Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon Reviews
A microsurgical blending of genres results in a lovely balance of precision and chaos.
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a wonderful spin-off that combines block-falling puzzle and roguelite mechanics in remarkably clever ways, resulting in yet another excellent entry in the Shovel Knight series.
Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon combines familiar tile-matching puzzle mechanics with rogue-lite elements to make one of the best puzzlers in years.
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon may seem like a minor yet unexpected twist for the franchise, but it's a twist that pays off big time.
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a smartly designed and truly delightful revitalization of the falling block puzzle genre. High intensity, combat-driven gameplay, oodles of replayability, a cute art style, and a surprising amount of depth make this one a ridiculously easy recommendation. If you're at all a fan of Shovel Knight or falling block puzzlers, you owe it to yourself to give this a shot; even if you don't fall neatly into either of those camps, we'd still very much suggest you give this one a look.
With hugely varied gameplay and compelling Roguelike elements, Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a contender for greatest ever puzzle game.
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a puzzle-adventure made with great love and passion, entertaining, full of options and with exceptional replayability. A little gem not to be overlooked.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Shovel Knight's first spin-off is just as good as his mainline games, with a clever take on tile-matching puzzlers that offers an enjoyably unique challenge.
The last thing I expected was for Yacht Club Games and developer Vine to somehow emerge with a new take on the puzzle genre, but knowing what the original game did for platformers, I probably should have seen it coming.
Pocket Dungeon is a small and pleasant surprise, a puzzle game that finds its originality by merging perfectly with elements of dungeon games. It's simple to play, and complicated to master. Perhaps the most "negative" aspect is that, as a roguelike, it may not conquer everyone.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon might turn some people off with its roguelite framework and randomization, but there’s a deep puzzle game at work here; one that’s worth exploring if you’ve grown up on the action-puzzle genre. This is something I can see myself playing again in the years to come, especially with versus mode augmenting some of the leaner elements.
There’s not significant variety across these extra modes — and no online multiplayer is unfortunate — though when the core gameplay is this good, it's not a major detractor. Yacht Club Games and VINE ultimately provide an excellent puzzle spin-off, one that’s accessible for all players that'll appeal to existing fans. You won’t necessarily be here for a long time, but it’s an addictive experience that’ll keep you coming back for more.
It's not often that a falling block puzzler can capture the imagination, but Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon finds a buried nugget of novelty in this well-worn ground. Even though it's possible to blast through the adventure, most players will find that savoring the gameplay and enjoying their time with the noble knights is the right call. Pocket Dungeon feels of a kind with Nintendo's various Mario spinoffs and should be an essential purchase for not just fans of the series but puzzle gaming aficionados everywhere.
Pocket Dungeon grabbed me immediately and hasn't let go. Everything in this puzzle game works; the aesthetic, controls, modes, bosses, replayability. A puzzle game that has this level of polish will stand the test of time with the likes of Tetris.
It's a puzzle game, it's an action game, it's a rogue-lite, and it does all three of those very well. It might not be bursting with content, but this is an extremely unique, captivating experience that's sure to have players eager for just one more go.
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon adds a heaping pile of fun, innovative puzzle gameplay and retains the same charm that many Shovel Knight fans fell in love with years ago.
Pocket Dungeon understands puzzle spinoffs in the same way that the original Shovel Knight and all of its DLC understands classic platformers from the NES. While its title is fittingly suggestive of just how small the whole game is, I have a feeling I'll be coming back for months until I move on to my next roguelike obsession.
Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon is a truly delightful puzzle/rogue-lite game that is dripping with personality and fun to be had. The characters, sprite-work, music, sound effects, and overall design is stellar with a fantastic price on its head, this is a game for casual players, and serious players looking for something to master, a title worth pocketing.
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon brings one of the best puzzle games of the year while staying true to its roots.