RoguedexPart 1 (Sep 2023) · #29 of 35 in that tierWatch the moment (0:47:52)
Dungeon Souls
- Developed by
- Lamina Studios
- Published by
- Lamina Studios
$12.99
Dungeon Souls is an action-adventure roguelike dungeon crawler which draws heavy inspiration from Nuclear Throne, Risk of Rain, and Overture. Explore vast procedurally generated dungeons, collect loot, and slay hordes of challenging enemies!
Consensus
D63.9/100
Steam players73.9% positiveMostly Positive2,226 reviews
Metacritic ↗67/100Users: 6/10
VG Insights estimate ↗≈126K copies · ≈$1M gross
What creators say
What players say
A 2D pixel-art action roguelite dungeon crawler by Lamina Studios (Dec 2016) that mixes Nuclear Throne-style shooting/melee, Risk of Rain-style item stacking and snowballing power, with 10 classes and local co-op.
Dungeon Souls is received as a decent but derivative budget roguelite. Steam players rate it Mostly Positive, and Metacritic sits at a Mixed 67 from 8 critic reviews with a 6.0 user score. Critics called it a fun, casual tribute to older dungeon crawlers that borrows heavily from its inspirations and is quickly forgotten. Long-time players say it gets addictive once the between-run upgrades start compounding. It is a finished 2016 release (not early access); the Steam forum has threads asking whether the game is dead, and recent negative reviews cite unresolved controller and crash problems on modern systems.
Players love
- Ten distinct hero classes with different abilities (e.g. Barbarian with health and area attacks, Cleric with bouncing projectiles and a shield) that change how a run plays
- Items and passives (50+) provide a snowballing, overpowered-build feeling in the Risk of Rain mould; one 40-hour reviewer says runs start short but become an avalanche once meta upgrades kick in
- Addictive, replayable loop with lots of RNG and unlocks; one reviewer calls it among the most addictive dungeon crawlers they have played in a while
- Bite-sized, turn-your-brain-off action that suits short sessions; Hardcore Gamer said practice and learning the characters eventually pays off
- Pleasant pixel-art presentation and simple fitting audio, plus local split-screen co-op
- Nostalgic old-school dungeon crawler feel; one reviewer feels it set a standard later games improved on
Common complaints
- Heavily derivative of Nuclear Throne, Risk of Rain and Spelunky without its own identity (Destructoid, LEVEL, High-Def Digest: forgettable)
- Bland, repetitive procedurally generated environments with poor visibility; traps blend into the dark
- Melee characters are poorly balanced in a bullet-heavy game with no dodge mechanic; enemies feel like bullet sponges
- Unfair hazards: floor traps in narrow corridors, ritual-marker rooms, and enemies that spawn directly on the player
- Confusing interface and item placement (chests look like shop items, accidental warps to secret levels)
- Technical issues: stated Xbox controller support reportedly does not register input (negative reviewers say unresolved since at least 2018), mouse is not captured on multi-monitor setups, black screen and crash reports on newer Windows
- Low-sophistication story and visuals; the plot is described as merely present
Can feel tedious
- Early runs feel short with little progress until meta upgrades accumulate; one reviewer calls the meta progression 'dark' and monotonous
- Slow walking speed makes fleeing traps and enemies hard
- Random monster spawns punish stopping to level up, so the pace forces constant movement
- Crafting reportedly disables gameplay while it is active (one negative review)
- Losing a run's progress by exiting to the main menu (Steam forum PSA) and unclear save behaviour
- Limited variety between characters according to a negative reviewer, with monotonous gameplay over time
What's unique
- Cross-breed of Nuclear Throne action, Risk of Rain item scaling and Overture-style dungeon crawling, according to its own store description
- Activating marks/altars on a level to open the escape portal rather than simply reaching an exit
- Crafting system with recipes that players must discover, plus permanent meta upgrades between runs
- Ten hero classes with unlockable characters such as the Brawler and Redeemer
- Shared/split-screen local co-op and Remote Play Together support in a pixel-art roguelite at a low price
Players want
- Fix controller detection and make the advertised Xbox controller support actually work
- Capture the mouse cursor and fix window/taskbar handling for multi-monitor play
- Add a dodge or mobility option and rebalance melee classes against projectile-heavy enemies
- Make traps, chests and shop items readable against dark backgrounds; clarify interface and warp triggers
- Stabilise the game on modern Windows 11 to stop crashes and black screens
- Clearer explanation of how to unlock characters (Brawler, Redeemer) and find crafting recipes such as Nimby's Grace
Summarised from Steam reviews and community discussion.
Steam tags
RPGAction RoguelikePixel GraphicsDungeon CrawlerIndieActionRogue-likeRogue-liteAdventureHack and Slash
Similar games
More runs with shared subgenres and Steam tags.
Tier list Part 1 (2023)
Dungeon Souls is a basic top-down dungeon crawler that got a little recognition at one point. He says nothing about it is unique, but it is chaotic and unbalanced, and you quickly become overpowered if you survive. He has a soft spot for it, played it multiplayer with a friend, and calls it a guilty pleasure rather than a great game. He places it in low B because it is fun.
Liked
Disliked