Desktop Dungeons

Overview

Each game or round consists of one dungeon floor, randomly created, that you must navigate through, gaining levels until you can defeat the boss. As you move more of the dungeon is revealed, allowing you to find hidden treasure or power ups. Once you have defeated the boss, a score screen is shown and any game rewards are given to you. These rewards include new game modes, classes, or races. There is only a single floor to each dungeon, and no persistent characters from dungeon to dungeon. Long term progression in the game comes in the form of collecting gold and unlocking new game elements, which can open up new strategies.

Although the game is heavily informed by roguelike design, each level is akin to a tactical puzzle game. The primary way for the player to regain health and mana is by exploring squares; if one uses up this resource recklessly, it is easily possible to lock oneself out of being able to defeat the level's boss. More difficult levels often require more complex strategies, such as targeting monsters of much higher level than the player, or carefully timing a level up to take best advantage of the free health and mana restoration associated with it.

Versions

After the initial freeware release of the alpha version in 2010, QFC Design turned their efforts toward an enhanced, full version of the game, which they have rewritten in the Unity Engine. The full version was commercially released in 2013 on PC, Mac, and Linux with iOS and Android ports following.

The full version features enhanced graphics and expanded gameplay. It uses a world map with multiple dungeons, and each of these dungeons contain distinguishing features, such as different level layouts and different selections of monsters. This provides a much expanded selection compared to the level types available in the alpha. The player undertakes a series of quests to unlock new dungeons, as well as items, classes, races, altars and other features. Dungeons may now include sub-dungeons, branches that often contain rewards or puzzles. A "preparation" system was introduced in the beta, which allows the player to spend gold in exchange for certain advantages at the start of a dungeon run. The preparation system includes item banks, which allow the player to store items they have found and reuse them in later dungeons.

Due to extensive rebalancing, some gameplay elements including class abilities and gods now operate quite differently in the full version, compared to their counterparts in the freeware version.

Availability

The alpha version of the game is freeware and is currently available for download at

desktopdungeons.net.

The full version of the game is now available for purchase on Steam and on the the creator's website. The game retails for $14.99 and was officially released on November 7th 2013.

Races

Classes

Name	Description	Unlocked at...	Class Tier
	Can see monsters of equal or lower level to the player on the map Gains 1 additional XP point per monster kill Survives 1 killing blow for free	Start of game	1
	First attack on all monsters deals 30% more damage Map contains 33% more items HP and MP potions act as both in one	Start of game	1
	Bonus of 2 HP per level HP potions heal 100% HP Deals 200% damage to Undead	Start of game	1
	Can see all glyph locations -1 MP cost to use glyphs -25% to own melee damage Map created with 1 extra glyph slot	Start of game	1
	30% more damage vs higher level monsters -50% magic damage taken 30% more damage at all times Adds 2 MP cost to all glyphs	Defeating normal dungeon using Fighter	2
	First Strike enabled at all times 20% base dodge rate 50% more damage at all times -5 HP per level up	Defeating normal dungeon using Thief	2
	Melee damage done of -50% Magic and physical damage taken of -50% HP regeneration from exploration is doubled	Defeating normal dungeon using Priest	2
	Heals 2 HP per 1 any MP spent Begins with 5 additional MP Does 1 magic damage to monster per character level when hit	Defeating normal dungeon using Wizard	2
	Begins with CYDSTEPP (cheat death) glyph 30% more damage when HP is below 50% Drinking MP potions gives a 30% damage on the next hit	Defeating normal dungeon using Berserker	3
	Begins with APHEELSIK (poison) glyph Exploring all squares around monsters enables First Strike 1 hit KO on all lower level monsters	Defeating normal dungeon using Rogue	3
	Begins with HALPMEH (heal) glyph Killing the Undead restores 50% HP -25% physical damage taken	Defeating normal dungeon using Monk	3
	Begins with BLUDTUPOWA (HP to MP) glyph MP potions give 100% refill (at the cost of 6 HP per level) Heal 15% HP from blood pools	Defeating normal dungeon using Sorcerer	3
	Begins with ENDISWAL (break wall) glyph Gains 2 HP per level for wall destruction ENDISWAL costs 1 MP, no HP regeneration	Defeating Snake Pit with any character	Special
	Monster kills give 10% damage bonus on next hit (can chain up to 100%) Immune to Poison and Mana Burn Deals 300% attack damage to type of monster that killed the player	Defeating Factory with a Wizard	Special
	Map created with 6 extra shops 20% item discount Gold for monster kills	Defeating Factory with any character	Special
	Starts with ENDISWAL glyph -50% damage at start 50% physical resist Poison attack Death Gaze immunity Adds 2 MP per kill Petrifies defeated enemies 10% to death gaze Converts glyphs to additional 5% death gaze	Defeating Snake Pit with a Monk	Special
	200% health at start Magical attack Increased sight radius BURNDAYRAZ prohibited 20% knockback damage Converts glyphs to 20% additional knockback damage	Defeating Library with a Warlord	Special
	7 damage per level -1 HP per tile explored First Strike Poison immunity Mana burn immunity Sense monster locations Spells use health instead of mana Restore 10% health from blood pools 5% life steal Converts glyphs to additional 5% life steal	Defeating Crypt with an Assassin	Special

