Bumpin’ Dungeon (by Moby Pixel) could potentially be the best retro-ish game we have ever reviewed – and it isn’t because of the graphics.
Set on a gridded 2D map, Bumpin’ Dungeon is basically a roguelike adventure game only simplified for mobile devices with some hyper-modern touches. Played by swiping anywhere on the screen in order to move your character in one of 4 directions (forward, backward, left, or right) it would be an understatement to say that the controls in this game are easy enough to figure out.
…but it doesn’t end there!
Bumpin’ Dungeon starts out painfully simple and gradually increases in difficulty in such a way that we’d dare say 99% of players will instinctively know how to play this game without ever having played through a single tutorial or worse read the manual. The way in which this game indirectly teaches players how to play using nothing but clever level designs and game design expertise is beautiful.
It reminds us of a video done by Vox explaining how Mario teaches players how to play.
Moving past clever game design and Jedi mind tricks, let’s talk about the actual gameplay itself. Bumpin’ Dungeon is all about getting from your starting position to the goal within a given number of moves. Take too many moves and Game Over.
Bumpin’ Dungeon is ruthless when it comes to the number of steps you are allowed to take per-level. Although you will sometimes be given 1-2 extra moves when a new element is being introduced into the game (as a way of giving players a chance to make mistakes without dying) other than these special occasions you will very rarely end a level with any moves left meaning you are pretty much “required” to find the shortest route to the goal every time.
Although strict, this restriction on the number of moves you are allowed to take adds an extra level of challengingness to the game’s rather simple concept – which is actually a very welcome addition in our opinion. Without it, Bumpin’ Dungeon is so easy to learn, the game could almost be considered too easy.
With a modern pixelated design, an awesome chiptune soundtrack and 120 levels (as of right now) for you to puzzle your way through, Bumpin’ Dungeon is probably the least disappointing game we’ve reviewed in 2019. There really isn’t a lot more we could possibly ask for… 😆
The Conclusion
If you’re in for a retro-ish dungeon adventure game that challenges you to think just a little harder before making your next move, this is the game we recommend.
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Find it on App Store / Google Play