Underkeep Review Summary

Engaging exploration, stunning visuals, and nostalgic dungeon-crawling charm are offset by hard-mode spawn imbalance, input bugs, and enemies lacking independent behavior.

Engaging exploration and secrets: The world is filled with hidden passages, puzzles, and secrets to discover, making exploration rewarding and fun.

Stunning visuals overall: Many users highlight the gorgeous graphics and detailed hand-made illustrations, noting the beautiful exteriors and atmospheric environments.

Nostalgic classic dungeon crawler: Reviewers feel the game captures the spirit of 90s classics like Eye of the Beholder and Might and Magic, evoking nostalgia and old-school charm.

Excellent dungeon crawler praised: Reviewers highly appreciate the game as a captivating dungeon crawler that appeals to both newcomers and veterans, often describing it as true, solid, or very cool.

Turn-based combat well received: The turn-based combat system is appreciated for its clarity and tactical depth, with optional speed-up and avoidance of click-fest mayhem.

Hard mode spawn imbalance: Hard mode respawns enemies at a Creature Generator-like rate, making the Underrot starting area a nightmare to clear, with splitting rats overwhelming the player through numbers rather than damage. Balance overall needs attention.

Input and action bugs: The character sometimes rotates two tiles instead of one and occasionally executes two skills consecutively from a single input. These control errors disrupt tactical play.

Enemies lack independent behavior: Enemies only move or act in response to player actions, similar to Stoneshard, missing the dynamic independence seen in classic Dungeon Master or Eye of the Beholder. This makes encounters feel reactive rather than alive.

Bare skill trees and weapons: Skill trees feel sparse, especially for the warrior, and each class offers only about two weapon options when sticking to one weapon type. This limits build variety and depth.

Pricing concerns across regions: Players consider the game pricey given the stated up-to-30-hours content, and the price is high for the region relative to the project's scope. Value perception is a recurring concern.

Classic dungeon crawler genre: Many reviewers define the game as a classic first-person party-based dungeon crawler with old-school mechanics. It is frequently compared to Might and Magic and Wizardry.

Dungeon puzzles and exploration: Exploration involves solving puzzles, finding hidden passages, and discovering secrets. The game features hand-designed labyrinths with traps and riddles.

Turn-based combat system: Combat is turn-based, with enemies acting in response to player actions. An animation speed-up option is available.

Party creation and customization: Players create and customize a party of adventurers, choosing from various classes and races, including original new races. This adds replayability.

Adjustable difficulty settings: Multiple difficulty levels are available and can be changed during play, including normal, hard, and hardcore modes. The game is considered challenging even on lower difficulties.

Strong performance across devices: Players report the game runs smoothly with no crashes or hiccups, works very well on Steam Deck, and runs on simple or old computers. Overall stability and broad hardware compatibility are the consistent highlights.

Ideal for dungeon crawler fans: Multiple reviewers describe the game as an excellent fit for genre enthusiasts and newcomers alike, with several calling it a very good entry point. It is repeatedly framed as a treat for anyone seeking classic dungeon crawlers.

Strongly recommended overall: Several reviewers offer unreserved recommendations, with phrases like highly recommended and strongly recommend to everyone. The sentiment is broad and enthusiastic without specific caveats.

Try the demo first: Multiple reviewers suggest trying the demo to determine if the game is for you. Those who enjoy the demo are expected to enjoy the full game.

Appeals to Might and Magic fans: Reviewers connect the game to Might and Magic, later Wizardry titles, and Legend of Grimrock. Fans of those styles are expected to feel at home here.

Hard difficulty advised: Some players suggest starting on Hard difficulty because normal mode feels too easy. This is a practical tip for those wanting a meaningful challenge.

Game completion: 27.5h.

Session length: 2.0h.

Old-School Dungeon Crawler Veteran: Plans alternative party compositions, compares design choices to genre classics, and starts on Hard or Hardcore difficulty. Motivation: To relive the feel of classic first-person, party-based dungeon crawlers from the MSDOS and MUD eras. Stance: buy.

Turn-Based RPG Genre Fan: Approaches the game as a genre entry and judges it mainly by whether it delivers the expected turn-based RPG/dungeon-crawler experience. Motivation: To get another well-made turn-based RPG or dungeon crawler that satisfies existing genre preferences. Stance: buy.

Challenge-Seeking Hard Mode Player: Starts on Hard or Hardcore and treats difficulty as a core part of the enjoyment. Motivation: To be challenged by the dungeon crawl rather than coast through an easy Normal mode. Stance: buy.

Compared to classic dungeon crawlers: Many reviewers compare the game to classic dungeon crawlers such as Eye of the Beholder, Might and Magic, Wizardry, and Dungeon Master. These comparisons highlight the game's adherence to old-school blobber mechanics and atmosphere.

Similar to Lands of Lore: Several reviewers compare the game to Lands of Lore, particularly regarding its aesthetics and classic feel. The pixel art style is also noted to be similar to Eye of the Beholder and Lands of Lore.

Playtime around 20-30 hours: Reviewers report game length between 20 and 30 hours, with some citing developer statements of up to 30 hours of content. This provides a solid amount of gameplay for the price according to multiple sources.

Demo availability and experience: A demo is available, and some reviewers played it before purchasing. The full version offers a richer story and freer exploration compared to the demo.

Comparisons to Legend of Grimrock: Reviewers frequently mention Legend of Grimrock as a point of reference for the game's dungeon-crawling fun and combat system. This suggests the game appeals to fans of modern indie dungeon crawlers.