If you ask any gamer about one of their favorite genre of video games, with a high chance, the answer will be dungeon crawler. This is one of the oldest and most popular gaming genres to date. Dungeon video titles have been around since the dawn of console and computer games, and they are here to stay for many reasons.
Dungeon crawler is a genre that can be easily recognizable just by its name. The main setting is a dungeon that you would imagine in a fantasy movie. However, it is not just the setting that matters. Dungeon games have a set of unique qualities or elements that make them dungeon crawlers rather than simulators or dungeon decoration games. Here are the key things that define a dungeon crawler video title:
- Unlockable map – this is the usual case for dungeon games. You often have a big map that is mostly covered at the beginning, and by exploring the dungeon, the player can unlock many new areas. Alternatively, there are levels to any dungeon, and it is possible to proceed to the following stages only by clearing the previous dungeon rooms.
- Various loot – while there might be a lot of loot found along the way, such as coins or crystals, weapons, ammunition, hearts, or other health replenishes, the best thing about dungeon video games is finding the ultimate treasure in each room, level, or the whole game. However, discovering long-awaited chests with loot is not only satisfying but important for gameplay. This is because, in many dungeon games, the most important chests contain obligatory items that will help you with progressing through the levels.
- Countless enemies – one of the fun aspects of exploring dungeon crawlers is facing numerous enemies and mobs along the way. It is great to solve puzzles to get to the chest with loot, but it becomes more challenging and exciting to go through the levels while there are numerous mobs to deal with. In addition to the usual hordes of lower-level mobs, there might be bosses at the end of each level or every few stages to mark your progress.
- Mazes and puzzles – the dungeon itself can be designed differently for each game, but some characteristics of dungeon design can be found quite often. To make progressing through the dungeon more fun and non-linear, players can face forks in the road, multiple side rooms, secret passages, mazes, or labyrinths. While some titles focus on battling mobs and going in a straight line room by room, the other games make it more fun and challenging by making the player run around in search of the necessary room while still battling the enemies.
Many video games of different genres can include dungeons and various elements specific to this type of video title. However, a pure dungeon crawler game pretty much sticks to a specific formula and focuses on the dungeon itself with a few alterations.
If you enjoy fantasy settings, battling enemies, or solving puzzles to find amazing loot, dungeon games will be great for you. They can be simple or extremely challenging, but each dungeon title finds its players every time. For many decades now, gamers from all over the globe have been loving dungeon crawler games, and this is not going to change any time soon.