Dungeon Settlers Review Summary

Engaging combat and adjustable difficulty pair with appealing character art, yet shallow content, punishing difficulty spikes, and a barebones colony simulation undermine the experience.

Game is fun and engaging: Players consistently report that the game is fun, addictive, and engaging, with a charming presentation and satisfying early-game experience. This is the most common positive sentiment across reviews.

Difficulty options cater to various players: The game offers a range of difficulty settings, from hardcore to easier modes, and players find the challenge enjoyable and manageable. This flexibility is appreciated.

Character art and design are appealing: Character art is exceptionally well made and addictive, and the overall design and art style are appealing. The graphics have a warm, non-gritty atmosphere that players like.

Strong potential for future development: Players see significant potential in the game, believing it could become even more enjoyable once fully developed. This suggests a solid foundation that can be built upon.

Dungeon exploration is core and rewarding: Dungeon exploration is highlighted as a central activity with stakes, and it feels rewarding. This is a key gameplay element that players enjoy and find tense.

Content is lacking and shallow: Many players report insufficient content, with the game feeling underdeveloped even for early access. The research tree is small, and there is little to do, making the game feel shallow.

Difficulty spikes cause party wipes: Players frequently mention party wipes due to high enemy stats, one-shot kills, and unforgiving hard mode. This is especially problematic in early missions and dungeons, leading to frustration.

Colony simulation is barebones: The colony sim aspect is very simplified, with a small map, idle colonists, and little depth. Players feel there is no reason to grow the colony beyond four dwellers, and the simulation elements are scarce.

Controls are clunky and inconvenient: Multiple reviews highlight poor control feel, awkwardness, and inconvenience, with one comparing it to playing an FPS with a laptop trackpad. This significantly hampers gameplay experience.

Character creation requires excessive rerolling: Character generation is excessively random, with many attributes and traits being random, leading to long rerolling sessions. One player spent an hour rolling a character, and others note the need to reroll for satisfactory starting characters.

Colony sim RTS: The game is a colony simulation with real-time strategy elements, involving settlement management and base building. It is often compared to Rimworld.

Dungeon combat and looting: The core gameplay involves exploring dungeons, fighting monsters, and looting supplies. This is a central mechanic that drives progression and resource gathering.

Character progression system: The game includes RPG-like character progression with leveling, skills, and development. Characters can gain new abilities and improve over time.

Hard default difficulty: The game is notably difficult, with the default difficulty set to Hard. Players have mentioned the high difficulty mode and the option to switch to easier settings.

Unit management in combat: The game features unit management in combat, with party-based systems and roles like scout, tank, attacker, healer, and porter. Combat can be paused to arrange skills.

Game performance is stable: Players report that the game runs smoothly without memory leaks or bugs, indicating a well-optimized experience. Additionally, FPS drops in dungeons have been fixed, improving overall gameplay fluidity.

Start on normal difficulty: Reviewers advise starting on normal difficulty or below for the first playthrough, especially for less confident players. Hard difficulty is considered too challenging initially.

Recommended for Rimworld fans: Multiple reviewers suggest the game for fans of Rimworld, RPGs, and dungeon crawlers. It appeals to players who enjoy similar strategy and management mechanics.

Worth playing overall: Some reviewers simply recommend the game as worth playing, especially if the player is in the mood for this type of game. It is a positive but general endorsement.

Good for dungeon diving fans: The game is recommended for players who enjoy dungeon diving and character growth. This highlights its core appeal to RPG enthusiasts.

Not like Rimworld expectations: A reviewer cannot recommend the game if players expect it to be like Rimworld. This warns against false expectations and highlights differences.

Dungeon Settlers has a promising core loop that becomes enjoyable after overcoming early-game friction, such as tutorial annoyances and difficulty spikes. Players who push through the beginning or use external guides report a rewarding experience, but the initial hours can be frustrating.

Friction: Annoying tutorial elements (e.g., dinging); Difficulty obtaining basic items like a staff in the early game; Potential party wipes in the first hour; Lack of automation in early access; General 'annoying parts at the beginning'.

Unlock drivers: Following the tutorial; External tutorial videos; Learning the game mechanics; Getting past the early game.

Hardcore Tactical Planner: Methodical, planning each expedition, managing resources, accepting high difficulty. Motivation: The challenge of planning and executing expeditions with high risk. Stance: sale.

Sandbox Creative: Relaxed, creative, focusing on customization and world-building without heavy challenge. Motivation: Creative freedom to build and customize a world. Stance: no buy.

Grinder Collector: Patient, repetitive dungeon runs, gathering materials, and upgrading characters. Motivation: Steady progression through material collection and character development. Stance: buy.

Frequent Rimworld comparisons: Many reviewers compare the game to Rimworld, noting similarities in colony simulation, controls, and management, while also mentioning new mechanics that differentiate it. Some consider Rimworld superior in all aspects, while others find the UI less complex and easier to get into.

Early access content concerns: Reviewers note the game is in early access and still light on content, with much planned for updates. Some feel the current price is too high for the state of the game, questioning its value.

Development roadmap and future: The game has a roadmap, with a two-year development plan and full release expected in 2028. Reviewers hope the game will develop well, but some are concerned about potential abandonment and the roadmap not mentioning simulation improvements.

Pricing concerns: Several reviewers feel the game is not worth the money yet, with pricing too high for its current early access state and content volume. This is a common criticism.

Developer trust and support: Some reviewers praise the developers for their work and support the game because of the Moon Project, while others accuse the developer of being greedy and not investing in art. There is also concern about potential abandonment.