Dungeon Settlers blends colony sim and dungeon crawling

Dungeon Settlers launched in early access on September 4th. According to a Rock Paper Shotgun preview, it merges colony simulation with real-time party-based dungeon crawling.

The game tasks players with building a settlement in a harsh surface world. Survival depends on sending parties into the dungeons below to gather essential resources like twigs and grass. These expeditions are perilous, with dangers ranging from rat swarms to stone golems.

A Tragic Symbiosis

Colony building and dungeon delving are described as tragically symbiotic. Surface construction requires materials found only underground. One previewer's party, led by a colonist named Luciana, was wiped out not by a grand monster, but due to a lack of basic crafting materials for torches. The game operates in real-time but allows for tactical pausing, a necessity given its complex interface of menus and hotbars.

Characters act on their own based on adjustable task priorities, though players can issue direct orders. The preview noted some initial friction with the controls, where issuing attack commands or waypoints could feel ambiguous. The developer, South Korean studio CanOpener, has acknowledged using generative AI for localisation, though some languages were translated or reviewed by humans.

Life in the Labyrinth

A unique feature is the ability to build temporary outposts within the dungeons themselves. Players can barricade caverns, roll out bedrolls, and light cooking fires to boost party morale. However, maintaining a long-term presence underground is challenging. Monsters respawn, but resources do not, and characters suffer a negative mood modifier while beneath the surface.

The dungeons are procedurally generated and filled with hostile creatures. Enemies encountered in the preview included:

Death can be gruesome and darkly humorous, in the tradition of games like Dwarf Fortress. In one recounted incident, a surviving character used a companion's corpse as a meat shield against rats before eventually succumbing to hunger and stress.

The Verdict on Value

The preview suggests the core hybrid concept is rewarding, offering a cosy, strategic depth. However, the current early access version has interface issues that need addressing. The control scheme, which blends management sim and RPG inputs, can feel slippery. The heavy reliance on generative AI for translation is also noted as a potential concern for the quality of localisation.

It presents a challenging balance of two demanding genres. Success requires careful management of both the struggling colony above and the doomed parties below. As the preview concludes, even a party doing well can be undone by a single character breaking formation and angering a group of moderately competent slimes.