Pixel Dungeon brings a new experience that combines Ancient Dungeon and Dungeons of Eternity to Quest in early access.
The co-op roguelite released on Quest App Lab two weeks ago, but only 17 reviews suggest it's largely gone under the radar. Confusingly, the game is only called 'Dungeon' on the store page, but is listed as Pixel Dungeon in the marketing material. It strikes a balance between gameplay design reminiscent of Dungeons of Eternity and a voxel aesthetic similar to Ancient Dungeon.
With a focus on cooperative journeys into the dungeons, Pixel Dungeon sees you battling various enemies using magic, swords, and of course, throwing items at them. During my couple of hours in the game, the inspiration is unmistakable. You select a map and a game mode (of which there aren't many right now) and 'ready up' before waiting until a portal takes you to your chosen destination. Your mission is to stop demons after 'God' abandons his throne and leaves humanity in despair.
Much like Dungeons of Eternity, you complete quests through each dungeon, earning rewards that make you stronger with each new run. Unfortunately, Pixel Dungeon lacks polish in the early access stage. Grabbing your weaponry off your waist feels clunky, and typically ends up with me grabbing my backpack by mistake. Similarly, grabbing the weapon on the left will sometimes bring my bow on my back instead.
However, there's a clear vision here. Despite some rough translations in the opening cutscene, the story seems to be a good enough hook to dive into Pixel Dungeon's voxel world, and the combat feels very fun, if not a bit too floaty. The foundations for a Dungeons of Eternity competitor are certainly here, and with the game coming to Steam too, it'll likely become a great option for those not on Quest missing out. Let's just hope it gets as many updates.
Presently, Pixel Dungeon offers one map for players to explore, alongside 10-player avatars, a range of talents to upgrade your abilities or strengthen your weaponry with new skills, and more. During the early access, users in the game's Discord server are currently voting for new avatars inspired by iconic characters like Kratos, Batman, and more.
My biggest issue right now is the lack of a defined roadmap. With a small community so far, and a confusing branding that changes depending on the storefront you're on, Pixel Dungeon's future appears uncertain as a player. If funding doesn't persist, there's no clear goal as to where Pixel Dungeon is heading, and while I hope it does make it out of the early access phase, it's uncertain where developer Suplife Games plans to take the game.
What we do know is that Suplife Games is promising new avatars and more maps at some point during the early access period. It's unclear right now whether the game will be getting additional weapons or enemies ahead of the 1.0 launch. There's no launch window for the full game just yet, either.
Pixel Dungeon is available now in early access on the Quest Store on Meta Quest 2, Pro, and 3. It's also coming to Steam in the future.
