Dwarves: Glory, Death and Loot Review Summary

A solid, addictive auto-battler with roguelite depth and huge build variety, though repetitive runs, slow unrewarding progression, weak tutorials, and a clunky UI hold it back.

Great overall game with strong foundation: Reviewers consistently describe the game as great, enjoyable, and full of appealing details. Many note it has real potential and a solid foundation despite its simple concept.

Highly addictive gameplay: Many reviewers highlight the game's addictive nature, with some stating it is addictive from the first minute. The gameplay loop keeps players coming back for more.

Fun and entertaining experience: Players find the game incredibly fun, cute, and interesting, calling it a joy to play. It is often described as a nice little game good for passing the time.

Solid auto-battler core gameplay: The auto-battler mechanics are well-received, described as fun, easy to learn but hard to master. It satisfies the auto-battler itch and offers a satisfying play loop.

Watching dwarves fight is satisfying: Players enjoy watching dwarves automatically fight and mow down enemies, finding the spectacle engaging and fun. The dwarves hopping around and performing in battle is a highlight.

Repetitive and boring gameplay: Players consistently describe the core gameplay loop as repetitive, monotonous, and boring, with little variety in the auto-battler mechanics. The experience is often compared to an idle game where meaningful engagement is lacking.

Slow and unrewarding progression: Progress feels painfully slow and incremental, with no real sense of advancement or achievement. Players report that upgrades and item unlocks take too long to obtain and lack meaningful impact.

Inadequate tutorials and guidance: Both the in-game tutorial and general guidance are criticized as ineffective, leaving players confused about mechanics and progression. Basic systems like stats are poorly explained.

Clunky and confusing UI: The user interface is frequently described as clunky, unintuitive, and poorly laid out, with unclear icons and an outdated feel. New players particularly struggle to navigate the menus.

Runs are too long: Individual runs take several hours, with some lasting 10+ hours, which players find excessive and tedious. The long ramp-up and duration make each session feel like a slog.

Auto-battler with roguelite elements: The game is fundamentally an auto-battler, with combat happening automatically. It also incorporates roguelite runs and RPG-style progression, blending these genres into its core loop.

Idle and casual gameplay support: The game includes idle gameplay elements, allowing for casual play. It can be played in short sessions or left to progress automatically.

Dwarf army building and equipment: Players recruit and equip a roster of dwarves, forming a squad that fights for them. Dwarves can be leveled up, assigned roles, and given gear that affects their performance.

4x speed option available: The game includes a speed-up feature allowing battles to be played at up to 4x speed. This is available from the start and helps streamline the auto-battler gameplay.

Skill tree and character progression: Characters have access to a skill tree that includes runes and gems, supporting multiple classes and party compositions. This tree allows for adjustable perks and deep character building.

Good Steam Deck performance: Players report the game runs perfectly fine on Steam Deck and desktop, with good overall performance. A few note the UI feels clunky on the handheld device.

Occasional crashes reported: Some players experience the game crashing at times, suggesting stability issues that affect certain users.

Character lag while running: Players report characters lagging when running fast or even at normal running speed, pointing to animation or performance issues with character movement.

Strong Genre Recommendation: Reviewers frequently and explicitly recommend the game to players who enjoy its genre. Many give a warm, unconditional recommendation.

Appeals to Auto-Battler Fans: The game is recommended specifically for fans of auto-battlers and roguelikes. Reviewers highlight its depth and iterative nature as key draws.

Not Worth Full Price: Several reviewers state the game is not worth its full price. They suggest waiting for a sale or discount before purchasing.

Appeals to Theorycrafters: The game is recommended for players who enjoy min-maxing and deep mechanics. Theorycrafters and those who like optimizing parameters will find it engaging.

Not Recommended in Current State: Some reviewers do not recommend the game in its current state. They cite too little content as the main reason.

Community fair range: $9.99 - $14.99.

Game completion: 50.0h.

Session length: 3.0h.

Endgame: 25.0h.

The game is reported to become fun after the first 20 victories, but early runs and slow progression are common friction; conflicting reviews also describe initial fun fading or never arriving.

Friction: Early runs lack strategy and are hard to lose for the first hour.; Progression is slow and unrewarding.; Runs take too long to ramp up.; Tutorial and meta-progression guidance are unclear.; Shop and respec systems are tedious.; Item variety and upgrade RNG limit early team building..

Unlock drivers: Getting past the first 20 victories makes the game fun.; Getting a handle on the tavern and related systems makes the game more addicting.; Unlocking new runes, advanced classes, and meta-tree branches adds enjoyment.; Building a larger team with more units and synergies improves the experience..

Min-Maxing Build Theorycrafter: Plans team compositions, adjusts perks and rune upgrades, and chases item and stat synergies across runs. Motivation: Mastering build synergies and optimizing stats, gear, and meta-progression. Stance: buy.

Casual Short-Session Time-Killer: Plays in short bursts, often on mobile or between breaks, using straightforward inventory and strategy choices. Motivation: Relaxing and passing time with simple, portable, low-pressure runs. Stance: buy.

Grind-Weary Progression Critic: Engages with reruns and upgrade systems but disengages when repetition, gating, or mandatory grinding dominates. Motivation: Finding a satisfying, varied progression loop with meaningful meta-progression between runs. Stance: no buy.

Steam Deck: The available feedback shows a native Steam Deck experience: users report good performance, responsive controls, and no need to remap controls or apply compatibility tweaks. The only notable Deck-specific complaint is oversized advertising that obscures the menu. No reviews mention crashes, external launchers, anti-cheat failures, battery drain, or unreadable small text.

Linux and Proton: The provided reviews contain only sparse but positive Linux/Steam Deck compatibility signals. Steam Deck performance is described as good, and the listing indicates Steam Deck compatibility. No Linux-specific launch, Proton, anti-cheat, launcher, DRM, performance, or stability issues are mentioned.

External guides: Reviews show a clear external data dependency around understanding stats, UI, builds, and complex mechanics. Users turn to the wiki, Reddit, or guides to learn systems and progress, while no farming, drop-rate, inventory, or crafting complaints appear. A minor achievement bug is also mentioned.

Low price, good value: The game is frequently described as inexpensive and offering a lot of content for its low price. Reviewers consider it a good value, especially when on discount or in bundles.

Solo developer, active and communicative: The game is developed by a solo developer who is active in updating the game and engaging with the community on Discord. Reviewers appreciate the developer's responsiveness and passion.

Available on mobile platforms: The game is playable on Android and iOS, including tablets, and some reviewers find it well-suited for mobile play. There is also mention of no cross-platform connection between Steam and iOS versions.

Positive comparisons to similar games: Reviewers favorably compare the game to titles like The Binding of Isaac, Vampire Survivors, and Battle Brothers, highlighting its absorbing and strategic nature.

Replayability and content variety: The game offers endless replayability and a substantial amount of content, including gear, sets, formations, and passives. Efficient players can get 20-30 hours plus additional raid and sandbox content.