DungeonTop

Genre: Turn-Based Strategy-RPG / Card RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

DungeonTop, released in 2020 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, is a game that blends Turn-Based Strategy-RPG gameplay with Card RPG game elements. Players choose their hero and venture into the dungeon, with battles taking place on a grid and players’ and enemy’s forces randomly dealt out from a deck of cards.

The presentation in DungeonTop is decent but not spectacular, with everything represented by 2D artwork, backed by an instrumental soundtrack. It works, but it all seems pretty generic.

The gameplay, at least, is well-crafted, with a good variety of enemies and player cards, with gameplay that has some good strategy. I particularly enjoyed how players have to weigh the option to hold back and muster their forces against the temptation to charge ahead before your enemy has a chance to pick up steam, as both you and the opponent have a single hero unit to represent you that ends the battle when they’re taken out, and many cards build up your strength over time, but so too can enemies.

The main problem I have with this game is that it doesn’t seem well-optimized for the Nintendo Switch. This version of the game does include optional touchscreen controls, which I very much appreciate, but the traditional gamepad controls feel clunky, and it’s not always clear which button to use to perform which function. Additionally, important details of cards are hidden until you manually select it and wait for a moment while the full card takes a moment to fade in, making it more difficult to assess both the full battlefield and your own hand.

I feel like there’s enough well-crafted gameplay and depth in DungeonTop’s combat to make it worth checking out for both fans of Strategy-RPGs and Card RPGs, but I really do wish more time was given to this game to playtest it and make the game more accessible. I also wish a greater attempt was made to make the presentation seem more unique and not so generic. However, in the end, I think this game’s positive qualities outweigh its flaws.

tl;dr – DungeonTop combines Turn-Based Strategy-RPG and Card RPG elements. The presentation is generic, and the game does a poor job conveying information to the player, but the core gameplay is well-crafted, varied, and fun. As long as you have the patience for this game’s flaws, and aren’t turned off by the presentation, this is well worth checking out.

Grade: B-

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