Dungeons of Hinterberg Reviews
This debut project from Austrian developer Microbird Games presents a charming title with creative, tightly designed dungeons that brilliantly utilize region-exclusive magical spells to interact with the environment in clever ways.
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 is one of the best games I’ve played recently. I was surprised that it isn’t that well known among players because it’s definitely worth it. Despite the combat element of the gameplay, it is a very cozy and relaxing game. It can be well adapted to the tastes of various players – whether you prefer combat mechanics or just hanging out with friends in a cozy alpine village.
Dungeons of Hinterberg isn't the game you think it is, and that's what makes it so good. A gorgeous world, smooth combat, and great RPG elements as well.
Dungeons of Hinterberg surprised me with how relaxing it felt, despite battling monsters and solving puzzles. With its lack of time pressure, open-ended structure, and charming world, it’s a perfect escape—though I did miss voice acting and weapon variety.
Review in German | Read full review
Dungeons of Hinterberg is a captivating action-adventure game that combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and social simulation in a stunning alpine setting. While the visuals are vibrant and the dungeon designs are impressive, the combat can feel repetitive over time. The charming narrative about self-discovery and burnout resonates well, making the experience relatable. Overall, Dungeons of Hinterberg offers a delightful escape, making it a title worth revisiting.
Dungeons of Hinterberg is the perfect mix of adventure and dungeon crawling, and its bright and vibrant colours had me hooked.
Dungeons of Hinterberg offers the atmosphere of a vacation, relaxing and engaging at the same time, both in exploration and social interactions. The latter suffer from the lack of a spontaneous incentive to socialize, replaced by a traditional reward system for strengthening the bond built, but this does not distort the phenomenal gaming experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.