Dungeon Escape Demo

Hardcore platformers are all about making the players as uncomfortable as possible, even if that theoretically is not desirable in any other type of game. However, despite the fact that they will die countless times trying to get past one level, players don’t give up until they manage to do it. Hence, the developers can afford to make things as complicated as they wish.

Dungeon Escape is a basic platformer with no story and 2D graphics, in which your purpose is as simple as it gets: get the key and reach the end of each level. However, the actual gameplay is a lot more challenging than it looks, because every stage has some kind of annoying design that toys with your mind and makes it very difficult to stay concentrated.

Most of the traps are actually spikes, which cause instant death if you happen to touch them even a little. In fact, everything causes instant death if you touch it, which includes the rest of the traps and the enemies. Thankfully, you can at least neutralize the enemies if you time your jumps just right, but there’s nothing you can do about the spikes and the saws.

In order to execute the difficult jumps that are required of you, the controls must be very precise and responsive, otherwise frustration kicks in. Thankfully, everything is as it should be in this regard, even if frustration is still on the menu. You can even perform the illustrious double jump, which is the key to most tricky situations. However, timing is yet again crucial, because it’s usually not enough to just tap the jump button twice.

As mentioned before, everything else about the game is as basic as possible, and this includes the graphics. The 2D graphics are not impressive at all, but they are clean and easy on the eyes. Most of the levels look the same, on the other hand, although the color themes change on a regular basis to keep you from getting too bored.

Although Dungeon Escape is clearly not trying to redefine the genre, the gameplay mechanics are challenging enough to keep platformer fans engaged. The developers promise many levels to test your skills and patience with.

Note: You can support the developers by voting for the game on Steam Greenlight.