Dungeons of Hinterberg Reviews
To a degree, Dungeons of Hinterberg is about itself, but it's a thoughtful reminder that video games and play in general can be meaningful for us in many ways, including just having fun.
A flowery, gorgeous world that is enthralling to listen to, but abrasive to interact with, to the point where its structure can confuse players with its intent.
An inspired combination of colourful dungeon-crawling, social sim, and action-RPG, Dungeons of Hinterberg proves to be a remarkably pleasant surprise. Ignore this at your peril.
If Dungeons of Hinterberg had several more months in the oven and a few cuts, it may have been an excellent game instead of just a good one. Still, I don’t hesitate to recommend it, because the heart of the experience is so inventive and the less interesting parts can mostly be ignored. When it comes down to it I’d rather have its enjoyable stretches and mediocrity separated into different parts of a game so that I can struggle through what I don’t like while looking forward to what I do. Hinterberg ends up being a lot like a hike: sometimes beautiful, sometimes tedious. But its dungeons do approach greatness, and it’s worth trekking through the less-than-perfect aspects to see them.
Dungeons of Hinterberg feels like a fresh breath of the Austrian Alps as it recontextualizes familiar action-RPG elements in a charming and modern feeling adventure.
Despite its insanely clever dungeon designs, Dungeons of Hinterberg feels kind of like a hodgepodge of ideas plucked from other games that ultimately did them better. Though there might be things I didn't enjoy as much, I'd gladly play tourist and stamp my passport on a return journey to Hinterberg any time.
Dungeons of Hinterberg cleverly combines puzzles, combat and relationship-building into a tidy package that is captivating despite its low-pressure vibes. Each dungeon is distinct and satisfying in terms of style and mechanics, and combat is just the right amount of crunchy to feel fun throughout the adventure. The gorgeous aesthetic makes Hinterberg and its surroundings a lovely place to spend time, too, and the quirky characters you'll meet along the journey are all worth getting to know. With some truly memorable moments, Dungeons of Hinterberg is sure to scratch the itch of any wannabe dungeon-crawler with a penchant for problem-solving and is a stand-out indie effort in a year chock full of them.
With an incredibly colourful and infectious art style, fun combat, clever puzzles, and a relatable narrative about burnout and escapism, Dungeons of Hinterberg is one 2024's most captivating experiences.
The most enjoyable aspect of Dungeons of Hinterberg is its puzzles, which consistently present a variety of appropriately challenging and innovative problems, interspersed with a series of battles to keep the gameplay engaging.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Dungeons of Hinterberg is a fresh and clever take on the dungeon crawler formula, with a unique spin on the idea of vacations and a likeable protagonist. After a few hours we were sucked in by its gameplay loop, even if there's room for improvements in some areas, such as the balance between combat and puzzles and the frequency of small loading times.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Featuring enjoyable dungeons and intriguing plot developments, Dungeons of Hinterberg is a fun escape to a magical version of Austria. It doesn't stray far from its comfort zone, but the basics here are solid enough to prop up the highlights of the experience.
Dungeons of Hinterberg, while being Action RPG oriented, reminds us that we should take time to enjoy the world around us. Whether we are on our daily grind, or relaxing on holiday halfway around the world; make new experiences, embrace your surroundings, and take in the culture. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this game. In fact, it is some of the most fun I have had in gaming this year. Whether or not you find yourself downloading this on Steam, or booting it up on Xbox Game Pass, remember to enjoy your slay.
Dungeons of Hinterberg was a game I was immediately interested in when it was first shown off. I had been following its development closely and was eager to dive in. In the end, it was an experience that started strong and ended equally that strong. While I certainly have minor issues with some basic combat and its far too simple puzzles, I still find Dungeons of Hinterberg to be a great game, one where its flaws don’t sour my experience.
Dungeons of Hinterberg is a delightful and wonderfully weird experience. This is not your usual run-of-the-mill action-adventure RPG.
Dungeons of Hinterberg is a relaxing adventure RPG for gamers who don’t mind taking their time on an adventure and don’t require complex combat. The game looks great and has a fitting soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere. The only downside is that the dungeons can be quite short, and you’re then required to end the day immediately afterward. The NPCs you spend time with in the evening don’t have the most in-depth dialogues, but the bonuses you receive are a nice bonus.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Dungeons of Hinterberg still let me decide which sub-narratives to pursue, and in what sequence to solve the challenges Luisa faces. Simply put, you will have the absolute freedom to indulge in moments of tranquility unless you are opting for a more violent path. The choice is yours.
Put simply, Dungeons of Hinterberg is sensational. It distils its three gameplay pillars of thoughtful dungeon puzzle solving, snappy combat, and meaningful relationship building into a frightfully fun loop that I hardly ever wanted to put down throughout its runtime. Much of the game is themed around what it means to take a break from the rat race, and in exploring its characters and connecting with its therapeutic routine, I almost feel as though it has offered me a similar mental refresh upon completing it.
Though Dungeons of Hinterberg falters to execute on some minor details and its broader narrative never coalesces with the gameplay, its breathtaking art design, heartful character writing, and addictive gameplay loop make this a solid action-adventure RPG with a great sense of magic.
While not wholly a chillax game since there's combat, everything about Dungeons of Hinterburg screams "vacation", albeit with an impending disaster looming as you have to sort that out while you're getting your stamps and dungeon work cleared. While its conflicts are mundane, its puzzles and dungeon-trekking, as well as its social elements, make for a hearty combination to ease the soul, especially with the game's heartfelt message about work-life balance and its statement on commercialization in the tourism industry.
Dungeons of Hinterberg is a fantastic adventure with an addicting gameplay loop based on exploration and wonder, tight combat, and an exciting cast of characters to interact with.