14 DAY TRIAL // 
Angela Smith is in trouble. She is a human priest trying to rid a piece of land of a particularly nasty monster infestation. There were plenty of undead enemies around, which her class has a bonus against, so I quickly gained the first few levels and got access to two spells and some damage and health upgrades.
I made sure to move across known tiles as much as possible, only revealing new areas when I need to get back some HP or mana. This unique mechanic makes it deceivingly easy to deal even with enemies that are one or two levels above the player’s character. But I needed to keep some dark tiles in reserve for the tougher fights against level 7 or 8 opponents. The problem is that there are no undead opponents left and the high-level Meat Men hit very hard.
The combination of IMAWAL and GETINDARE has served me well but might be unable to get me to a point where I can challenge the boss. Getanadafix offers a solid challenge, enhanced by my lack of a direct magical attack spell. So I decided to check out the two sub-dungeons of the level, hoping to find something that can turn the tide. I touch an altar and die battling four stone golems. At least I have the rewind option to try the level again and make new mistakes.
Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is developed by QCF Design and published by Prismatika and indienova, I played on Steam on the PC. The title offers a dungeon exploration experience with a unique approach to combat and exploration.
There’s almost no story here. Players are creating a new kingdom and they need money. The fastest way to get gold is to lead an assortment of heroes through dungeons and get the big and expensive trophies that bosses leave behind. The game’s fantasy world is pretty basic, with an assortment of well-known races and classes that become available as players make progress and invest currency.
Initially, the gameplay of Desktop Dungeons: Rewind seems very simple. The player’s chosen hero can move from tile to tile and attack enemies that are near him. Click on a square to move, click on an enemy to attack. Some tiles feature spells, potions, and money to pick up and use when needed. Some feature impassable walls. There are sometimes passages to smaller areas.
The player’s character can hit an enemy and the interface clearly shows the potential results. The same is true when using an offensive spell. The level of all opponents is clearly shown and it’s a good idea to use that as a guide when moving through the dungeon, gaining experience to tackle more difficult battles. The goal is to defeat the boss that’s hiding in the level and take his head as a trophy back to the kingdom.
The unique mechanic is that each newly uncovered tile restores both health and mana to the gamer’s avatar. Ending a fight with one HP left and no mana in store is no problem if there’s more unknown space to move through. Leveling up also restores health and magical power, which is very important when just a few high-level enemies are left standing.
The boss is always level ten and it’s a bad idea to challenge him before the player’s adventurer gets to at least seven. It’s easy to just move through a dungeon, simply killing enemies by any means necessary. But to leave with a trophy, players need to pay attention to their characters’ abilities, the spells they can use, the spaces they have left to explore, and the types of enemies they can kill.
A rewind can save an avatar after his first defeat, offering another shot at victory. Players will still know the layout of the level and the resources they can use and the second chance allows them to try out other approaches rather than retry using another procedurally generated layout.
Desktop Dungeons: Rewind makes every dungeon a puzzle. It’s always a good idea to keep a range of undiscovered tiles as a reserve. Don’t make any sort of unnecessary moves. Try to get experience up as quickly as possible while also thinking about how the various spells can make high-level enemies easier to defeat. The exploration and regeneration combination creates challenging tactical situations that are fun to solve.
The levels have plenty of surprises to keep the experience fresh. The presence of certain spells and types of enemies will change the player’s approach. There are also small sub-dungeons filled with surprises. On the world map, players will invest resources to get new classes and kin to use. There are also bespoke puzzles to engage with for some extra rewards.
Rewind is a great game in small bites, a few runs to try and deal with a quest, or get money for a new upgrade. Once the bosses become frustrating or the mechanics repetitive, just leave it be until the next day.
Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is a relatively simple-looking game, offering just enough detail to make gameplay intelligible and flesh out its world. Heroes are easy to identify, although they don’t deviate much from classic fantasy portrayals for well-known classes and the most important visuals associated with opponents are their attributes and hitpoints.
The world should really be more detailed to add to the immersion. Fortunately, the soundtrack does a lot of heavy lifting in this area, adding dynamism to the experience, and pushing players forward as they experiment with new approaches. The rest of the sound design is adequate but not impressive.
The Good
- Unique exploration and health mechanics
- Variety of builds
- Constant sense of discovery
The Bad
- Limited graphics
- Upgrades cost too much
- Classic fantasy world
Conclusion
The rest of the experience, including the kingdom development and the puzzles, is competent but not as impressive. Upgrades should probably cost a little less. But the core gameplay root is so good that Desktop Dungeons: Rewind is the rare game I plan to return to frequently, if only for one or two runs.
A review key was provided by the publisher
