By: Alex Bloom
This 8-bit, retro-style mobile game by Eneminds takes a simple concept and gives it a lot more depth than you would expect. At first glance it seems like another Temple Run re-skin as you play a character that is perpetually running forward to escape an unseen danger, with the goal of making it as far as possible. While the concept may be very similar, Redungeon injects some much-needed fun into the endless-runner genre, and gives it far more replay-ability.
You play as one of several heroes frantically exploring a dungeon in search of riches. What saves this game from being boring is the complexity and variation of the obstacles. Rather than simply swiping in a direction to avoid a certain kind of danger, the path is divided into squares; you are granted freedom of movement in any direction and must learn quickly to survive. There are various threats placed throughout the dungeon, all of which follow different patterns and require different timing to avoid. There are spike traps, blades, fireballs, living treasure chests, and more, but your main cause of death will surely be falling off the path. Redungeon plays like a mix between an endless-runner and a puzzle game, with multiple ways to solve each problem.
Both the best and worst feature of Redungeon is the choice of heroes. Each has their own playstyle and playing as a new character keeps the game fresh. The drawback is that you will find yourself grinding for the coins you find throughout the dungeon, whose only purpose is to purchase new characters and to unlock their abilities. Part of the fun of the game is that Pavlovian dopamine rush when you unlock a shiny new ability, but the characters are different enough that you will actually enjoy trying them all out. The starting character is a knight and advanced options range from a teleporting wizard, to Medusa, to a trigger-happy pirate.
The game is themed after old-school dungeon crawlers (hence the name Redungeon), with graphics and a sound design that set the tone perfectly. While it is most easily categorized as an endless-runner, the game is made far more enjoyable than most that employ the concept simply due to the fact that you are given some time to think about your next move and to take in the randomly generated environment. Another interesting feature is that the game doesn’t walk you through everything; you have to find out how things work by interacting with your environment. It can be frustrating at first, but is rewarding to learn. Overall, it’s not winning game of the year anytime soon, but Redungeon is good of its type. It’s a solid way to waste time, particularly on transit. It also helps that Redungeon is free.
Redungeon is available on both the App Store and Google Play.
