase in any shop. From then on, for each of the tiers 1 to 3 character classes that the player completes the game with, the Item Rank limit will increase by 2. Finally, for every class that completes the Library Challenge, the Item Rank limit will increase by 1.
Rank | Name | Gold Cost * | Effect |
---|
1 | Pendant of health | 25 | - Adds 10 to maximum health
|
2 | Pendant of mana | 20 | |
3 | Fine sword | 25 | - Increases base damage by 5
|
4 | Health potion | 12 | - Restores 40% of your health (100% for Priests)
- Cures poison
|
5 | Mana potion | 12 | - Restores 40% of your mana (100% for Bloodmages)
- Cures mana burn
|
6 | Bloody sigil | 10 | - Adds 10 to maximum health
- Reduces damage bonus by 10%
|
7 | Viper ward | 25 | - Grants immunity to poison
|
8 | Soul orb | 30 | - Grants immunity to mana burn
|
9 | Troll heart | 10 | - Adds 1 extra health every time you gain a level
|
10 | Tower shield | 35 | - Grants additional 10% to the physical resistance
|
11 | Mage helm | 32 | - Grants additional 10% to the magical resistance
|
12 | Scouting orb | 21 | - Increases your sight radius (tiles 2 away from you are now semivisible)
|
13 | Blue bead | 22 | - Offers 1 extra mana after every kill
|
14 | Stone of seekers | 26 | - Reveal the location of all monsters.
|
15 | Spoon | 1 | - Increases base damage by 1
|
16 | Stone sigil | 45 | - Grants immunity to death gaze
|
17 | Badge of courage | 20 | - Provides death protection
|
18 | Talisman of rebirth | 52 | - Instantly restores health to maximum
- Cures poison
|
19 | Sign of the spirits | 62 | - Instantly restores mana to maximum
- Cures mana burn
|
20 | Bonebreaker | 29 | - Adds a 30% damage bonus to your next attack only
|
21 | Stone heart | 31 | - Restores 2 health whenever a wall is destroyed
|
22 | Fire heart | 38 | - Restores 10 health whenever an undead creature is destroyed
|
23 | Platemail | 50 | - Grants additional 20% physical resistance
|
24 | Mage plate | 45 | - Grants additional 20% magical resistance
|
25 | Venom blade | 55 | - Regular attacks do poison damage
|
26 | Flaming sword | 35 | - Attack damage counts as magical damage
|
27 | Dancing sword | 44 | |
28 | Zombie Dog | 1 | - Provides death protection
|
29 | Dwarven gauntlets | 60 | - Additional 20% attack bonus
- 2 HP bonus
|
30 | Elven boots | 65 | - Additional 20% dodge bonus
- 2 MP bonus
|
31 | Keg o' health | 55 | |
32 | Keg o' magic | 55 | |
33 | WEYTWUT glyph | 50 | - Creates the WEYTWUT glyph
|
34 | HALPMEH glyph | 50 | - Creates the HALPMEH glyph
|
35 | BLUDTUPOWA glyph | 50 | - Creates the BLUDTUPOWA glyph
|
36 | Crystal ball | 50 | - Regenerates your mana twice as quickly
|
37 | Agnostic's collar | 10 | - Allows you to safely renounce your current deity
|
38 | Vampiric sword | 65 | |
39 | Spiked flail | 80 | |
40 | Alchemist's scroll | 72 | - Drinking a potion adds 6 max health permanently
|
41 | Ring of the battlemage | 90 | - Adds an additional 50% to the fireball damage
|
42 | Wicked guitar | 70 | - Increases base damage by 10
- Reduces life steal by 20%
|
43 | Berserker's blade | 120 | - Increases damage bonus by 50%
- Reduces maximum mana to 1
|
44 | Magician's moonstrike | 120 | - Adds 15 to maximum mana
- Reduces base damage to 1
|
45 | Terror slice | 120 | - Increases damage bonus by 100%
- Reduces maximum health to 1
|
46 | Amulet of Yendor | 115 | - Grants 50 bonus experience points
|
47 | Orb of Zot | 120 | - Temporarily sets all monsters to 50% health
|
Note
: keep in mind that the Tinker class gets a 20% discount on store prices.
