Dungeon crawlers have had a long and storied history with PC gaming, from titles like Akalabeth, Eye of the Beholder, or Dungeon Master to more modern offerings like Dark and Darker, Dungeonborne, and Legend of Grimrock. There are some truly unique twists on the genre out there too, and Dungeons of Blood and Dream is one of them. Even outside of its art style, which is already enough to set it apart, it brings in some neat roguelike elements that make this entirely its own thing, and it’s out now.
In Dungeons of Blood and Dream you play as a blood wizard who’s been captured by an evil entity. Your powers have been stripped away and all you can do to try and escape is use what you find in a series of bizarre dungeons that make up this prison. In fine RPG fashion, there are monsters, NPCs, and tons of loot for you to grab to power yourself up and make good your prison break.
Of course, because these are a set of psychedelic dungeons, everything you use, fight, or talk to, is weird as heck. There are strange weapons with blades that don’t quite make sense, cursed rings that change power depending on which finger you wear them on, and the developer promises “unnerving spells.” I don’t know what would make a spell unnerving, but I’m now desperate to find out.
All that’s before you get to the roguelike elements, which ensure no two playthroughs will be the same. When you set out to escape from this mind prison the dungeons will be generated, filled with all the dangers, treasure, and horrible little monsters you’ll face. This also applies to the potions you’ll find, with their effects changing each time you begin a run.
After a successful period in early access where it managed to amass a 96% rating on Steam, Dungeons of Blood and Dream is out in its full release now. If you’d like to check it out for yourself, head over to the game’s store page and just soak in that style.
Our guides to the best horror games and the best roguelike games will also help you find exactly what you’ve been searching for.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.