Blood Dungeon
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Blood Dungeon
Blood Dungeon sees a distinctive indie studio apply its design smarts to an exhausted modern genre, with surprisingly conservative but enjoyable results.
I keep going back and forth with how I feel about Blood Dungeon in its entirety. It’s fun to play, has a cool aesthetic, and its emphasis on score-chasing feels distinct in this genre. But its lack of interest in expression and build-crafting really hurts that momentum, and makes playing long-term feel more and more like a chore.
What makes Blood Dungeon so special is how well it encapsulates that feeling of making you want to do just one more run. Suddenly, an hour has passed, and you’re still making your way forward, making progress and earning new buffs for your character. It’s the mark of any great roguelike, as it never feels unfair, even when a run goes sideways, and the progress is truly satisfying.
Blood Dungeon marries the gameplay of Spelunky and Vampire Survivors, resulting in a chaotic concoction. It's wacky and a bit outrageous, but if you're able to relish in the chaos, you'll be rewarded with an addicting experience with plenty of new things to constantly throw your way.
2D platforming Survivors-like experience with trippy visuals and fast-paced gameplay
The best thing that Blood Dungeon has to offer is its unique take on the survivor-like gameplay. Bringing the experience to a 2D platformer with insane visuals and characters you’ll just chuckle and shake your head at is awesome. There is still a lot of been-there-done-that here, but the minute-to-minute gameplay is still a whole lot of fun.
Blood Dungeon is a fun, ridiculous cycle of enjoyable pain. The visuals and music keep your blood pumping even as it drains over the cobblestones. The weaponry is equal parts deadly and dope, and I never had a run where I was dissatisfied with the outcome. Messhof has crafted a loop that builds incrementally to a glorious crescendo of havoc, destruction and bones for everyone. There’s genuine excitement, abject stupidity and a serious sense of satisfaction when you finally get 10,000 bones for that jump enhancement.
Addictive? Yes. Strategic? Hell yeah. Gratifying? You bet. Messhof have another potential underground classic on their hands here because they put in the work to make the game feel good, look intriguing, and make your neck snap from the whiplash of slapping you with fun unlocks at just about every turn.