Achievements
- Monster Masher
- Kill an enemy one level above you (any standard dungeon)
- Recycler
- Get 6 full conversions in one dungeon run
- Goliath Gutter
- Kill an enemy three levels above you
- One Weird Trick
- Petrify an enemy, then earn more than double its experience value on your next kill
- Popcorn Bowl
- Earn extra experience from five enemies in a standard dungeon run while they're slowed
- Waste Not, Want Not
- Waste fewer than 50 tiles of regeneration to win a standard dungeon run
- Sponsor
- Upgrade any hero guild to level 3
- Level Cannon
- Gain a level in the middle of a fight to defeat a regular level 10 boss
- Irresistible
- Break completely through an enemy's physical or magical resistance
- Apostate
- Spend piety on two different gods in one dungeon
- Difficult Decisions
- Replace a locker item when all guild slots are full
- Archmage
- Punchomancer
- Destroy ten walls with PISORF in one standard dungeon run
- Titan Toppler
- Kill an enemy five levels above you
- RoboCop
- Have Might, Death Protection and Stone Skin active at the same time (from glyphs or other sources)
- Cauterise The Wound
- Block 1000 points of regeneration with burning or poison
- Tank
- Colossus Crusher
- Kill an enemy seven levels above you
- Supreme Slayer
- Kill an enemy nine levels above you
- Look Ma, No Hands
- One-Inch Punch
- Thank You!
- No Returns Policy
- Immediately convert ten items bought from standard dungeon shop
- Sim City
- Fully upgrade your Kingdom
- Hero Literate
- Complete all bronze challenges
- How Did They Even ...
- You Suck
- Thousand Pound Stare
- Polytheist
- Spend piety on four different gods in one dungeon
- Boy Scout
- Spend at least 300 gold on preparations for a single dungeon run
- Theologian
- Discover all god likes and dislikes
- Typhoid Mary
- Use five different poison cure methods in a single dungeon run
- Dungeoneer
- Complete all silver challenges
- Guildmaster
- Complete all gold challenges
- Masochist
- Spend 100 hours in the dungeons
Soundtrack
The full retail version of Desktop Dungeons features a fullly developed soundtrack written by Danny Baranowsky and Gran Kirkhope. The Desktop Dungeons Original Soundtrack features 25 original tracks and is available for preview and purchase on Bandcamp for $9.99.
TRACK LIST:
1. | Danny Baranowsky - Desktop Destiny |
2. | Danny Baranowsky - To T'Oriel We Go |
3. | Grant Kirkhope - Go At Thy Fate |
4. | Danny Baranowsky, Grant Kirkhope - You've Got Palisades! |
5. | Danny Baranowsky, Grant Kirkhope - Golden Sacks |
6. | Danny Baranowsky, Grant Kirkhope - Whaaarrgarrrbl |
7. | Grant Kirkhope - Pymmm's Grotto |
8. | Danny Baranowsky - Boggy Bottom |
9. | Danny Baranowsky, Grant Kirkhope - Goats N' Goblins |
10. | Danny Baranowsky - A Kingdom's Lament |
11. | Danny Baranowsky - Troll In A Minor |
12. | Grant Kirkhope - Dragoneye |
13. | Danny Baranowsky - Dunes Of Damnation |
14. | Danny Baranowsky - Words Of Calling |
15. | Danny Baranowsky - Times New Evil |
16. | Grant Kirkhope - The Namtar Giveth |
17. | Grant Kirkhope - Reptilian Rhapsody |
18. | Danny Baranowsky - Priests in the East |
19. | Grant Kirkhope - The Dragon With The Girl Tattoo |
20. | Grant Kirkhope - Nagarena |
21. | Grant Kirkhope - Oasis Denied |
22. | Grant Kirkhope - Desktop Done |
23. | Danny Baranowsky, Grant Kirkhope - Corrosive Circumstances |
24. | Grant Kirkhope - The Namtar Taketh Away |
25. | Danny Baranowsky - The Gauntlet Drops |
Awards
Desktop Dungeons won the "Excellence in Design" award at the 2011 Independent Games Festival.
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