Glyphs

Enemies

Stores & Store Items

Stores are placed randomly at the beginning of each dungeon and are revealed whenever you uncover the tile next to it.

At the early stages of the game, only Items from ranks 1 to 5 will be available to purchase in any shop. From then on, for each of the tiers 1 to 3 character classes that the player completes the game with, the Item Rank limit will increase by 2. Finally, for every class that completes the Library Challenge, the Item Rank limit will increase by 1.

Note

: keep in mind that the Tinker class gets a 20% discount on store prices.

Achievements

• Monster Masher
  • Kill an enemy one level above you (any standard dungeon)
• Recycler
  • Get 6 full conversions in one dungeon run
• Goliath Gutter
  • Kill an enemy three levels above you
• One Weird Trick
  • Petrify an enemy, then earn more than double its experience value on your next kill
• Popcorn Bowl
  • Earn extra experience from five enemies in a standard dungeon run while they're slowed
• Waste Not, Want Not
  • Waste fewer than 50 tiles of regeneration to win a standard dungeon run
• Sponsor
  • Upgrade any hero guild to level 3
• Level Cannon
  • Gain a level in the middle of a fight to defeat a regular level 10 boss
• Irresistible
  • Break completely through an enemy's physical or magical resistance
• Apostate
  • Spend piety on two different gods in one dungeon
• Difficult Decisions
  • Replace a locker item when all guild slots are full
• Archmage
  • Reach 25 maximum mana
• Punchomancer
  • Destroy ten walls with PISORF in one standard dungeon run
• Titan Toppler
  • Kill an enemy five levels above you
• RoboCop
  • Have Might, Death Protection and Stone Skin active at the same time (from glyphs or other sources)
• Cauterise The Wound
  • Block 1000 points of regeneration with burning or poison
• Tank
  • Reach 200 maximum health
• Colossus Crusher
  • Kill an enemy seven levels above you
• Supreme Slayer
  • Kill an enemy nine levels above you
• Look Ma, No Hands
  • Hidden
• One-Inch Punch
  • Reach 150 total damage
• Thank You!
  • Hidden
• No Returns Policy
  • Immediately convert ten items bought from standard dungeon shop
• Sim City
  • Fully upgrade your Kingdom
• Hero Literate
  • Complete all bronze challenges
• How Did They Even ...
  • Hidden
• You Suck
  • Hidden
• Thousand Pound Stare
  • Hidden
• Polytheist
  • Spend piety on four different gods in one dungeon
• Boy Scout
  • Spend at least 300 gold on preparations for a single dungeon run
• Theologian
  • Discover all god likes and dislikes
• Typhoid Mary
  • Use five different poison cure methods in a single dungeon run
• Dungeoneer
  • Complete all silver challenges
• Guildmaster
  • Complete all gold challenges
• Masochist
  • Spend 100 hours in the dungeons

Soundtrack

The full retail version of Desktop Dungeons features a fullly developed soundtrack written by Danny Baranowsky and Gran Kirkhope. The Desktop Dungeons Original Soundtrack features 25 original tracks and is available for preview and purchase on Bandcamp for $9.99.

TRACK LIST:

Awards

Desktop Dungeons won the "Excellence in Design" award at the 2011 Independent Games Festival.